Winged Foot Was Not The Site Of Mickelson’s Biggest U.S. Open Heartbreak

Phil Mickelson owns a record six 2nd place U.S. Open finishes–and zero wins (0-26). Everyone remembers the disaster at Winged Foot that began with a wayward driver on the last hole to cough up a lead and ultimately losing to Geoff Ogilvy.

Yet, Phil believes it was at Shinnecock Hills two years earlier where he suffered a far more frustrating memory. GolfWorld’s Dave Shedloski has the untold story’s surprising details.

Only Fred Funk, his playing partner in the final round of the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, has known Mickelson’s secret. He distinctly heard the clunky, discordant sound emanating from the front left bunker as Mickelson played his second shot at the par-3 17th hole. Instantly, he knew what had happened and solemnly watched the predictable result as Mickelson’s ball raced past the cup—above it, in fact—to a place on the oil-slick green where the left-hander easily could three-putt.

There were rocks in the bunkers at Shinnecock, and when Mickelson arrived at his ball, he found one about a half-inch in diameter behind it, in the most perfect place to cause the game’s most proficient bunker player to hit the most imperfect shot at the most inopportune time. Having grappled to his first lead over Retief Goosen on the previous hole, Mickelson all of a sudden was trailing again after the double-bogey 5. It was too late to make up the deficit.

At two-under-par 278—with a still impressive final-round 71—he finished with the lowest aggregate score in history at a U.S. Open at Shinnecock only to watch Goosen better it a few minutes later by two strokes.

Of the ill-fated bunker shot, all Mickelson had to say that day was, “I really don’t know what to say.”

‘That is the one I should have won more than any other. “Winged Foot, I played terrible all week. But my short game had never been better in my career. … But Shinnecock, I played phenomenal that last day. Given the difficulty of the course, I would say that I have not played better in a U.S. Open in my life.’ —Phil Mickelson

“If I can’t win, I want one of my buddies to win. I would absolutely, 100 percent love to see Phil win. I think a lot of guys would, honestly,” said two-time major winner Zach Johnson. “Is it going to sway his legacy? I would say no. Would he have all four majors at that point? Yes, but he’s already one of the best players ever to play the game. I would just like to see him win it because he’s been close so many times. He’s been a great U.S. Open player.”

“I tried to go behind the rock and underneath it, and it took all the spin off it. It had over-spin on it,” Mickelson said. “It shot past the hole in the one spot I couldn’t go, downhill, down wind. It was not a hard shot—basic uphill bunker shot into the wind. Couldn’t have been easier. But that one thing changed everything.”

Mickelson paused for effect. He was grinning, but shaking his head.

“All because of that fricking rock.”