[photopress:phil_1.jpg,full,alignleft]Given all the mud slinging (I’ve just finally cleaned my self off with a shower and a lesson from the remarkable Bruce McCarrol), I’d like to point out I’m not the only one that thought Phil “The Thrill” wasn’t thinking with his 3-wood maneuver. Noted CBS Sports columnist Steve Elling also had the same take:
Once again trying to out-think or out-plink everybody, Mickelson ditched his driver in the first two rounds and attempted to attack the longest course in Grand Slam history armed with no more firepower than a 3-wood in his bag.
In keeping with the verbal riffing on the mule theme, you’d have to call the experiment … asinine. Playing a brute of a course and facing a stellar field, he might as well have fired spitwads at the Navy battleships parked in San Diego Bay.
Of course I have no idea what kind of a player Steve Elling is, and if he’s not a scratch, I don’t see how he can comment on Mickelson at all. Oh, what’s that? Mickelson’s brilliant strategy led to a playoff with Tiger? Must have missed that one — just like Phil missed almost 60% of his fairways with his 3-metal, when the field average was 58%. Now that’s what I call a sound strategy.
A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in 
Wait a minute, who are you to comment on Steve Elling’s column? You are not a noted CBS Sports columnist.
Of course Phil’s choice to change clubs before the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills stands out as a unique Mensa moment.
But I cannot comment, I have never played the Ryder Cup….
But I have played Oakland Hills, does that count?
I don’t know if Phil’s strategy was the problem, or the execution. If you aren’t playing well, the wrenches don’t matter.
I agree I dont think that his strategy was the problem, He just had a bad game!
First of all is was NOT a 3 wood he had it bent to 11.5 degrees it was a 2 wood that he could hit 300 yards with roll.
His swing just SUCKS right now he could not get it into the fairway with a 5 iron………At least he abandoned the thing on Saturday but his swing was still the same…….
All I know is that I can’t stand Mickelson and so, naturally, I LOVED the decision to leave driver at home. Keep it up, Phil!