• Nice guys really do finish first Nice guys really do finish first By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island It will certainly be a great Thanksgiving for one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Master’s champ, Phil
• Nice guys really do finish first
Nice guys really do finish first
By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island
It will certainly be a great Thanksgiving for one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Master’s champ, Phil Mickelson found the right stuff for a magical performance yesterday at the PGA Grand Slam finale.
Right after he sunk the putt that gave him a remarkable 59 final round total, Mickelson pumped his fist in the air, as one of his young daughters came running to congratulate him on the putting green.
After picking her up and taking her to the rest of his family, (wife Amy, daughter Sophia, and son Evan) Mickelson certainly made his mark on becoming the people’s champion.
As TNT announcer Ernie Johnson said, “Phil displayed three things all at once after his win, a great golfer, father, husband.”
His debut in the PGA Grand Slam at the Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course was one to remember for himself, his family, his fans, and island residents and visitors, who were extremely fortunate to watch a gracious champion emerge.
Not too long ago was Mickelson tagged with the label, “The best player in golf, never to have won a major.”
But that distinction was erased this year, after he sunk a downhill birdie putt on the 18th hole for the Green Jacket and the 2004 Masters title.
Another TNT announcer found Mickelson’s mom, Mary amidst the gallery at the Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course on Tuesday.
First off, you could tell right away, that she was related to Mickelson, because they looked exactly alike.
Secondly, the same types of mannerisms were seen while the interview was being conducted.
You could tell that Phil got his humility from his mom, who said that she still can’t believe that her son won the Master’s and that it was a dream come true for her family to see him win, but it still hasn’t hit them.
The Rancho Santa Fe, California resident won’t forget his first time at the PGA Grand Slam and neither will the thousands of specators at the event, or the millions, who watched the outcome on TNT.
First time’s a charm for Mickelson, who’s been a pleasure to cover and if Phil makes it back next year, it won’t matter if he wins or not, because he’s left a stamp on the 2004 PGA Grand Slam that will go down in the record books as a “Master-Phil performance.”
Duane Shimogawa Jr., Sports Editor can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) and kauaisports@pulitzer.net
