At the previous week’s Scottish Open, much was made of Graeme McDowell’s – and others’ – criticisms of the Castle Stuart course. The gist of what they had to say was that the course did not make for a good test immediately prior to The Open.
Others promptly pointed to how, in each of the two previous years, the Claret Jug had been won by Scottish Open players – Darren Clarke in 2011 and Ernie Els in 2012.
It was Els who predicted that if the same thing happened three years in a row, which it now has, every golfer in the world would be rushing to the Scottish Open. What is more the fact that the 2014 installment is to be held at Royal Aberdeen would be virtually irrelevant; they would go if the event were being staged on a nine-hole course in Thurso.
Mickelson predicted at his final press-conference at Castle Stuart that the manner in which he had won his Scottish Open title could serve him well at Muirfield.
To recap, he had two putts from 15 feet to win from Branden Grace.
His young family, who had been in the players’ lounge, were ushered out to the 18th green to see the denouement, only for their father to take three putts. The children stayed put for a play-off down the 18th in which everything came right as Mickelson tied things up with a delicious little approach from short of the green.
"The way I was able to re-focus and finally get the job done has helped me to pick up confidence for next week," he said.
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