TROON, Scotland -- Phil being Phil, he sometimes can't resist being, well ... Phil.
You can argue that Phil Mickelson would not be such a beloved figure in the game were it not for his aggressive style and go-for-broke nature. He once famously declared that he'd rather lose going for it than win playing carefully.
That was a long time ago, before Mickelson won his first major at the 2004 Masters and before he wrapped his arms, legs and head around the idea that he had to embrace a links golf strategy rather than fight it.
For most of the last decade, that is exactly what he's done at golf's oldest championship, learning to plot his away around the storied old courses that host The Open, using more brains than brawn.