PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Fifteen minutes after watching his title hopes carom off the left edge of the final hole he faced at Pebble Beach, Phil Mickelson could only smile and shake his head.
This was where the drought was supposed to end. Hallowed ground, familiar territory, a place he knew and loved against a leaderboard that didn’t seem to pack much of a punch. In the end, it turned into just the latest piece of scar tissue lining the psyche of a five-time major champ.
Mickelson began the day two shots clear at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, seemingly set for a coronation that would lead to his fifth tournament title and first win in nearly three years.