SAN FRANCISCO – Ask Phil Mickelson a question, you’ll get an answer. Sounds simple, but such a quality is not necessarily found in many players on the PGA Tour.
Lefty has easily become the best pre-tournament interview in the game. His streakcontinued Tuesday where he shared plenty of thoughts on The Olympic Club.
Leading into this week the opening six holes have been classified as a treacherous stretch where players could ruin a round before it even begins. Mickelson doesn’t necessarily agree.
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“I think it’s overrated a little bit in difficulty,” he said. “It’s certainly challenging. But the way it’s set up gives you an opportunity to play them. They’re not unplayable by any means.”
The most difficult shot on the course, according to Mickelson, is the tee shot on the par-3, 199-yard 13th hole.
“It’s a long, narrow green with wind blowing right-to-left,” Mickelson said. “If you miss it right, you’ve got a chip that’s downhill, downwind, you’re not going to get it up and down.
“And if you miss it left, it’s off to Hartford (next week’s PGA Tour stop). You may as well pack your bags.”
Mickelson believes that the par-5, 670-yard 16th hole will be the most difficult on the course and is a fan of the closing two holes.
“I think they’re some of the best holes that are on the golf course,” Mickelson said. “I think there could be a big swing on 17. Eighteen, look what happened to (Ben) Hogan. You think it’s a nothing hole, but you hook it in the rough and you make double and you lose the Open.
