Phil Mickelson rekindled memories of his 2013 Open Championship triumph grabbing a bottle of wine and with the three people ‘closest in his life’ returning to the Muirfield course and scene of his fifth Major success.
Accompanying Mickelson was his wife, Amy long-time caddy, Jim McKay and manager Steve Loy.
Mickelson now intends to draw on the inspiration of the visit as he strives to join just 13 players in the history of the game who have captured six or more Majors.
And if successful later this week at St. Andrews he will join fellow American Lee Trevino and England’s Nick Faldo with six Major wins.
Mickelson had been competing all week at neighbouring Gullane and the Scottish Open but found time after Saturday’s third round to travel the very short distance to Muirfield on the eastern end of the township and spend 90 minutes at the club.
“I enjoyed my time here at Gullane, and given how close it was to Muirfield , it was great to go over and spend time reminiscing,” said Mickelson.
Phil Mickelson grabs a bottle of wine and returns to Muirfield to rekindle memories of his 2013 Open success.
“I didn’t take a club. Just a bottle of wine though we could have done with another bottle. There was the three people who are the most important people in my life, apart from my kids.
“We spent an hour and a half on a golf course where there wasn’t a soul there and reminiscing about what took place there. It was probably the most special victoiry of my career and to be able to relive it with those three people was really special.
“But two years removed from that win, I still can’t believe how much it means to me.
“I wanted to walk the back nine and we did that but while there wasn’t any critical spot out on the course, it was just around the 18th green and recalling my emotions.
“So to stand on the 18th green and relive those feelings and emotions after trying for 20 years to win The Open was a special moment.
“And the members could not have been more gracious as no one annoyed us and they left us alone, so we had a wonderful night and even rained, which was even better.”
However Mickelson was headed straight to St. Andrews after his final Scottish Open round of 68 for a five under par tally.
“Over the next three days what I will focus on is more on fine tuning rather than finding something,” he said.
“I’m pretty pleased with my ball-striking, but I have to fine tune it but overall I’m pretty pleased with the way the last two days was on the greens.”
However in contrast to surprise of long-time rival Tiger Woods at the sight of a very green Old Course, Mickleson left for the Home of Golf unconcerned at the likely state of the course come tee-off on Thursday.
“I’ve seen St. Andrews when it was brown and fast and if its green and soft, that’s fine too,” he said.
“When it gets brown and the weather’s nice, the pin placements get too iffy. So I would prefer the weather to be bad and the pin placements fair, and have the weather and conditions be the defense of the golf course rather than trick it up because the weather is nice.”
