Five-time Major winner Phil Mickelson agreed his on-course antics made him ‘Box Office’ material after sharing second place in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in the UAE capital.

Mickelson was left paying a severe price for a bizarre incident on the 13th hole when, in playing a 4-iron right-handed, the current British Open champion had to call a penalty on himself when his second shot from under bushes ricocheted off a branch hit his club.

It left the visiting American walking off 13 with a ‘7’ and while he birdied the very next hole, Mickelson headed to the scorer’s hut one behind Spain’s Pablo Larrazal.

Phil Mickelson again brings ‘box office’ status to the 2014 Abu Dhabi HSBC tChampionship. (Photp – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

“After what happened on 13 I got refocused and got a aggressive and made some birdies and gave myself a chance,” said Mickelson.

“If Pablo had not birdied the last hole to win, I would have gotten into a playoff, and so I give him a lot of credit for finishing the tournament off the right way.

“I wanted to use a lob-wedge but I decided to go with the 4-iron but then I had trouble seeing the head of the club at address because of a twig.

“I thought I had hit it reasonably solid, and all I wanted to do was to move it 10-feet but then I couldn’t tell if it hit a branch or hit the ground and bounce back up.

“It just kind of pissed me off because I was able to birdie that next hole and I played a little bit more aggressively to birdie 14 but then you need something like that to happen.  I wasn’t trying to get it back on the fairway.  I was just trying to get into onto the sand where I had a shot.

“If I had of taken an ‘unplayable lie’ it would still be in the bushes so that was not an option.

“So sand, rough, a downhill lie it was all getting progressively worst.

“I thought the risk was worth it but never thought it would hit my club.  It was crazy.”

Mickelson was then asked if he could remember the last time he had a ‘double hit’.

“Ah …I can’t but this is not the first time it’s happened,” he said.

“I know I have because I have done a lot of crazy shit over the years (laughing).”

And Mickelson played the final round in the UAE capital after slicing his finger, as evident by a number of band aids on his finger.

“Oh, I sliced it but it’s fine and I just put the bandage on it to stop it being infected”.

And as Mickelson headed to the clubhouse, and making his 2014 PGA Tour debut the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego it was put to the very popular American he’s ‘box office material’.

“I enjoy playing golf, I enjoy challenging myself to hit some shots, and sometimes I pull them off and sometimes I don’t,” he smiled.

“And this week, I had a little bit of both.”