Would Phil have won more majors if he didn’t play graphite shafted irons for most of the 90s?

[Isaac_Newton]

I am a huge Phil fan but thinking about his past equipment deals he was with Yonex between 1992 and 2000. While with Yonex he played graphite shafted irons. During that time he had 11 top ten finishes in majors. I haven’t looked at how close he was in some of those but he did admit later on the graphite shafted irons affected his ball striking. Likely poor proximity to hole stats with his short game bailing him out. I think 2-4 more majors would have been possible had he made better equipment choices. Though he probably made great decisions, at the time, for his bank account.   

[TobesSC]

Maybe if he played steel shafted driver.

[ebrasmus21]

He’d have won ten more majors.  Obviously. 

[Ferguson]

8 hours ago, Isaac_Newton said:

I am a huge Phil fan but thinking about his past equipment deals he was with Yonex between 1992 and 2000. While with Yonex he played graphite shafted irons. During that time he had 11 top ten finishes in majors. I haven’t looked at how close he was in some of those but he did admit later on the graphite shafted irons affected his ball striking. Likely poor proximity to hole stats with his short game bailing him out. I think 2-4 more majors would have been possible had he made better equipment choices. Though he probably made great decisions, at the time, for his bank account.   

 

 

 

Excuse me while I throw up in a small garbage can. 

 

 

Phil didn't win those majors for one reason, and one reason only.   

It's because someone else won.

 

 

 

There is no grassy knoll theory in golf, especially when it relates to Phil.

 

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

1 hour ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

 

Excuse me while I throw up in a small garbage can. 

 

 

Phil didn't win those majors for one reason, and one reason only.   

It's because someone else won.

 

 

 

There is no grassy knoll theory in golf, especially when it relates to Phil.

 

 

 

 

 

You don't think before getting into the cart his brother said, "I'll have a second shooter"?

[Ferguson]

6 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

You don't think before getting into the cart his brother said, "I'll have a second shooter"?

 

Yes, his shirtless brother said that, and as they drove away, he drunkenly bellowed, "Abe Zapruder................you da man!"

 

[double_d]

No, but he would have won a US open if Bones had snapped his driver in half on the walk from 17 to 18 in 2006.

Edited September 15, 2020 by double_d

[ebrasmus21]

36 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

 

Yes, his shirtless brother said that, and as they drove away, he drunkenly bellowed, "Abe Zapruder................you da man!"

 

Phil effectively “kicking” Bones to the curb sealed his fate of never winning a major again.  

[Ferguson]

28 minutes ago, ebrasmus21 said:

Phil effectively “kicking” Bones to the curb sealed his fate of never winning a major again.  

 

 

So, you might ask - what's left over when the blame game ends? 

 

 

I'll tell you: 

A broken pinata, warm rum punch, an entire jell-o mold with suspended fruit, an unopened soap on a rope, three cold chicken wings and Tim Mickelson left holding the bag.

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

50 minutes ago, ebrasmus21 said:

Phil effectively “kicking” Bones to the curb sealed his fate of never winning a major again.  

 

But Bones can't carry a bag any more!

[cristphoto]

35 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

But Bones can't carry a bag any more!

 

Justin Thomas might disagree.  I thought Bones originally stopped caddying because of bad knees?  

[freeze16172002]

Erratic Driving and missing pressure putts sealed Phil's faith in the US Opens

[Dr. Block]

As a huge Phil fan and a lefty, I played those Yonex irons with the stout boron graphite shafts in junior golf and highschool.  I can assure you they were excellent shafts.  Definitely as good as any of the steel offerings at the time.  They were very stable and basically the same weight as a steel shaft.  Not at all what a casual observer would think they were as being graphite. The signature wedges Yonex made for him at the time were also fantastic - basically a fancied up copy of the Ping Eye 2 wedges he favored in college. Phil's equipment during that time was not a detriment.  If he did say they cost him accuracy, he was making excuses.    

 

As I understood it, his main reason for leaving Yonex was the fact that Phil is a tinkerer and a first class equipment ho, and Yonex did not have a tour van or any sort of support out on tour week to week, so when Phil wanted to tinker or try something, he ended up at the other major equipment van's to get his fix.  

Edited September 15, 2020 by Dr. Block

[golfandfishing]

34 minutes ago, cristphoto said:

 

Justin Thomas might disagree.  I thought Bones originally stopped caddying because of bad knees?  

 Bones had both knees replaced but caddied for Phil after that. Phil replaced him with Tim for reasons unrelated to his knees, and Bones left caddying when NBC offered him a Brinks truck to be an on course commentator. I don’t recall Bones saying he left because of bad knees, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he alluded to it somewhere to keep the feedback to a minimum. Replaced knees are miles better than bad knees, and if Phil and Bones both wanted to continue their deal it would still be happening. At least one of them clearly wanted out. 

[Chopper1986]

3 hours ago, double_d said:

No, but he would have won a US open if Bones had snapped his driver in half on the walk from 17 to 18 in 2006.

Bones should've pulled the ol' Ian Woosnam throw the driver in the bush move! 

[bscinstnct]

If Phil had Earl as a Dad, he’d have won 20 majors.

 

And, of course this is no knock on Phil’s pop. You can just see Phil is a happy guy who had a great childhood. 
 

But with his talent and somebody really cracking the whip, he’d have killed it. Either that or give up the game completely and be a surfer ; )

[Ferguson]

4 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

If Phil had Earl as a Dad, he’d have won 20 majors.

 

And, of course this is no knock on Phil’s pop. You can just see Phil is a happy guy who had a great childhood. 
 

But with his talent and somebody really cracking the whip, he’d have killed it. Either that or give up the game completely and be a surfer ; )

 

 

I agree and disagree.    Phil never learned restraint.   He never learned to play the percentages when it mattered.  He has always been and always will be a risk-taker, primarily.  Some guys play like this.  I have friends that play like this.  They would rather talk about the single eagle than the 6 pars in a row. 

 

 

Phil has a had a great career and trying to say he could or should have won more, for whatever reason, doesn't fit the Phil Mickelson narrative. 

 

 

 

[bscinstnct]

8 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

I agree and disagree.    Phil never learned restraint.   He never learned to play the percentages when it mattered.  He has always been and always will be a risk-taker, primarily.  Some guys play like this.  I have friends that play like this.  They would rather talk about the single eagle than the 6 pars in a row. 

 

 

Phil has a had a great career and trying to say he could or should have won more, for whatever reason, doesn't fit the Phil Mickelson narrative. 

 

 

 

 

Ya, Phil is the epitome of,

 

 

 

 

[llewol007]

Nope

[QuigleyDU]

8 hours ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

 

Excuse me while I throw up in a small garbage can. 

 

 

Phil didn't win those majors for one reason, and one reason only.   

It's because someone else won.

 

 

 

There is no grassy knoll theory in golf, especially when it relates to Phil.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree. And unlike Ferg, I am a phil fan. There is no equipment that can make up for bad decisions. 

 

 

 

[carrier street]

Phil plays golf like Wile E Coyote would and that's why I love watching him.

[Hawkeye77]

6 hours ago, cristphoto said:

 

Justin Thomas might disagree.  I thought Bones originally stopped caddying because of bad knees?  

 

Yes, hence my sarcasm!

 

(And he may not be able to take the full grind on Tour these days, but still think there was more to the parting of the ways - and of course I have no evidence to back it up or really care that much what either of them do.  I do enjoy Bones as a broadcaster.)

Edited September 15, 2020 by Hawkeye77

[ebk]

14 hours ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no grassy knoll theory in golf, especially when it relates to Phil.

 

 

 

 

Yes, there is a grassy knoll.  It's three fairways over, behind the snack shack.  And Phil is playing from behind it...

[The Mad Hacker]

10 minutes ago, ebk said:

Yes, there is a grassy knoll.  It's three fairways over, behind the snack shack.  And Phil is playing from behind it...

And that's why we love Phil. 'Cause he's gonna hit driver off the deck of that fairway, over the snack shack, and put the ball on the green! (Ok, maybe he ends up in even more trouble, but every so often....Wow!)

[YMark]

12 hours ago, double_d said:

No, but he would have won a US open if Bones had snapped his driver in half on the walk from 17 to 18 in 2006.

I don't disagree, but Phil's second shot choice was an even bigger mental error.

[bodhi555]

I've still got a set of the last irons he used with Yonex - the Rekin Super 10 Tours. They've got the standard graphite shafts in Stiff, and I really can't see them being the excuse for any drop in accuracy - they're the stiffest shafts I've used - graphite or steel - outside of a C-Taper. Lovely soft forgings too, so whatever Phil's reasons for not winning any majors during his time with Yonex, I don't think it was the equipment on its own.

[Scotty1140]

18 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

If Phil had Earl as a Dad, he’d have won 20 majors.

 

And, of course this is no knock on Phil’s pop. You can just see Phil is a happy guy who had a great childhood. 
 

But with his talent and somebody really cracking the whip, he’d have killed it. Either that or give up the game completely and be a surfer ; )

 

With calves like that Phil's only other possible career path is clearly an NFL linebacker.

[double_d]

12 hours ago, YMark said:

I don't disagree, but Phil's second shot choice was an even bigger mental error.

 Correct but if it wasn't for his first shot the second would have been from the fairway.

 

He knew his driver was so wild all day he couldn't hit the ocean from a boat, he should have hit:

 

1)iron

2)iron to layup distance

3)wedge

4)putt

5)putt

 

and walked out with the trophy

Edited September 16, 2020 by double_d

[Ferguson]

7 minutes ago, double_d said:

 Correct but if it wasn't for his first shot the second would have been from the fairway.

 

He knew his driver was so wild all day he couldn't hit the ocean from a boat, he should have hit:

 

1)iron

2)iron to layup distance

3)wedge

4)putt

5)putt

 

and walked out with the trophy

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2006 US OPEN and Phil 

 

 

 

 

Driver.........................................and I'm such an idiot.

 

 

 

end of show.

 

 

[farmer]

1 hour ago, double_d said:

 Correct but if it wasn't for his first shot the second would have been from the fairway.

 

He knew his driver was so wild all day he couldn't hit the ocean from a boat, he should have hit:

 

1)iron

2)iron to layup distance

3)wedge

4)putt

5)putt

 

and walked out with the trophy

Watching that tourney, when Phil was walking to the eighteenth tee, he was clearly exhausted.  Bones (after giving the driver to a fan) should have said "Boss, tie your shoes and rest a minute."  I think I remember that Phil had tinkered with his bag and was playing a weak 3 wood, so he didn't consider it off the last tee.