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PINEHURST, N.C. -- As he waited to putt on the 18th green Sunday, Phil Mickelson spotted his wife, Amy, and their three children just beyond the gallery ropes, gave them a shy wave -- then proceeded to miss his birdie effort.
The storybook ending did not materialize at Pinehurst No. 2, where 15 years ago Mickelson's agonizing quest for an elusive U.S. Open title produced the first of his six runner-up finishes -- immortalized with a statue of the late Payne Stewart behind the 18th green.
After considerable hype and pre-tournament attention, Lefty was never really in contention and finished the tournament Sunday with a 2-over-par 72 with discount taylormade burner 2.0 irons.
It was a disappointing week for the five-time major champion, who continues to struggle with his putting and has yet to finish among the top 10 this year on the PGA Tour.
But while a position well back in the pack was inevitable, it wasn't any easier to take than the excruciating second-place finish he had a year ago at Merion.
"Not at all," said Mickelson, who finished at 287, 7 over par and in a tie for 28th. "It is way worse, because there's nothing more exciting than having a chance. There's nothing more exciting than waking up Sunday with a 3:25 tee time and an opportunity to win the U.S. Open, whether you win or lose, because that pressure, that nervous feeling, those butterflies, that energy from the crowd when you make a birdie, the excitement, there's no replacement for that. That's why we play with discount g20 irons."
Mickelson started with a 70 on Friday, which appeared fine given the difficulty of U.S. Open venues, but he lamented the missed opportunities to shoot a round in the 60s. And then when Martin Kaymer opened the tournament with a 65 that afternoon and added a repeat performance Friday morning, Mickelson was 10 strokes back before he teed off.
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