SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) Phil Mickelson lumbered to the 17th tee with that goofy grin and a one-stroke lead in the U.S. Open.
The New Yawkers were going bonkers, thoroughly convinced that Lefty the Southern Californian turned one of their own was going to win another major championship.
Then, without warning, the old Phil returned at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday. The shaky putter. Two excruciating misses. An opportunity lost.
Instead of Mickelson, it was Retief Goosen who hoisted the trophy on the 18th green as Open champion. The masses cheered politely, but their heart wasn't in it.
Their man was Phil.
The runner-up.
''I really thought it was going to be my day,'' Mickelson said.
Goosen shot a 1-over 71 for a two-stroke victory, his second Open title in four years secured with a performance that would have made Houdini proud.
The South African kept getting into trouble in the high grass, in the sand but escaped time and time again with his putter. On 12 of the 18 greens, the Goose walked away after using it only once.
''I had people yelling at me on just about every hole. 'Retief's in the bunker' and 'Retief's in the rough,''' Mickelson said. ''Then I would look up at the scoreboard and see he was making pars. I don't know if that was good information or not.''
It was.
Mickelson's putter had worked fine all week until he got to 17.
After flying a shot out of the bunker a little too far, he missed a tricky downhill putt from 5 feet to save par. Then he yanked a 4-footer coming back, finally tapping in for double bogey.
One hole back, Goosen had finished off another one-putt birdie, then walked over to 17 to watch Mickelson self-destruct.
''He was putting for par when I was on the tee,'' Goosen said. ''And I saw him miss that.''
Goosen teed off with a two-stroke lead instead of a one-shot deficit, also putting his shot in the sand. Unlike Mickelson, he managed to get up-and-down for par, securing a special place in golf history.
One major can be a fluke. Two is the sign of greatness.
wil.