Yeah, then you were dead on there. The nickname wouldn’t make much sense if he gave it to himself. It does, however, speak to his popularity among those who work with him.
I have no explanation for Rocco’s round. I guess he’s always been a bit inconsistent. Too bad, though.
Back problems are always a possibility for him. Maybe he’s struggling and keeping it quiet?
Over the past two years (which just so happen to be his age 36 and 37 years), he has missed two cuts in majors and has just two top tens (and of those two, he was 9 back going into the final round in one, and never got closer than 4 strokes in the other over the last two days). Like I said that kind of dropoff in performance is to be expected as a golfer moves into his late 30’s. He very well may have a few more geniune shots at a major, but he will have to make the most of them.
Like I said, I’m no Phil booster, but he’s not over the hill yet. He’s as long as ever, he still has every shot in his bag, he’s still one of the better putters on tour (and one of the best short game players, his weird flubs during the PGA aside), and he is in better shape now than he was 5 years ago. Vijay Singh’s game didn’t peak until his 40s. Neither did Kenny Perry’s. I think fitness trends have set the clock back for a whole generation of golfers if they’re motivated. (Not that Kenny Perry is fit…but Vijay sure is).
My opinion is that Phil’s recent lack of success in majors is due to extreme over-strategizing. Remember his refusal to hit driver at the U.S. Open this year? His obsessive green charting? His bizarre fascination with Dave Pelz, who could only dream of having Phil’s short game?
His desire to vanquish his “go for it” personality has made him too cautious and taken some of his talent out of play. I think the pendulum will swing again, and I will be shocked if he doesn’t win a few more.
He’s always been an underachiever in majors, and I don’t expect that to change. But he will win a couple more, IMO.
Vijay Singh’s career peaked between 35 and 40 and has been downhill since. Kenny Perry may be peaking now but he has never really contended in a major. Mickleson is done.
Phil at the Masters since 2000:
2000 7th
2001-2003 3rd each year
2004 1st
2005 10th
2006 1st
2007 24th
2008 5th
Phil will be a favorite at the Masters. He doesn’t need to overanalyze the course at the Masters like Oakland Hills and some of the other insane courses that majors have been played on recently.