Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A capsule look at the six runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open by Phil Mickelson, who needs this major for the career Grand Slam:
YEAR: 1999.
COURSE: Pinehurst No. 2.
SCORES: 67-70-73-70--280.
RESULT: Runner-up, one shot behind Payne Stewart.
KEY MOMENT: Mickelson had a one-shot lead with three to play. Stewart made a 25-foot par putt on the 16th, a 4-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a 15-foot par putt on the 18th. Mickelson missed a 6-foot par putt on the 16th, an 8-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th.
NOTEWORTHY: Mickelson played the entire tournament with a pager in his golf bag and said he would withdraw if his wife went into labor with their first child. Amy Mickelson gave birth to a daughter the next day.
___
YEAR: 2002.
COURSE: Bethpage Black.
SCORES: 70-73-67-70--280
RESULT: Runner-up, three shots behind Tiger Woods.
KEY MOMENT: Mickelson, five shots behind at the start of the final round, birdied the par-5 13th to get within two shots. Woods answered with a 2-iron onto the 13th green for a two-putt birdie. Moments later, Mickelson's tee shot on the 16th found the rough and he couldn't reach the green, making bogey.
NOTEWORTHY: Woods and Mickelson were the only players at par or better.
___
YEAR: 2004.
COURSE: Shinnecock Hills.
SCORES: 68-66-66-71--278
RESULT: Runner-up, two shots behind Retief Goosen.
KEY MOMENT: Tied for the lead on the par-3 17th, Mickelson hit into a bunker. He blasted out to 5 feet above the hole and three-putted for double bogey.
NOTEWORTHY: Goosen one-putted the last six greens.
___
YEAR: 2006.
COURSE: Winged Foot.
SCORES: 70-73-69-74--286.
RESULT: Tied for second, one shot behind Geoff Ogilvy.
KEY MOMENT: With a one-shot lead playing the 18th hole, Mickelson hit a wild slice toward the corporate tent and tried to hit 3-iron around a tree toward the green. It hit the tree and came straight down in the rough. His third shot plugged into a bunker, and his sand shot went through the green. He made double bogey.
NOTEWORTHY: Mickelson was trying to join Tiger Woods as the only players in the last 50 years to win three straight majors.
___
YEAR: 2009.
COURSE: Bethpage Black
SCORES: 69-70-69-70--278
RESULT: Tied for second, two shots behind Lucas Glover.
KEY MOMENT: After a sensational charge to tie for the lead, Mickelson hit hybrid out of the rough to the collar of the green on the 15th. He left his putt 3 feet short and missed that one for par. On the 17th, he came up short and chipped to 8 feet, missing the par putt.
NOTEWORTHY: Mickelson learned only a month earlier that his wife, Amy, had breast cancer.
___
YEAR: 2013.
COURSE: Merion Golf Club
SCORES: 67-72-70-74--283.
RESULT: Tied for second, two shots behind Justin Rose.
KEY MOMENT: Mickelson was one shot behind when he hit wedge over the green on the par-3 13th hole and made bogey. Still one shot behind in the 15th fairway, his wedge was so short that he used a wedge to chip from the putting green and made another bogey.
NOTEWORTHY: It was the first time Mickelson had the outright lead (one shot) going into the final round of a U.S. Open.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
