PHIL MICKELSON has won three Masters, one British Open and one PGA Championship – but the US Open has always eluded him.
And the American looked to world-famous English physicist Stephen Hawking to provide him with inspiration needed to change that statistic and conquer this week’s treacherous venue, Oakmont.
The 46-year-old Mickleson has finished runner-up in the year’s second major championship a record six times – and he wants to win it and complete a career Grand Slam.
Only five players – Americans Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and South African Gary Player – have won a Grand Slam in the modern era.
Mickleson said: “This is the tournament I want to win most to complete the four majors. I think about it all the time.
“I have to put that out of my head, be patient and not think about results.”
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The first round starts on Thursday and Mickelson, a five-time major and a 42-time PGA Tour winner, is under no illusions about how tough it was going to be at finishing on top of the leader board on Sunday.
Mickelson has described layout as ‘the hardest course we’ve ever played’ and believes his chances of victory will be enhanced if the conditions become even more difficult.
He said: “I love a quote that Stephen Hawking says: ‘Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change’, and that’s going to be critical here at Oakmont because, as the conditions change, the tee shots are going to change.
“As the fairways get firm with the contour, you’re going to have to play to different parts of the fairway. As the pin placements move and the green moisture changes from softer to firmer or what have you, you have to adapt how you play this golf course.”
Mickelson is playing his 26th US Open and will tee off the opening round alongside England’s Justin Rose and Swede Henrik Stenson.
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