Mickelson has no intention of captaining the Ryder or Presidents Cup teams any time soon.
It looked like Christmas had come early for Phil Mickelson last Sunday after he became the only player to play in 10 unbeaten US Presidents Cup teams.
But the popular Californian, winner of three US Tour events the year team-mate Jordan Spieth was born, wasted no time in kicking into touch any notion of following Fred Couples to the captaincy next time or indeed leading a Ryder Cup team any time soon!
“Oh, that’s all in the distance,” claimed the Open champion. “I have enjoyed playing in these teams immensely, and I feel if I pace myself properly, I can continue at this high level for quite some time yet.
“I loved playing in the team for Freddie and Jack Nicklaus before him, and as the years go on, I just want to enjoy some more of these cool times.”
With 42 wins on the US Tour, including five Majors, Mickelson insists with the right preparation he can add to those totals.
“I intend to spend more time focusing on the tournaments that will help me prepare for the Major Championships,” he continued. “By that I mean courses that help me play well in the Majors, rather than the ones that are money-orientated. I’ll let those slide away.”
That attitude, Mickelson concedes, evolves as Father Time keeps nipping away at him.
“Yeah, as you get a little bit older, these are the things that matter, along with the team events surprisingly enough, as our Presidents Cup win showed. We had a blast this time around with all the long hours each day due to the situation with the weather. “But we had a bunch of laughs in the locker room and on the course that made it a special week.
“Fred and Jack were great captains who kept you loose, and as time goes on you appreciate those weeks more and more. For the rest of our playing time, we are wrapped up in our own little worlds.”
But it is inevitable that Mickelson will be asked to captain a US Team in either or both the Presidents or Ryder Cup in the not too distant future. And his answer to the question: ‘How much do you take away from each captain you have played under to use when you are a captain?’ is a tacit admission of his underlying ambition.
“Oh, everybody has their own style, but I think you just have to be you,” he mused. “But as I said, I’m confident enough in my game right now to still believe in my ability to win more big ones, and play on more teams.”
Mickelson will be 44 when the US Open comes around at Pinehurst next June, meaning preparation, preparation, and more preparation will be the mainstay of his regime.
He revealed: “I’ll bypass the Fall Series that starts this weekend, and probably play in a couple of events in Malaysia and China before resting up so I am fresh and ready to go in the New Year.
“And, yes, I have my defence of the Scottish Open pencilled in before I try to make it two Claret Jugs!”
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