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106 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 Mickelson has eclipsed $90 million in Tour earnings—and probably five times that in endorsements—and every time he plays Pebble Beach, he breaks out a sentimental ball marker : one of his grandfather's old silver dollars, its edges worn smooth long ago. Mickelson has always valued relationships. His career-long rival Tiger Woods largely eschews the Pro-Am, put off by all the schmoozing and his inability to play in a hermetically-sealed bubble. Mickelson, meanwhile, is always the toast of the town, a regular at the sparkliest parties and dinners. After his victory last year, he noted all the good cheer that followed him throughout the tournament. "There were a lot of things that went on and I think just enjoying the entire week the entire process of it all, the relationships, the people, the friends that I don't get to see except for this week, enjoying all of that was every bit as impor- tant as playing great golf," he said. As to why Mickelson is able to regularly sum- mon his best golf at Pebble Beach, a lot of it has to do with the charms of the course. It's not a brute like, say, Bethpage, allowing Mickelson to largely eschew his driver, which has always been the most unreliable club in his bag. The tiny greens put a premium on precision and strong iron play remains a foundation of his game. Then there is the creativity demanded by the sloping put- ting surfaces. A prime example came on the 13th hole of last year's final round. In describing the shot, Mickelson offered a master class on how to become the king of Pebble Beach. "When it rains and when it's wet, with the spongy poa annua [putting surfaces], you have to put the pins on higher spots because in the low spots the water will collect. But those high spots are sometimes tough to get close with your iron shots." On the 13th hole, the pin was in the back of one of Pebble Beach's most challenging greens. Mickelson was 136 yards out, the distance he would usually hit a pitching wedge. But that club puts so much spin on the ball it introduced the risk of having the shot rip backward down the slope of the green. Instead, Phil chose his 7-iron, which he can hit up to 180 yards. This time, he carved a low, penetrating shot that landed on the front of the green and trickled close to the hole, setting up a birdie that keyed his final round 65, allowing Mickelson to make up six shots on the 54-hole leader, Paul Casey. '"Those are hard shots that a lot of guys don't practice and I've become very profi- cient at them and it's become a strength of my game and that's why I'm able to get to some of these pins," Mickelson said about his all- world 7-iron. "It gives me a good advantage over the course of a tournament." Mickelson turns 50 in June 2020, but he expresses zero interest in the Champions Tour, Photo: Marc Howard Mickelson's five victories at Pebble Beach have spanned 21 years, a testament to his longevity and enduring love affair with the course. Mickelson turns 50 in June 2020, but he expresses zero interest in the Champions Tour, instead still chasing his dream of winning 50 career tournaments on the PGA Tour.