Phil Mickelson handles disaster well, unlike Greg Norman

The question Phil Mickelson will try to answer on the course as soon as possible is whether or not he has recovered from the 72nd hole collapse in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. One thing he is not doing – like Greg Norman always has done – is trying to act like it didn’t matter. That was the single biggest reason why Norman only won 2 major championships despite being the unquestioned best player in the world for nearly a decade.

Upon being asked about the mental scars he may be carrying around, Mickelson admitted that it hurt and that it revealed a weakness that he must correct. But he also rightly pointed out that he has been hurt before by major championship losses and managed to learn and move past those disappointments. That is a very healthy mental approach which should pay dividends in 2007, like winning another major championship.