Phil Mickelson has plenty of personal and a couple of prominent professional memories of his time at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, and he’s not about to leave them behind yet.
The 2013 champion the last time the championship was at Castle Stuart, he went on to take the Claret Jug a week later – “being the last Open winner at Muirfield is not necessarily a bad thing” he joked when asked the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’ predicament of the moment.
There was some suggestion that with the Scottish moving about the country he was less inclined to “learn” a new links course and might be ready not to come after 15 years of consistent support of the event, but he’s not sure about that and still adores this year’s venue.
“I love the course,” he said. “I think it’s got a great mixture of holes, birdie holes, tough pars, it needs great shot-making skills. And it doesn’t beat you up like we’ll get beat up next week, which is why I love coming here so much.
“I doubt it will be the last time that I play, but I don’t know if it will be an every-year occurrence now. I know it was difficult to get accustomed to Royal Aberdeen and get accustomed to Gullane, as much as I love those golf courses and thought they were terrific. I hear great things about (next year’s venue) Dundonald.
“I don’t know what my schedule is going to be. As much as I love playing this event, most likely I’ll end up playing.”
From 2013, he has two main memories, both involving his family.
“There were two things that really stood out about that two-week stretch that I still cherish to this day, and the first is how my kids looked at me,” he said.
“They were old enough to appreciate what had actually happened those two weeks, and they had a weird look at me, like I was cool.
“Here at the Scottish Open my daughter went into town, and bought two rings for my wife and I, unknown to us.
“She had gotten online and became an ordained minister, and she ended up having a wedding vow renewal for my wife and I Sunday morning at the place we were staying. It was a very emotional thing.”
As for a repeat of three years ago – he hasn’t won a tour event since his Open victory – he feels he is close to his best.
“I’ve had such an inconsistent year, I’ve had some really good finishes and some missed cuts, which I usually have not had that type of fluctuation.
“After six months now of really working hard on my swing, it is where I want it and I can take that final step of trying to score.
“But it’s hard to say when it’s going to all click. I hope it clicks this week. I don’t feel like it’s far off but I’ve been saying that for a while.”
And changing to Scottish conditions never comes automatically, he added.
“It’s a difficult transition that takes a little bit of time,” he said. “It took years to really feel comfortable with it, and even now, it takes me a week or so to get fully acclimated to the fact that the ball doesn’t travel as far, the air is heavy, it’s colder, the wind affects the ball more because of the density of the air.
“Even though I’ve been coming over and playing links golf for years, for example I played Nairn yesterday, and my distance control was quite a bit off.
“I was surprised how short it was going and how the ball is running out downwind but it just takes some getting used to. But it’s a fun challenge.”
