There are many instances of spoiled rich pro athletes saying things that we, normal working stiffs, just shake our heads at. They just further contribute to the disconnect that exists between the lives they live and ours.. I remember Kevin Garnett, a star player for sure, saying he couldn't possibly sign a contract with Minnesota for just $30 million when others of his perceived seniority and lesser ability were getting more...I have never watched him since..
This week at Jack's Memorial no less, Mickelson shot a 79 and then told playing partners
Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson that he was going home because he was mentally
drained after a hectic past few weeks that included taking his wife, Amy, to
Italy and France for her 40th birthday.
I've got to be more big picture-oriented and think about the U.S. Open (in two
weeks at Olympic) and what's best to get my best golf out there, and I need the
next few days to rest up a bit," Mickelson said, offering regrets he wasn't
living up to his "responsibility" to finish the tournament
Now I have gone on golfing holidays where we have played every day for 10 days and when I have returned home I was happy not to hit a ball for a week or so, and many would say I have been mentally exhausted since just after the grade 3 spelling bee I lost to Beatrice Airhart who spelt phlegm when I couldn't..
So let's look at what is exhausting Phil, who remember lives in a state of luxury restricted to only the very wealthy elite of this planet, and who likely has a swing coach, a fitness trainer, a sports psychologist as well as a tremendously supportive and beautiful wife to help him get by...
On Jan 22 he started a run of 5 tournament weeks in a row, all on the west coast, so not much travel in his private jet, culminating in a win at Pebble and P2 at Phoenix. The $2.1m he won probably took him a lot of late nights to count, so some tiredness there for sure..
To recover he took a 2 week vacation, before resurfacing at the WGC at Doral where he did play 4 rounds T43, and was so tired he promptly booked another 1 week holiday before starting a 3 week run at Arnie's, including a T4 at the Shell and T3 at the Masters,.. you got it another $650,000 and more exhausting counting and folding...
So off now for 3 week's holiday, during which time he took Amy who helps him with the counting, folding and I assume spending, on a first class holiday to some of the finest resorts, hotels and spa's in Italy and France... I mean that type of hectic schedule would just drain you or I, so we would probably take an extra Monday off work to sleep it off.
Poor Phil now has to leave Amy and the kids and go to Charlotte, then the Players then the Byron Nelson, before booking another week's holiday then staggering up to Dublin Ohio for Jack's Memorial, by this time simply drained, I assume by the rigours of flying back home for all these damn holidays that he simply couldn't manage more than 1 round before, apologizing, packing it in, for you got it, another 2 weeks holiday..
So count them up, he started work on January 17, this is June 1st so that's.. let's see 19 weeks, just over 4 months or so and in that time he has had 7 week's of holiday's, not including the 2 he is taking now....
Now most of us get 2 - 4 weeks a year, and would probably just think we'd died and gone to heaven if the boss were waiting every day at the office door to tell us how special we are before forcing box seats on us for every event at Massey Hall, passing on a message from Ruth at her Steakhouse begging us to eat there every Friday night, all free if we could just let her take a few photo's of us, before saying he understood if we just needed a coupla weeks more off...
Oh hold on.... those damn photos..
Two more spoiled brats, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler have jumped to Phil's defence, blaming his withdrawal on fans who
continually distracted Mickelson by snapping photos with cellphone cameras."Phil's a great player and a great champion and it just took him out of his
game. It's sad. It's sad that cellphones can make or break a championship," said
Watson, who shot a 75.
Damn fans, holding down 3 jobs to make ends meet, paying a small fortune for the privilege of marching up and down the bug infested woods just to get the odd glimpse of their idol, Phil slashing and hacking his way to a 79, and damn it they took a picture of him to send to all their colleagues at work... What a nerve...
I sure hope none of the family snap a photo of him while he is recuperating over the next fortnight to steel himself for another tortuous week at the Olympic Club..
I'd write more but I have to get back to work...here comes the boss and he doesn't look happy..
to see Mickelson's exhausting schedule this year click here
http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/001810/phil-mickelson/season/#uber
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles and at www.isr1050.com
No comments:
Post a Comment