Immense support

Walking toward the 17th green an hour earlier, a voice had risen above the applause. “Don’t give up, Phil,” the fan yelled. “We won’t quit on you. Don’t quit on us.” Mickelson smiled and gave the fan a thumbs-up. But on the 17th green, an uneasy tension enveloped the bowl-like setting as Mickelson stood over a routine 3-foot par putt. When the putt never touched the hole, there was a wounded groan from the grandstand.

At the final green, by the time Mickelson missed a difficult 20-foot putt for birdie, the crowd and Mickelson seemed to have conceded the outcome. “I want to win this tournament badly,” he said. “I have been second five times. But I don’t know where to go with this because this time I feel different. I’ve got more important things going on. And, oh, well.”

His bags already in a silver Volvo, Mickelson started to work his way away from the clubhouse. About a hundred fans were calling to him from beyond a temporary railing. Mickelson walked toward them and began signing his name on tickets, hats, flags and anything else the surging crowd thrust toward him. He did this for 20 minutes until he began to drift in the direction of his car. “Give our love to Amy,” a woman shouted to him. “I will,” Mickelson answered.

He signed autographs for the state troopers, then shook each of their hands. Opening the car door, he sunk into the front passenger seat. Mickelson took off his hat, wiped his right hand across his forehead and rubbed his eyes. The car backed up and pulled away as fans straining behind a barricade waved in his direction and called his name.