FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
NOTES AND QUOTES – LIVE FROM THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP ON GOLF CHANNEL
“The only way you’re ever going to play well here is if you hit bombs. Well, Brandel, I hit bombs.” – 2021 PGA Championship Winner Phil Mickelson on the Live From set
“He just has something in his DNA. He knows how to get it done. He’s incredibly comfortable on these big stages.” – Jim “Bones” Mackay
“This felt even more unlikely to me (than Tiger Woods’ ’08 U.S. Open win).” – Justin Leonard
“Old age? Hell no. Just well-aged.” – Rich Lerner
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 23, 2021 – GOLF Channel’s Live From the PGA Championship recapped Phil Mickelson’s historic win at the 2021 PGA Championship from The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island on Sunday evening, as Mickelson became the oldest player in history to win a major championship.
Mickelson joined Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Justin Leonard on Live From to discuss his victory. Jim “Bones” Mackay – current GOLF Channel and NBC on-course reporter and former long-time caddie for Mickelson – also joined the program to share his unique perspective on Mickelson’s win.
Chamblee to Mickelson: “What was the biggest bomb and most hellacious seed you hit this week?”
Mickelson: “Well this is the longest course ever played in a major championship. The only way you’re ever going to play well here is if you hit bombs. Well, Brandel, I hit bombs.”
Mackay: “I’ve been telling people for several years that I thought Phil would win a major in his 50s, but I thought it would be The Masters…he never ceases to surprise you, or me, or anyone. He has an incredible will to win.”
Mackay: “This is a guy that when I went to work for him in 1992 said to me, ‘Hey listen man, I’m going to win a lot.’ He just has something in his DNA. He knows how to get it done. He’s incredibly comfortable on these big stages. His brother did an amazing job (caddying) out there today. I thought that when Phil’s second shot trickled in the water on 13 and Tim got right in his ear pumping him up, telling him to stay focused, I thought it was very impressive on multiple levels.”
Mackay on Mickelson’s prospects at the U.S. Open: “You can’t put anything past the guy. He hasn’t had the best record (at Torrey Pines) since the redo, but he’s played there so many times, and he is going to be going into that tournament with more momentum than anyone…he’s going to be as charged up as you can possibly be and he’s going to be feeling bulletproof. Look out.”
Chamblee on his play entering the PGA Championship: “Phil was not playing the best golf of his life. His game was in shatters when he came in here. He wasn’t driving it well, wasn’t ironing it well, wasn’t putting it well, wasn’t doing anything well. And then somehow, if by magic, he found fairways.”
Chamblee: “At 50 years of age, Phil has power. It was about three years ago that his power had gone down…he was right on the cusp being ‘game over’…inexplicably, he went on this distance run which took time, took energy, took passion…I’ll be curious to see how much credit he gives to his chase for distance to sort of delay his aging process and turn back time.”
Leonard: “I’ve been blessed to be on the grounds either playing or covering all of Phil and Tiger’s major championship victories. This felt even more unlikely to me (than Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open win in ’08) because of the venue…also because of the state of Phil’s game. He showed no form coming here. It was remarkable.”
Lerner: “Old age? Hell no. Just well-aged.”
–NBC SPORTS–
