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Where in the world is Phil Mickelson? #PhilWasHere

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Following a totally nondescript first seven months of 2014, Phil Mickelson is everywhere these days! Only most of it is figurative.

It’s been a tough week for Mickelson at The Barclays, with the 44-year-old registering a Made Cut Did Not Finish. But a pair of offline drives manufactured a social media storm.

If you haven’t noticed, Twitter has been abuzz over the last day with the hashtag #PhilWasHere. The idea here is to photoshop Mickelson swinging from a random location, whether it be Time Square, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore or even at an historical event, adding the hashtag #PhilWasHere at the end.

The strategy has already experienced massive participation, but what exactly is the impetus behind this viral sensation?

Well, as Phil Mickelson is wont to do, he hit some poor tee shots this week at the Barclays, specifically at the drivable par-four 5th hole. On Friday, Mickelson produced a massive push from the tee box, whacking his driver so far left that his ball ended up sitting on the turf of the veranda of a corporate hospitality tent.

Rather than take relief from the tent and drop the ball no closer to the hole, Mickelson elected to play his ball from the hospitality area. A thrilling decision, although his efforts ended in a bogey. Showing a sense of humor, the staff at Ridgewood Country Club commemorated the occasion by spray painting “Phil was here” on the hospitality turf.

Crazy enough? Sure. Was Mickelson finished? No.

The very next day, on the exact same hole, he scorched another drive way left, and, almost impossibly, saw his tee shot finish on the exact same turf at the exact same hospitality tent. That’s right, Phil the Thrill found the exact same corporate tent well left of the fairway in consecutive days!

Obliging the theme of insanity, Mickelson once again played from the turf, this time narrowly missing a birdie putt before settling for par. Once again, the Ridgewood staff showed its comedy chops with another spray painted sign.

And that’s when the PGA Tour stepped in.

Seeing an opportunity to capitalize on Mickelson’s penchant for finding the most ridiculous spots to swing from on a golf course, the PGA Tour posted this simple tweet.

The organization proved its wily sense of humor with the recent Jimmy Fallon exchange, and this comedic concept caught on quickly.

The PGA Tour posted more #PhilWasHere tweets, fans got wind and joined in, and the PGA Tour urged the populace to continue their participation.

Even Mickelson’s hat company has gotten into the game, offering prizes for the best #PhilWasHere submissions.

Here are some of our personal favorites (not already posted above):

Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 5.56.42 PM Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 5.57.52 PM Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 5.58.31 PM Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 5.59.09 PM Screen Shot 2014-08-24 at 6.00.23 PM

Is all of this pretty silly? Sure. But golf could use some more of this good-spirited exposure nowadays. Say what you want about his year, but Mickelson remains a huge draw.

What have we learned all of this? Aim for the grandstands, not the hole, kids! And if you want people to forget about your poor performance, cater to the ridiculous.

Kevin's fascination with the game goes back as long as he can remember. He has written about the sport on the junior, college and professional levels and hopes to cover its proceedings in some capacity for as long as possible. His main area of expertise is the PGA Tour, which is his primary focus for GolfWRX. Kevin is currently a student at Northwestern University, but he will be out into the workforce soon enough. You can find his golf tidbits and other sports-related babble on Twitter @KevinCasey19. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: September 2014

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. leftright

    Aug 29, 2014 at 8:48 am

    If Phil was a better driver of the ball, not that he was that bad I wonder how many more tournaments he would have won. I know it has cost him a couple of US Opens but we can’t have it all. That is Phil and I think most people like him just the way he is. As a lefthander I would rather meet him than anyone else on the planet…period and that includes the other lefthander of which I would not play with if invited, let’s just say he is a politician doing a lousy job and playing way too much golf recently.

  2. Ronald Montesano

    Aug 25, 2014 at 9:41 am

    Great job, Casey. Could lose my mind making memes like this, but it would be a great way to go nuts.

  3. Pingback: Where In The World is Phil Mickelson? #PhilWasHere | Golf Gear Select

  4. Rich

    Aug 25, 2014 at 3:40 am

    Phil is awesome. That’s all there is to it!

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Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, one user is wondering how many birdies other players have had in a round while still failing to break par. @Lalan45, unfortunately, asked the question after a unique experience of their own.

They wrote:

“Today I managed 8 birdies but still shot even par, could have been a round to remember! What’s the most birdies you’ve made in a round and still didn’t break par?”

Our members in the forum shared their own experiences with successful rounds that still resulted in a score over par. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • kwcsports: “I’ve had 5 a few times, still shot 80+ haha.”
  • jda: “I played a course for the first time, had 8 birdies, 9 doubles and an eagle. The infamous no-par round. I kept the scorecard. Every shot had a creek that I did not know about, or I was within 8-10 feet for a birdie look. To this day, I have no idea if I should be really jacked up or mad about that performance.”
  • jvincent: “I think my record is either 5 or 6. Probably shot 75.”
  • Instron4204: “3 birdies and shot a 92…man I suck!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

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Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, one user is asking for thoughts on the best stock shafts offered in 2026. Stock shafts are the shafts included with a club when it’s purchased from retailers or OEMs.

@DTorres asked:

The last couple years has seen a lot of updates and additions to no upcharge stock shafts, which do you think is the best offering in 2026?

Im a bit of a shaft nerd and recently during my Members Testing with the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond I found the updated Project X Denali Frost Black to be a fantastic stock shaft. I absolutely did not mesh well with the original Denali. Just curious what other people think are the current best Stock shaft offerings out with new models and stock Ventus options and LinQ options popping up here and there.

We were given the option for any stock shafts for our members review. I went with the 70g Black Frost 6.5 because it’s a shaft I don’t have, it’s an updated version of the original Denali and hear little about. I typically use a Diamana WB, GD VF or a HOF Raptor. I’m not saying it was neck and neck with any of those but it was a pleasant surprise I’m not accustomed to in stock shaft offerings.

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own thoughts on the best stock shafts available in 2026. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • rsballer10: “IMO – MCA Ka’ili White Darkwave, Tensei 1k Black/white, UST Lin-Q White. People are free to spend their money however they see fit, but for me personally the shaft catalogs these days have enough options that I don’t see the value of a $400 upcharge. I have never had a problem finding a no upcharge shaft that fits the bend profile and weight that I need. Whether the paint job is good enough or not is above my pay scale.”
  • bcflyguy1: “Project X Titan Black. I’ve had one in 60TX in my Quantum TD Max for several weeks now. Have to give Titlieist their flowers for finding a way to make it available as a featured option; very shrewd bit of business and one that I suspect will be duplicated by the other companies. TT/PX have a certified banger on their hands with Titan.”
  • CTG77: “Undoubtedly, it’s the Tensei 1K RIP shafts from Titleist. The Tensei line gives about 98% of the performance of a Ventus VeloCore+ shaft at a tiny fraction of the cost if you’re looking for a blue or red profile. The white is not an exact match for Ventus Black, but it’s closer to it than the non-VeloCore+ Ventus shafts that come from Callaway or formerly came from TaylorMade.”

Entire Thread: “Best current stock shaft 2026.”

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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

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A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down. 

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

 

  • GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

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