Phil playing Bay Hill / Arnold Palmer Invitational

Looks like Phil committed to the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, after this week's Honda Classic.  Not much of a rest. I'd rather him go 1-2 weeks on, 1 week off, then back again, but this 2-3 weeks off I don't think works for him.

Phil commits to API

Phil Mickelson has committed to next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational and will make his first appearance in Orlando since missing the cut in 2013.
Mickelson won at Bay Hill back in 1997 and was a runner-up to Tiger Woods in 2001, but he has been absent the last five years. His commitment further bolsters a field that now includes six of the top 10 and 13 of the top 20 players in the latest world rankings.
Among those joining Mickelson next week at Bay Hill will be Woods, world No. 1 Justin Rose, defending champion Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
Mickelson's commitment adds further speculation about his plans for the Players Championship in two weeks. The 48-year-old explained earlier this year that he planned to pare down his schedule to avoid courses with especially penal rough, and last month he skipped the Farmers Insurance Open for the first time in 29 years. He has not yet committed to TPC Sawgrass.
Mickelson won The Players in 2007, but he has missed the cut there five of the last six years. He explained earlier this month that he no longer considers it a tournament that is locked into his annual schedule.
"It's not a must-play for me because I'm 48 and I've played it 25 times and I've already won it," Mickelson said. "If I were young and early in my career, I would say yes because I think it's as close to a major as it can get. But it's not the best course for me."

Given Phil's comments about no tournament being a must play, along with his comments last year at the Ryder Cup that he wouldn't be playing courses with deep rough again, I doubt we see him at Pebble in June

Well of course he will play all the majors! I think PHIL knows that the US Open and PGA he will be seeing some fairway rough--Memphis in August as well. Just goes with the territory.

I think before the Masters the schedule plays out this way--API/TPC then rest then Matchup then rest then Augusta. Less Golf and more Prep

PHIL apparently has also committed to play TPC the following week

He also said it's only 50/50 he will play

He also reiterated he is not playing courses lined with deep rough

He is clearly saying he's not going to Pebble

Following a poor performance at the 2018 Ryder Cup—Le Golf National's tight confines did a number on the 48-year-old accuracy, or lack thereof—Mickelson told reporters at the Safeway Open that he was finished playing tracks with brutal rough. "I’m going to play courses that are playable, and I can play aggressive, attacking, make lots of birdies type of golf I like to play."

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/phil-mickelson-committed-to-players-championship-but-wont-make-decision-to-play-until-monday?fbclid=IwAR37qVsNC4zFFOLVn1C1vI0ri4o1blEGwpASsPIsuPtxeS4HqyB7kqzL0pY

I read everything on Phil and yes he said he wont play long rough. Are you making a joke about the US open??
Phil also said the only tournaments he will definitely play are the 4 majors.

Been saying this forever (years)…. Phil needs to improve his driving.  Pretty soon he'll only be able to play The John Deere and the Puerto Rico Open. Right now, he's trying to get the course management to keep the rough low by saying "he won't play tall rough".

The key to Francesco Molinari's win:  "Molinari’s driving wasn’t too shabby either; he hit 85 percent of his fairways on the week using his Epic Flash Sub Zero driver.

Phil will never hit that (even though he did have 1 round a while back where he hit every fairway), but he can improve his numbers...that would help. But shying away from tall rough courses, just comes across wierd.

j58golf wrote:I read everything on Phil and yes he said he wont play long rough. Are you making a joke about the US open??
Phil also said the only tournaments he will definitely play are the 4 majors.

He said that but yet he played Arnies tournament?? I wouldn't blame him for skipping Players given his record there the past 5 years. Its already reported he is playing it though..
Back in 2007 he injured his wrist practicing for the US open in high rough. At 48 his time is running out to rack up more victories. I really don't blame him for saying that...if it keeps the rough lower ...great.

j58golf wrote:I read everything on Phil and yes he said he wont play long rough. Are you making a joke about the US open??
Phil also said the only tournaments he will definitely play are the 4 majors.

no joke. Phil is playing TPC since the rough is down. It's not the old 4-5" hack out rough that TPC said previously in March. He also said he was surprised about the rough at Bay Hill. He expected it lower.

I seriously doubt he will skip a US open on a venue he won 5 times on no matter how long the rough is. He chances for the grand slam are really only the next 2 years ....and even that is a big ask to accomplish.