NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "A rollicking good time."
--Golfweek * "Thoroughly engaging." --The Washington Post
Now with a new afterword: a juicy and freewheeling biography of
legendary golf champion Phil Mickelson--who has led a big, controversial
life--as reported by longtime Sports Illustrated writer and
bestselling author Alan Shipnuck.
Phil Mickelson is one of the most compelling figures in sports. For more
than three decades he has been among the best golfers in the world, and
his unmatched longevity was exemplified at the 2021 PGA Championship,
when Mickelson, on the cusp of turning fifty-one, became the oldest
player in history to win a major championship.
In this raw, uncensored, and unauthorized biography, Alan Shipnuck
captures a singular life defined by thrilling victories, crushing
defeats, and countless controversies. Mickelson is a multifaceted
character, and all his warring impulses are on display in these pages:
He is a smart-ass who built an empire on being the consummate
professional; a loving husband dogged by salacious rumors; a high-stakes
gambler who knows the house always wins but can't tear himself away.
Mickelson's career and public image have been defined by the contrast
with his lifelong rival, Tiger Woods. Where Woods is robotic and
reticent, Mickelson is affable and extroverted, an incorrigible showman
whom many fans love and some abhor because of the overwhelming size of
his personality. In their early years together on Tour, Mickelson lacked
Tiger's laser focus and discipline, leading Tida Woods to call her son's
rival "the fat boy," among other put-downs. Yet as Tiger's career has
been curtailed by scandal, addiction, and a broken body, Phil sails on,
still relevant on the golf course and in the marketplace.
Phil is the perfect marriage of subject and author. Shipnuck has long
been known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, and he delivers
numerous revelations, from the true scale of Mickelson's massive
gambling losses; to the inside story of the acrimonious breakup between
Phil and his longtime caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay; to the secretive
backstory of the Saudi golf league that Mickelson championed to wield as
leverage against the PGA Tour. But Phil also celebrates Mickelson's
random acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, to which friends and
strangers alike can attest. Shipnuck has covered Mickelson for his
entire career and has been on the ground at Mickelson's most memorable
triumphs and crack-ups, allowing him to take you inside the ropes with a
thrilling immediacy and intimacy. The result is the juiciest and
liveliest golf book in years--full of heart, humor, and unexpected
turns.
