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Golf

Padraig Harrington's insight into the compelling Phil Mickelson

As the Masters approaches, Off The Ball have an in-depth interview with three time major winner P...



Padraig Harrington's insig...
Golf

Padraig Harrington's insight into the compelling Phil Mickelson

As the Masters approaches, Off The Ball have an in-depth interview with three time major winner Padraig Harrington, recorded in the intimacy of the Dubliner's home.

On the menu was his experiences around Augusta among many other anecdotes from his career.

But he also discussed the compelling character that is five time Major winning golfer Phil Mickelson. 

"He seems to have an A4 sized page of information on every topic, so you'd need to be an expert yourself," he said.

"He is very interesting on top of that because he wants to talk about stuff. This is a man who brought a bill to Congress on social welfare reform in the United States.

"Two guys came to him who were economics professors and he sponsored them and the bill and brought it all the way to Congress. I've seen some of the stuff he'd be into in terms of business and this, that and the other and yeah, he's full on active. This man is busy at all times."

Harrington also confirmed the tales about Mickelson being a very generous tipper, which was once illustrated on the golf course.

"Anybody who comes in contact with Phil gets $100. Everybody! It's impressive, he really is," said the Dubliner.

"I played with him at the PGA one year at Valhalla and myself, Phil, Tiger [Woods] are playing the 10th hole. Tiger and Phil have hit it right - both of them have hit spectators side by side within two yards of each other. We're down the middle of the fairway and the two of them go down and of course Phil signs a golf ball and Tiger signs a golf ball"

Harrington continued, "Phil never carries less than $10,000 in his wallet - cash", before finishing the tale: "So what he needed to do was he needed to go and give the full $10,000 to the guy because Tiger was standing beside him and Tiger wouldn't have $10,000 in his wallet at the time. And Tiger would have been standing there going 'What do I do?' And if Phil had thought of it, he would have done it."

He concluded: "Phil is really good in that sense".

A couple of years ago, Mickelson came over to Ireland for a family holiday and Harrington brought him up to see Stackston Golf Club to return the favour after the US golfer showed him around his own club.

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