Last week, Mickelson addressed how he dealt with going winless in 46 major championships before breaking through for the first of his three Masters titles in 2004.
“I tried not to think about trying to get that label off my back when I was going through it,” Mickelson said.
“I think that that’s the only way to kind of go through that, is the more you think about winning, the more impatient you get on the golf course, and the less you think about the process of what has to happen for you to win, and consequently you don’t play your best.”
García’s friends say he is trying to think about one shot — the one he is playing wholesale golf clubs — while blocking out all the peripheral things. He came back from what could have been a disastrous 40 on his first nine holes in the Players on Thursday with a 34, and then rebounded Friday for a four-under-par 68.
The Friday round featured some fine shot-making, including two almost perfect shots at the second hole to set up a 45-foot putt for eagle, which he made. After a big drive at No. 7, a chip-in eagle at the 12th and a couple of par-saving putts on the back nine that kept the round going, he wound up safely inside of the cut line, which was at even par.
“I wasn’t looking great to make wholesale golf equipment,” he said, “but we managed to somehow turn it around and make it. Now see if we can get some of that feeling, some of that good feeling back. I need to hopefully keep going in the same direction.”
Maybe if the putts start to drop, and the pressure lifts, so will García’s spirits inside the ropes. If he can get back some of the joy for golf that he has for soccer, the drought could end soon.
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