2018 Ryder Cup Preview: Will Phil Mickelson’s Experience Provide an Edge?

2018 Ryder Cup Preview: Will Phil Mickelson’s Experience Provide an Edge? article feature image
Credit:

Sep 28, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Phil Mickelson walks on the course during the practice round for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

For betting odds and analysis of all 24 golfers in the 2018 Ryder Cup field, check out this page.


Phil Mickelson's Ryder Cup Betting Odds

  • Odds to be highest-scoring golfer: +2200
  • Odds to be highest-scoring team member: +1600
  • Point total odds: 1.5 (o +110, u -140)
  • Ryder Cup appearances: 11
  • Ryder Cup match play history: 5-5-1 (50.0%)
  • Ryder Cup foursome history: 5-7-4 (41.7%)
  • Ryder Cup fourball history: 8-8-2 (50.0%)

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Phil Mickelson's Ryder Cup Outlook

Best asset: Gamesmanship. This term often carries negative connotations, but it’s meant in the best way here. Mickelson owns so much match-play experience that he’ll notice certain little signals to decipher when his opponent is vulnerable. That can be an invaluable quality when everything else is so closely matched on paper.

Worst asset: Stamina. Can he play five matches this week? Four? At 48, Lefty insists that he still can, but will U.S. captain Jim Furyk have the guts to tell his most veteran player that he needs to sit at some point and rest up for singles?

Ryder Cup Confidence Rating: 7 out of 10. As Mickelson goes, so goes the American team — and you know it’ll be a wild ride. Expect very few dull moments, as the saga of a 12-time team member trying to win on foreign soil for the first time becomes a major plot line throughout the weekend.


Expert Predictions: Over/Under 1.5 Points

Sobel: Over
Perry: Under
Mears: Under


Phil Mickelson's Metrics

Here’s how Mickelson ranks in the Ryder Cup field in several key metrics.

  • Strokes Gained: Total: 24th in world, 16th in field
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 67th in world, 21st in field
  • Strokes Gained: Approach: 23rd in world, 9th in field
  • Strokes Gained: Putting: 10th in world, 3rd in field

Want more Ryder Cup coverage? Check out this page for tips on the 24 golfers in the field.



About the Author
Jason is a Senior Golf Writer for The Action Network. He has covered golf full-time since 2004, previously for ESPN and Golf Channel, winning more than a dozen accolades from the Golf Writers Association of America and four Sports Emmys.

Follow Jason Sobel @JasonSobelTAN on Twitter/X.

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