Mickelson in contention in Mexico even as long-time caddie bows out with illness

Phil Mickelson didn’t get but four holes into his round before he had to make a call to the bullpen.

His long-time caddie and on-course conscience, Jim “Bones” Mackay, had showed up to Club de Golf Chapultepec for the second round of the WGC-Mexico Championship looking like he’d seen a ghost…or turned into one himself. The ever-faithful Mackay tried to soldier through the round despite a clear case of food poisoning, but after starting at the 10th, Mackay had to tap out after the 13th hole.

Mickelson brought in his brother, Tim, who was formerly the men’s golf coach at their alma mater, Arizona State University. After a bogey on the first hole with Tim on the bag, the 46-year-old four-time major winner caught fire, finishing off a 3-under round that has him two shots back of Rory McIlroy heading into the weekend in Mexico City.

The 42-time PGA Tour winner clearly loves the tighter, classic design of the club, as well the challenges of the confusing greens, tree-lined and borderline claustrophobia-inducing fairways, as well discerning the differences in distance in playing some 7,500 feet above sea level.

“Bones is irreplaceable because he’s so good at what he does and we’ve worked together now for 25 years that we just have this intricate rapport. He does a great job with club selection and we just work well together, so he’s irreplaceable,” Phil Mickleson said.

“Certainly I’m biased because he’s my brother, but he’s so fun to be around and he’s a good player in his own right. He’s coached college golf for so many years and now manages Jon Rahm. He understands the game, he understands strategy, course management, he knows the way I like to play, so we had a really good rapport out there. I thought he did a phenomenal job and we had a lot of fun.”

The Mickelsons had fun together, but Tim doesn’t want Bones’ gig. However, Tim loved getting a front-row seat to see his brother’s will to compete and win still burn.

“The coolest thing is that after he’s been out here 24, 25 years, to see how competitive he still is,” Tim said. “You know, ‘I want one more. Let’s get one more.’ That fire is definitely still there.”

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo Sports

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