A Jersey Guy: A Tournament For The Ages

Only the passage of time can give it the proper perspective, but we live in a world of instant gratification and judgement.

So we're going to say it: Phil Mickelson's victory on Sunday in the 103rd PGA tournament was the greatest in the 161 years they have held Major tournaments.

The context here is important.

We are not just talking about the quality of play.

Mickelson's final round score of 1-over-par 73 on the 7,876 yard Ocean Course a Kiawah (S.C) Island was pedantic at best.

But let's set this up with a few salient points.

At 50, Mickelson is clearly nearing the end of being relevant on the PGA tour.

He was ranked No. 115 in the world, had not finished in the Top 20 in nine months, and won his last Major (The Open in 2013) 8 years ago.

The wise guys in Vegas tabbed him a 300-1 shot to win the PGA, which was being held at arguably one of the toughest courses--as well as longest--in the world.

And that's without a wind factor, which is part of the course description at Kiawah, which first gained notoriety when the Pet Dye-designed course created havoc with the 1991 Ryder Cup.

And even if Mickelson was playing well, there was the age factor.

Fifty had been the Mendoza line for golfers. No one at 50 or over had EVER won a Major, which covers a time-span of 161 years and 456 tournaments.

Julius Boros was 48 in 1968 when he won the 1968 PGA at the Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas.

Hall of Fame golfer Tom Watson came the closest to breaking the barrier at Turnberry in 2009 when he held a one shot lead going into the 18th hole on Sunday, but squandered it and lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink.

Watson was 59 when he chased history.

On Sunday, Mickelson, who is 50 years, 11 months and 8 days old, not only chased it, he caught and created it in as dramatic a final round as ever been played on any golf course in any tournament.

Let's start with the conditions.

The wind, which had been a benign factor through the opening rounds and part of the reason why Mickelson was able to grab the lead in the second round, changed direction, turning tough, challenging Par 3s into decision making holes in which the use of a driver was half jokingly discussed.

By the time Mickelson (7 under) and two time PGA champion (in the last three years) champion Brooks Koepka (6 under) showed up for their 2:30 tee time, it was clear that no one was mastering Kiawah, where even par was an accomplishment.

And then factor the tension that is built into contending for the lead of a Major on the back nine on a Sunday.

Let the drama begin.

And it did almost immediately when Mickelson bogeyed the 395-yard Par 4 first hole, while Kopeka birdied it.

And so it went for almost 5 hours, back and fourth with surges and inexplicable flops--Kopeka was three OVER par on the two Par 5s in the front nine.

Other than Louis Oosthuizen, who lipped out an eagle putt on No. 16 which would have drawn him within one shot of Mickelson, this was a three person drama on the back nine with each player showing signs of both surging and sagging.

And yet it was Mickelson, who somehow managed to launch a longest of the day 363 yard drive right down the middle of the fairway on the Par 5 17th, who prevailed in a setting in which most of the 10,000 people on the course encircled the 18th green to watch history being created by one of the iconic figures in the history of golf.

While Mickelson, who won his first professional tournament as an amateur in 1991 is not in the same G.OI.A.T category as Hogan, Nicklaus or Tiger Woods, he is part of golf history that was created on Sunday.

"Slightly unnerving, but exceptionally awesome,'' said Mickelson on Sunday. ""One of the moments, I will cherish my entire life.'''

And then he put it in a perspective that everyone could understand and appreciate.

""It's very possible this is the last tournament I will ever win,'' he said, with a smile.

But then he brought up the next Major--the U..S. Open next month at Mickelson's home course of Torey Pines in Southern California, which is also the only Major he has not won--he has finished second six times.

"But then again, I may go on a little bit of a run.''