For a guy best known for his it-is-what-is persona, this tactic is pretty sharp. Not only was DJ able to read Phil’s faults like a book, he also implemented a strategy to exploit them.
Lefty beat only four players the entire week, among them Ian Poulter and Charl Schwartzel. And yet, he may have hit the shot of the tournament, a vintage driver off the deck into the par-5 12th green that set up a prime look at an eagle
Whether cosying up beside the “Phireside” or putting the entire Golden State Warriors dynasty at risk, the six-time major winner was golf’s first true “viral” star.
For the three-time Masters champion, it’s been a gradual, circuitous and finally sudden journey, as big a reversal in public image as golf has ever seen.
Tim, who is seven years Phil’s junior, was on the bag for his brother’s WGC–Mexico win in 2018, his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am victory in 2019 and his sixth major championship at the 2021 PGA at Kiawah Island.