Closer Look Mickelson rebounds with his putter Click here for more on this story Posted: Saturday September 25, 1999 08:06 PM   Improved putting from Phil Mickelson earned the Americans a much-needed point in Saturday afternoon's matches. Andrew Redington/Allsport By Albert Lin, CNN/SI BROOKLINE, Mass. -- It's not like he played poorly Friday afternoon. In fact, far from it. Phil Mickelson sizzled the course with eight birdies, including six on his first nine holes, and shot a 63 on the opening day of the Ryder Cup, teamed with Jim Furyk in four-ball competition. But Mickelson's timing couldn't have been worse. He only won two holes with his birdies and was left as a U.S. team goat because of two blown gimme putts on the last three greens -- one of which would have salvaged a halve -- both of which would have given the Americans the point. Instead, Jesper Parnevik and Sergio Garcia escaped with the match. And Mickelson was left to wonder once again. Just three months ago, Mickelson blew a similar short putt, with even more devastating consequences. At the U.S Open at Pinehurst, the left-hander missed virtually the same putt in the same manner, pulling it below the hole on No. 17 on Sunday, down one stroke to Payne Stewart. He would go on to finish second by that one shot. After missing a four-footer on 16 and a five-footer on 18 Friday, Mickelson was understandably distraught. "They weren't very aggressive strokes, they were pretty tentative," Mickelson said. "I needed to make those putts and I just didn't. It's extremely disappointing." U.S. captain Ben Crenshaw sat Mickelson during Saturday morning's foursomes, perhaps to give him a little extra time to gather his thoughts. "There's a lot of pressure on every hole in alternate shot to make a four-footer for your partner. I didn't want to deal with that yet," Mickelson said. The strategy seemed to work. Playing with Tom Lehman, Mickelson made "only" five birdies (the match ended after 17 holes), but his timing was impeccable: He won all three of his team's holes. Europeans Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood didn't cut into the lead until No. 16, when the match was already dormie and, for all intents and purposes, in the bank for the Americans. The final score was 2 and 1. Oh, yeah, about Mickelson's putter -- it wasn't the same one. He showed up Saturday morning and told his caddie he was going with the new blade. "I just needed a different look," Mickelson said. "It's easier to regain your confidence with a different look. This is a putter I carry with me all the time, but I haven't used it in eight or nine months." We should all shake off rust that well. In an afternoon replete with big shots and lead changes that had the galleries roaring at regular intervals, Mickelson and Lehman -- in the first match to go off -- produced the only U.S. victory. The Americans faded in the remaining three matches and earned only one other point, Europe taking a commanding 10-6 lead heading into Sunday's singles play. Since the current format was instituted in 1977, no team has won more than 8 1/2 points on Sunday, meaning the Americans would have to match that effort to regain the Cup. The U.S. did win eight points in 1997. After starting inauspiciously with a par and a bogey, Mickelson began to heat up at No. 3, draining a 25-footer to put his team 1-up. He then birdied 8 from the fringe 15 feet away, staking his team to a 2-up lead. On his final scoring hole, No. 10, Mickelson didn't even have to pull out his putter; this birdie was a result of his famous short game. After Lehman hit his approach to four feet, Mickelson one-upped his partner with a 131-yard pitching wedge to the lip of the cup. Lehman wrapped him in the obligatory bear hug. The Europeans conceded and were now 3-down. On the par-4 11th, Mickelson's short game once again was on display. Lying 3 and still off the green, Mickelson ran his chip straight into the hole. And on the par-5 15th it was deja vu all over again: Mickelson had a three-footer for birdie. But this time his stroke was true. "My partner played a phenomenal round of golf," Lehman said. "He held me up when I was struggling with the putter." Mickelson bailing out someone else with a faulty blade? No one would've thought that possible a day earlier.   Related information Stories Saturday's Results Saturday's Scorecards Montgomerie victimized by hecklers again Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.

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