Phil Admits South Course "Animosity" Hasn't Helped

Phil Mickelson held court to kick off his annual return to Torrey Pines and in refreshing fashion, admitted that his feelings for Rees Jones' South Course remodel may have impacted his ability to maximize performance in the Farmers Insurance Open.

And while that was a refreshing admission, more interesting were his expanded comments on the North Course redo and what exactly he dislikes about the putrid South Course work.

First, on the north, from Will Gray's report focused on Mickelson's Torrey/architecture comments:

On his plans for the North redo (starting circa February 2015), which sound good but concern me because containment design so rarely comes off looking natural:

“Why so many players love links golf is that you always have the avenue to run a ball up and it’s very easy to make the parameters left and right,” he explained. “There’s no need to block the fronts of greens.”

The changes align with Mickelson’s overall thoughts on golf course design, which he reiterated Wednesday has led to courses becoming overly difficult as players increasingly watch shots carom away from their intended targets.

“So much of golf now repels balls away into trouble,” said Mickelson. “What I want to do is contain. I want to create containment where balls run up to the green. Once you get to the green, that’s where you can start repelling and making it challenging.”

Mickelson continues to push for a reduction in turf and water usage in the North course work, which is so exciting to hear. This year, both Torrey courses are heavily overseeded with rye and look great if you like lush green, but in a state facing drought and on a property with such beautiful, rustic natural areas, ultimately looks unnatural.

Regarding the South:

He admits that his attitude toward the course that comprises 75 percent of this week’s competitive action hasn’t exactly helped his playing record, which includes just one top-10 finish since 2009.

“My feelings of animosity toward it might be a factor as to why I haven’t played well per se on it,” said Mickelson, who tied for 51st here last year and missed the cut in 2012. “I’ve learned to play it over the years, but it is not conducive to the way I like to play, which is aggressive.

“Every shot is repelled away from the tucked pins, every green breaks away from the bunkers, every time you’re in a bunker you’ve got a downhill shot,” he continued. “It’s just monotonous to me and it doesn’t allow for great recovery and it does not allow for aggressive play. It allows for 40 feet away from the hole and try to make a putt, try to take advantage of the par 5s.”

Architect Rees Jones was very good at delivering the kind of preventative design that the old USGA loved for its ability to protect par in the face of faulty regulatory supervision of distance. Unfortunately, that was great for one week of the century--2008 U.S. Open--but has proven dreadfully dull and cynical for those who want to play fun golf. The old Torrey South was no masterpiece, but every green was just a little different in character, with putting surfaces features a good player could use to work shots into hole locations. Now the opposite is the case and frankly, makes the South just a tragic misuse of an amazing property for golf.

That said, the views are spectacular and like any public course hosting a tour event, always provides a great atmosphere for tournament golf. Still...what could have been, what could have been.