Phil Undergoes Late In Life Growth Spurt; Adjusts Equipment Accordingly

Steve Elling with a tale that only Phil Mickelson could dream up.

Phil Mickelson, who a few years ago caused more than a few media smirks when he explained how the 20 pounds of off-season muscle he had gained remained hidden under a layer of subcutaneous fat, on Wednesday dropped a comparably eyebrow-hiking story.

An even taller tale at that, perhaps?

Mickelson, at age 37, believes he has grown between a half-inch to an inch because of the workouts and stretching regimen he's been undergoing over the past few seasons.

The topic came up Wednesday at the Wachovia Championship when Mickelson said he has switched to a putter that is 1.5 inches longer in an effort to improve his putting woes, which have held him back since his hot start that included a win in Los Angeles and a playoff loss in Phoenix.

"I've known that I've become a half-inch, inch taller for a few years, but I just thought, gosh, I'm not putting well, and now is the time to make an adjustment if I'm going to go to a longer putter," he explained. "It's easier on my back as much as I practice putting.

"So, given that I wasn't putting well, it just was easier to just start with it. So that's what I ended up doing when I came back and started working on it. I just started with a 35-inch putter rather than a 33½."

I'm certainly no exercise physiology expert, but is it possible that an athlete can grow in height, specifically if he has added a good bit of weight over the years? A quick, and highly unscientific Website search generated inconclusive results.

Then again, maybe his newfound height comes from those extra-long spikes Vijay Singh was complaining that Mickelson wore at the Masters a couple of years ago.