Phil On The U.S. Open: "I can still make it"

Yes it's a longshot, but two important hurdles were cleared for Phil Mickelson to make a last-ditch effort to play this year's U.S. Open at Erin Hills and do so controversy-free.

The first is reported by Tim Rosaforte at Golf World, who lays out Mickelson's plan should any weather delay impact tee times. The forecast current suggests bad weather Wednesday, but not Thursday.

However, if there was a delay, Mickelson could conceivably land at a private airport in Hartford, Wis., just 15 minutes by car from the Open venue.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Amanda graduation and watching her make her speech,” Mickelson said. “But I can still make it. You never know. I think it’s possible.”

A second hurdle is more nuanced but equally important: the USGA has relented on alternates playing practice rounds.

In the past, had Phil remained in the field until Thursday, his possible replacement would have been forbidden from playing a practice round. But as Doug Ferguson reports, the USGA has studied their data and determined it's ok for alternates to bring their sticks and play the course.

Jeff Hall, the USGA's managing director of rules and open championships, said recent history at the U.S. Open has shown that with most players practicing in the morning, there would be room to accommodate first alternates in the afternoon.

The U.S. Open starts June 15, the first one held in Wisconsin.

''We haven't been overly public with it,'' Hall said. ''But we've been communicating to the alternates that they will be entitled to play.''

Ferguson this would apply to teh 12 first alternates from Sectionals. A nice perk too should they make the journey but not get in.