Phil Mickelson brought his 2014 PGA Tour season to an abrupt end Friday when he withdrew after two rounds at the BMW Championship. He posted rounds of 70-76 and was six-over-par, T-63 in the 70-man field.
Only the top 30 qualify for next week’s Tour Championship at East Lake and Mickelson shot himself out of that tournament with his poor play on Friday.
He was 14 strokes behind tournament leader Sergio Garcia and needed a top-four finish to advance in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
According to ABC News, Mickelson said in a statement released Friday night,
"My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup. Without a chance to contend at the Tour Championship, the most important thing for me now is to prepare for the Ryder Cup."
With no wins in 2014 and only one top-10 finish, a runner-up at the PGA Championship, Mickelson puts an end to his poorest season since joining the tour in 1994. It was just the third season in his 23-year-career, he failed to win a title on the PGA Tour.
The Ryder Cup will be played at Gleneagles in Scotland in just over three weeks, September 26-28. Captain Tom Watson and Team USA will need a rested and healthy Phil Mickelson to battle the favored Europeans.
Mickelson is now 44 years old and was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010. Even though he won the Scottish Open and the Open Championship in consecutive weeks last season, he has not been able to string four solid rounds together this year.
He has reached the age when winning golf tournaments and major championships become a rare occurrence.
The PGA Tour is a grind, even for young players, and especially from the Open Championship in July through the FedEx Cup playoffs that end in September.
Mickelson has to be tired and sore from the constant travel and trudging up and down hilly golf courses. Plus he puts additional strain on an already achy body with his violent swing.
He will probably draw a fine from the PGA Tour for his withdrawal, but it was undoubtedly a wise decision.
Now if Tiger Woods just learns to listen to his body, maybe we can enjoy watching these to Hall-of-Famers for several years to come.