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Mickelson defends deliberately hitting moving ball

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Andrew Both, Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/06/17/061718_phil.jpg"/><figcaption>Phil Mickelson waves to fans during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills GC - Shinnecock Hills Golf C. Dennis Schneidler, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball on the 13th green during the third round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday in what the American said was a deliberate action to &quot;take advantage of the rules.&quot;The controversial moment occurred after the five-times major champion missed a four-foot double-bogey putt and his ball continued to trickle down the hill, aided by both gravity and a strong tailwind.Rather than waiting for it to stop, he broke into a trot and when the ball was about 15 feet below the cup, and still in motion, he hit it back up the slope to above the hole.Mickelson, who is well out of contention for victory, said he knew the action would bring a two-shot penalty, and that he had hit the ball to prevent it from rolling all the way off the green and behind a bunker.&quot;I didn&#x27;t feel like going back and forth,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;I would do it again. I wanted to get to the next hole and I didn&#x27;t see that happening at the time without the two shots.&quot;I think knowing the rules is never a bad thing. I mean, you want to always use them in your favour.&quot;I don&#x27;t mean any disrespect and if that&#x27;s the way people took it I apologise to them. I took the two-shot penalty and moved on. There&#x27;s not much else to say.&quot;Hitting a moving ball incurs a two-stroke penalty, and Mickelson was eventually assessed with a six-over 10 at the par-four hole.He could have been disqualified, however, had rules officials deemed it a serious breach of another rule that states &quot;a player must not take an action with the intent to influence the movement of a ball in play&quot;.However, U.S. Golf Association rules chief John Bodenhamer said Mickelson&#x27;s breach did not reach such a level.Andrew Johnston, who was paired with Mickelson, was stunned by the incident and broke into laughter, prompting the American to also grin as the pair walked off the green.&quot;I&#x27;ve never seen anything like it. It&#x27;s something you might see on your home course with your mates. It was just a moment of madness but nothing disrespectful,&quot; the Briton said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/golf/news/2018/06/16/woods-expectations-another-major-win-absolutely-43019">READ: Woods on expectations for another major win: &#x27;Absolutely&#x27;</a></li></ul><div>BEEF DISBELIEF</div>In contrast to Mickelson&#x27;s comments, Johnston concluded that the American had just snapped.&quot;I think it&#x27;s just one of them moments when you&#x27;re not thinking about it, it just happens and he did it,&quot; said the burly Englishman, whose nickname is &#x27;beef&#x27;.&quot;I said &#x27;That&#x27;s one of the strangest things I&#x27;ve ever seen. Sorry, I have to laugh at this.&#x27; He just laughed with me.&quot;If you don&#x27;t laugh you&#x27;ll end up going insane.&quot;The incident on Mickelson&#x27;s 48th birthday brought to mind a similar episode by John Daly during the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.The flamboyant Daly, however, was already considered unpredictable, whereas Mickelson&#x27;s reputation as American golf&#x27;s golden man has been cultivated over almost three decades of exemplary behavior on the course.Television analysts were stunned.&quot;John Daly&#x27;s reputation took a hit after what he did at Pinehurst in &#x27;99 and I fear it will be the same for Phil,&quot; former U.S. Golf Association executive director David Fay said.Major champions Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger were equally astonished.&quot;I&#x27;ve never seen anything like that from a world class player in my life,&quot; Strange added.Said Azinger: &quot;That&#x27;s the most out of character I&#x27;ve ever seen Phil Mickelson.&quot;Azinger did not buy Mickelson&#x27;s explanation of the incident.&quot;That&#x27;s good spin,&quot; he said.Mickelson, who needs to win the U.S. Open to complete the career grand slam of all four majors, shot 81 for a 17-over 227 total as any hope of accomplishing the feat disappeared for another year.<div>(Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by John O&#x27;Brien)</div>For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">Sports website.</a>

Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball on the 13th green during the third round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday in what the American said was a deliberate action to "take advantage of the rules."

Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball on the 13th green during the third round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday in what the American said was a deliberate action to "take advantage of the rules."

Mickelson defends deliberately hitting moving ball

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Mickelson defends deliberately hitting moving ball

Andrew Both,

Reuters

Published Jun 17, 2018 09:42 AM PHT

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