GLENEAGLES, Scotland – For the first time in 10 appearances at the Ryder Cup, Phil Mickelson was given an entire day off.
U.S. captain Tom Watson benched Mickelson and Keegan Bradley for both sessions on Saturday at Gleneagles. He said both wanted to play, but the captain decided to go with his hot hands and that Mickelson and Bradley had not played well their most recent match.
Mickelson will play only three matches this week, his fewest since going 3-0 as a rookie at Oak Hill in 1995.
He did not want to comment as he walked down the first fairway except to say he wants his team to win and "whatever we have to do is all I care about." When asked whose decision it was, Mickelson only smiled.