A very expensive shot

Phil Mickelson came to the 18th hole of the final round of the US Open golf championship with a one stroke lead, a few months of intense preparation for this tournament and two consecutive major victories (The PGA last year and The Masters early this year)

Geoff Ogilvy had finished the round and was waiting in the club house with a score for second place.

Neither men were ready for what happened next.

Proving that the Pros are human, Phil shanked -- yes, SHANKED -- his drive into the rough where he had a terrible lie. He then tried to get out of it, but hit a tree and then hit his third shot into a bunker for a fried egg lie. He needed three more strokes to finish the hole. And just like that, in the matter of a few minutes, the US open had slipped out of his grasp.

A par would have won him the championship. A bogey would have put him in an 18-hole playoff with Ogilvy. Instead, Phil double bogeyed his final hole to hand the trophy to Ogilvy.

A visibly distressed, and rightly so, Michelson later commented that he was "an idiot". I can only imagine what he must have gone through.

To come into the tournament with so much preparation, with two consecutive Majors under your belt and a chance to break into an elite company of only two other golfers (Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods) to win 3 consecutive majors, and then lose it on the final hole with a double bogey is just heart wrenching. My heart goes out to him.

Phil is a true champion. Always smiling and gracious. Focussed, yet fun. And he has a beautiful swing. Not to mention one of the best short games anyone has seen in the game.

Go, Phil! On to the next major triumph. The Open awaits. Go for it!