The Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlory and Jordan Spieth grouping was supposed to set the tone at the 118th U.S. Open. They were one of the first groups on the tee box, and many expected them to put on quite a first round show at Shinnecock Hills.
Oh, they put on a show alright, just not the kind we expected.
Mickelson (+7), McIlroy (+10) and Spieth (+8) combined to shoot +25 for the round. Afterward, none of them were eager to account for their struggles: McIlory stormed off and Mickelson literally jogged away from a group of reporters. Spieth talked briefly, but only because he was unable to escape the scrum.
Ben Maller says if Mickelson and McIlroy are going to bask in the media glow following a superb round then they should be willing to speak to the media just the same when things go wrong. Part of being a leading man in golf means having to face the music every once in awhile. They should know that.