Thursday 5 November 2015

Tennis:Phil Mickelson splits from Butch Harmon after eight years


Phil Mickelson has split from coach Butch Harmon after an eight-year partnership that yielded two major championship victories.

Mickelson, 45, has slipped to 25th in the world after back-to-back winless seasons and flew to Las Vegas last week to tell Harmon in person.

The left-hander said in a statement: "Butch Harmon is one of the great teachers in the history of the game and I believe he deserves to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

"I've learned a great deal from him in our eight years together. It's just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective."

Mickelson linked up with Harmon in 2007 and secured 12 PGA Tour titles - including the 2010 Masters and 2013 Open Championship - during that time, but the victory at Muirfield is his last to date and he has recorded just five top-10 finishes since.

One of those came at Augusta National in April, where he finished joint second behind Jordan Spieth, but he was not a factor in any of the year's other majors and failed to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship for the second season in succession.

Harmon, who has Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler on his books, said there were no hard feelings about the split.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed working with Phil and we've had great success together," he said in a statement. "Helping him win the Open Championship in 2013 was one of the pinnacles of my career.

"I see nothing wrong with him seeking advice from another source. We're great friends and always will be."

No comments: