In A Fawning Article About Phil Mickelson, John Huggins Makes Lefty Look Like a Sexist Boob

Scottish golf writer John Huggan penned an article for 'Scotland on Sunday' that can basically be condensed down to this: "Phil Good, Tiger Bad." Actually, entitled "A Wedge Between Them," Huggan's take is that Tiger Woods is boring and unaccommodating, and feels threatened by Mickelson. Mickelson, on the other hand, is an underappreciated genius and gadfly who is misunderstood.

I am sure it was unintentional given the general tone of his article, but Huggan reveals Mickelson's socially inept and sexist side when he illustrates an exchange at the recent Masters champion's dinner between Lefty and CBS Analyst and six-time major championship winner Nick Faldo:

Phil (loud enough for everyone to hear): "Gee Nick, I didn't realise that you are such a big guy. How come you used to hit it so short?"

Faldo: "Listen Phil, when you shoot 19 under par to win the Open at St Andrews you can start giving me a hard time."

Phil: "I understand that. But how come you hit it like such a p****?"

Faldo: "I played golf the proper way."

Phil: "Yeah, like my wife."

(note: Phil's perjorative slang was omitted to spare gentler readers' eyes.)

Huggan didn't report what Faldo's riposte to Mickelson was, exactly, but Faldo could have leveled Mickelson with ease simply by replying

'I bet your wife wouldn't have gotten home at least in five at Winged Foot back in 2006. Speaking for myself, I know I would have gotten at least a par.'

I wonder what Mickelson's face would have looked like had Faldo said such a thing. I bet he was thinking it, but it seems that Faldo was the bigger gentleman there.

One thing is for sure: if that's an example of Mickelson's outward attitude towards other players, even ones as distinguished as Faldo, it's pretty easy to understand why Mickelson is hardly the most popular player among his peers on Tour.

Not only is the exchange coarse and incredibly ungracious behavior towards Faldo -- who has won twice as many majors as Mickelson, by the way -- it also shows a bit of a sexist side on Phil's part. No matter his intent, I am sure that more than a few women would find his final two statements insulting. That's probably not a wise idea for a man who makes most of his living off of his perception in the public eye.

Huggan may deride Woods for being controlled and elusive in public, but then again, you will probably never hear something as incredibly boorish come out of Woods mouth as what he reported Mickelson as saying. Woods might curse every now and then, or flip his club with a purpose, but one thing he's rarely done is stick his foot in his mouth in a place where the story might find its way to a reporter.