GAYLORD, Mich. – He holds records for most closest-to-pin shots and most money won without a hole-in-one in the history of the popular ING Par-3 Shootout. In fact, outside of carding the elusive ace, there is only one thing missing from Phil Mickelson’s resume in the ING Par-3 Shootout – a victory.
The $540,000 event, which also offers a $1 million bonus for every hole-in-one, will air tape-delayed on ESPN2, Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 28 from 10 p.m. to midnight, ET. The ING Par-3 Shootout is ESPN2’s first golf telecast produced in HD-TV.
Joining Mickelson on the Par-3 Threetops Course at Treetops Resort is defending champion Fred Couples – the only two-time winner of the ING Par-3 Shootout – and event rookies Gary McCord and Andy North.
“I love the Par-3 Threetops course, but whether it was Lee Trevino making a hole-in-one, Lee Janzen playing great or me just not playing my best, I’ve not been able to win this event,” Mickelson said. “It’s something I’ll be gunning for this June.”
As the only player to compete in all six previous ING Par-3 Shootouts, it’s something Mickelson has had squarely in his sights every year. Counting last year’s $130,000 effort that earned him a second-place tie with Trevino, Mickelson has five runner-up finishes in his six ING Par-3 Shootouts.
Considering he averages $151,667 in his trips to Treetops, Mickelson is a near-lock to join Trevino as the only two players to surpass $1 million in event earnings. Mickelson is the event’s second all-time leading money winner with $910,000, trailing only Trevino’s $1,390,000.
“I look forward to the ING Par-3 Shootout at Treetops every year because it’s such a fun, relaxed atmosphere in which to compete against three other top-flight professionals,” said Mickelson, who often has his brother, Tim, on the bag.
Entering his seventh appearance in the event, Mickelson holds records for most holes won (11), most holes validated (seven), most holes won without validating (seven), most holes won without validating for a single event (two), most holes validated in a single event (two), most closest-to-the-pin shots (33), most birdies all-time (23) and most money lost failing to validate ($460,000).
He holds a share of two other marks: most holes won in a single event (four, with Couples), and most birdies in a single event (six, with Fuzzy Zoeller and Couples), a mark Mickelson tied last year.
Want further proof of Mickelson’s presence in the event? By itself, that $460,000 total would be fourth on the ING Par-3 Shootout’s career money list.
Last year, Mickelson drained a 6-foot, 10-inch birdie putt on the seventh hole for a shot at $140,000, but failed to validate when he airmailed the eighth hole with his 9-iron and failed to get up-and-down for par. He made up for that the next day, when he racked up back-to-back birdies on No. 14 and 15 to win $60,000.
Those were two of Mickelson’s event-best six birdies at last year’s Par-3 Shootout. But what brings Mickelson back every year to northern Michigan is not the birdies and not only the presence of his coach and good friend, Treetops owner Rick Smith, but a par-3 course that is one of the nation’s best.
Since its opening in 1987, Treetops has been among the nation’s best golf resorts. Located just east of Gaylord, Mich., Treetops features five outstanding golf courses. The first course to open was the Masterpiece, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. In the past 15 years, Treetops has added Tom Fazio’s Premier, Rick Smith’s Signature and Tradition courses, along with Threetops, the par-3 course that hosts the ING Par-3 Shootout.
Although the distances on the par-3 course range from only 138 to 216 yards, Threetops is the most unique par-3 course in the world because of the dramatic elevation changes, the tricky winds that change on every hole and contoured greens that are extremely fast.
About ING
ING Group is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to more than 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of more than 115,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.
In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves more than 14 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.
