Phil by Alan Shipnuck

Phil by Alan Shipnuck

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "A rollicking good time." --Golfweek * "Thoroughly engaging." --The Washington Post

Now with a new afterword: a juicy and freewheeling biography of legendary golf champion Phil Mickelson--who has led a big, controversial life--as reported by longtime Sports Illustrated writer and bestselling author Alan Shipnuck.

Phil Mickelson is one of the most compelling figures in sports. For more than three decades he has been among the best golfers in the world, and his unmatched longevity was exemplified at the 2021 PGA Championship, when Mickelson, on the cusp of turning fifty-one, became the oldest player in history to win a major championship.

In this raw, uncensored, and unauthorized biography, Alan Shipnuck captures a singular life defined by thrilling victories, crushing defeats, and countless controversies. Mickelson is a multifaceted character, and all his warring impulses are on display in these pages: He is a smart-ass who built an empire on being the consummate professional; a loving husband dogged by salacious rumors; a high-stakes gambler who knows the house always wins but can't tear himself away. Mickelson's career and public image have been defined by the contrast with his lifelong rival, Tiger Woods. Where Woods is robotic and reticent, Mickelson is affable and extroverted, an incorrigible showman whom many fans love and some abhor because of the overwhelming size of his personality. In their early years together on Tour, Mickelson lacked Tiger's laser focus and discipline, leading Tida Woods to call her son's rival "the fat boy," among other put-downs. Yet as Tiger's career has been curtailed by scandal, addiction, and a broken body, Phil sails on, still relevant on the golf course and in the marketplace.

Phil is the perfect marriage of subject and author. Shipnuck has long been known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, and he delivers numerous revelations, from the true scale of Mickelson's massive gambling losses; to the inside story of the acrimonious breakup between Phil and his longtime caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay; to the secretive backstory of the Saudi golf league that Mickelson championed to wield as leverage against the PGA Tour. But Phil also celebrates Mickelson's random acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, to which friends and strangers alike can attest. Shipnuck has covered Mickelson for his entire career and has been on the ground at Mickelson's most memorable triumphs and crack-ups, allowing him to take you inside the ropes with a thrilling immediacy and intimacy. The result is the juiciest and liveliest golf book in years--full of heart, humor, and unexpected turns.

Born and raised the youngest of 6 kids in the Midwest, Jack went to college at The University of Texas to play golf. There he met Lauren Catuzzi. Jack graduated and embarked on a successful marketing and advertising career in San Francisco. In 1991, he married Lauren and moved to Marin county to start a family. Lauren, three months pregnant with their first child, was killed when they stopped United Flight 93 from being used by terrorists to torpedo the US Capital. Jack has remarried and currently does pro bono work for charities and serves on a few boards.

Alan Shipnuck wrote his first Sports Illustrated cover story as a 20 year-old intern, in 1994. Over the ensuing quarter-century he typed covers on subjects ranging from Tiger Woods to Brett Favre to Michael Phelps to Peyton Manning to Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson to Phil Mickelson. Shipnuck is now a Senior Writer at Golf Magazine. He recently won his 11th first-place award in the annual writing contest of the Golf Writers Association of America, breaking the all-time record of World Golf Hall of Fame member Dan Jenkins. Shipnuck is the author of seven books, including national best-sellers Bud, Sweat & Tees and The Swinger (with Michael Bamberger). He lives in Carmel Valley, Cal. with his family.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781476797090
ISBN 10	1476797099
Title	Phil
Author	Alan Shipnuck
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Year published	2022-05-17
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.