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Phil Mickelson Talks 'Fortunate' 8-Under Round Ahead of Ryder Cup Selections

Joseph Zucker

Phil Mickelson won't win the 2018 Dell Technologies Championship, but he finished the tournament with a flourish, going eight-under-par in the final round.

Mickelson thought the timing of his strong performance was perfect, with the United States' Ryder Cup squad to be announced Tuesday.

"So fortunate also that it's the day before the Ryder Cup picks, although I don't feel that should be a bearing," he said, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig. "I think you have to look at the big picture through the course of the year statistically, what you're looking for with that particular course or players. Not one round. But it certainly doesn't hurt."

Mickelson wasn't the only one who commented on how Monday could impact the final decision of U.S. captain Jim Furyk:

Harig noted Mickelson doesn't have enough points to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup team. He sits 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, with the top eight golfers guaranteed of a trip to Le Golf National in France.

Mickelson is having a somewhat disappointing 2018 campaign based on his lofty standards. He has one win and six top-10 finishes in 21 PGA Tour events, and he failed to finish higher than 24th at any of the four major tournaments.

But there's little chance of Furyk passing on the 48-year-old when the time comes to make his three personal picks Tuesday.

Mickelson is playing well relative to the others in the at-large discussion, such as Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele. In addition, Mickelson's Ryder Cup experience would be valuable for the U.S. team. He has helped the U.S. win on three occasions, competing in 11 Ryder Cups overall.

Mickelson's impressive final round Monday in Norton, Massachusetts, should have eliminated any doubt.

   

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