Phil Mickelson suffers unfortunate penalty, likely won’t be around for the weekend

The Old White TPC, site of the Greenbrier Classic, hasn't been kind to Phil Mickelson over the last couple of years.

After missing the cut last year in his first start at the event, Mickelson appears to be on the verge of not being around for the weekend, after he posted a 1-over 71 on Friday.

"I don't get it," Mickelson said after his round. "I certainly struggled a little bit on the greens both years, but nothing that should have led to these scores."

For whatever reason, Mickelson couldn't get anything going for the second straight day. On Thursday, he needed 29 putts to get around the Old White TPC course and struggled to keep it in play off the tee. Friday wasn't any different; he hit only 6 fairways and needed 30 putts to post his second straight over par round. Dating back to last year's start at the Greenbrier Classic, Mickelson has now posted three straight rounds in the black.

It was hardly the tune-up Mickelson was looking for with the Open Championship on the horizon. Dating back to the Memorial in May, where Mickelson withdrew, his last seven rounds have been over par, which is troubling considering how well he was playing earlier in the year when he dusted the field in the final round to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

"I really have been [off]," Mickelson said. "I don't know what to say about that. The parts don't feel that far off, but I haven't been putting them together. It doesn't feel bad off the tee, it doesn't feel bad with the iron play, it doesn't feel bad chipping or putting, but I'm making a lot of loose drives here or there, some loose iron shots here or there, missing some short putts here or there."

Unfortunately for Mickelson, his game wasn't the only thing giving him trouble on Friday. He also suffered an unfortunate one-stroke penalty on the 11th hole when he went to make his ball and his ball marker fell out of his hand and moved the ball. Even though Mickelson replaced the ball to its original spot after the incident, he was still required to add a stroke.

That incident pretty much summed up his week perfectly. Mickelson has another week to work things out before the Open Championship, but the way things are going at the moment, it's difficult to see him being much of a factor at golf's oldest major championship.