Phil Mickelson at the 2011 US Open

This is the second installment of photography from the 2011 US Open and today I am featuring another one of my favorite golfers – Phil Mickelson.

Phil makes my list of favorite golfers because of the excitement he brings to the game.  Phil brings this excitement by taking risks, making seemingly impossible shots, and pulling off miracles with his short game.  Prior to Tiger’s recent troubles, his exciting play was even more spectacular during the infamous duels between the two.  During the period of Tiger’s dominance, Phil was always there pushing and challenging.  This kind of rivalry (not always friendly) makes for great golf course drama.

The final shot in this series is a triptych of Phil practicing one of his patented flop shots over a bunker to a pin just a couple yards deep into the green.  What you don’t see in these shots is that the ball went nearly straight up and landed with nearly no roll, just a few short feet from the pin.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Miguel Angel Jimenez at 2011 US Open

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of attending the Tuesday practice round of the U.S. Open Championship being hosted by Congressional Country Club.  The great part of attending a practice round is that cameras are allowed – unlike the tournament rounds beginning on Thursday.  I also enjoy the practice rounds because the crowds are manageable and the line at the beer tents are short!

Over the next few posts, I will be featuring some of my photography from the US Open.  Today, I am focusing on Miguel Angel Jimenez, one of my favorite golfers.

Miguel is at the top of my list of favorites for a number of reasons.  Not only is Miguel a great golfer, but he hits the mark in a number of other categories that make him special.  Miguel has a great sense of humor – listen to any of his interviews and you are sure to get a chuckle.  Miguel smokes cigars which means he is a lot like the rest of us golfers – taking a nice stroll in a beautiful park, enjoying the scenery, and enjoying a nice cigar.

Finally, at age 47 he falls directly into my age group.  I feel compelled to root for the “old guys” on tour and am always pulling for him.

Come back soon to see more photography from my visit to the US Open.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig