SAN DIEGO — Phil Mickelson has taken thousands and thousands of golf shots here in San Diego, his hometown.
But never before did he take a shot in the middle of a crowded stadium.
Dressed in a powder blue golf shirt that made him fit right in with the home team, Mickelson was the star attraction at halftime of Monday’s game between the Broncos and Chargers.
The San Diego native attempted a 100-yard golf shot, with his accuracy on that shot determining how many books the nonprofit organization First Book would donate to needy children.
Had Mickelson hit a bull’s-eye in the center of the far end zone, his sponsor KPMG would have donated $1 million worth of books.
But Mickelson sailed his shot too long. It bounced on the large green target and rolled to the back wall. That was good enough for $50,000 — or 20,000 books.
“I must have had a little more adrenaline, because the ball was a little long,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson, the No. 17-ranked golfer in the world, is quite the avid San Diego sports fan, and he recently became a part-owner of the San Diego Padres. Chargers fans stayed in their seats at halftime to watch Mickelson’s shot.
“To have that kind of environment, to feel the Chargers’ fans support that shot, I wish I had pulled it off,” Mickelson said.
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262, twitter.com/bylindsayhjones
