Phil Mickelson says technology played major role in British Open win

Phil Mickelson, who during the British Open awards ceremony thanked Callaway technicians for developing golf clubs to fit his game, said Friday that state-of-the-art technology was critical to his victory at Muirfield.

"Math and science is huge for me and my success," Mickelson, who will top off his post-Open media whirlwind by ringing the closing bell Friday at the New York Stock Exchange, said on CNBC's Squawk on the Street. "Winning this championship, I look at the one thing that has really changed my game and it's been the 3-wood that I have been using.

"I'm a high-spin player and this 3-wood takes off half the spin that I was putting on it, which gets the ball boring through air. Consequently, I hit the two best 3-woods of my life on the 17th hole to win."

The five-time major winner is a long-time advocate of motivating elementary school children to study math and science and recognizes that both disciplines have been a boon to the game of golf. For the ninth consecutive year, Mickelson is hosting an academy at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City to help third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade math and science teachers keep students interested in their subjects.

For Lefty, his putting, the key to which he figured out but would not divulge before last week’s Open Championship, and technology were critical to his ability to lift his first Claret Jug, which he shared with Callaway employees on Thursday.

"It all comes down to technology. What's happened is as the heads of drivers have gotten bigger and bigger, the center of gravity gets moved back and it causes an increase in spin," Mickelson said, according to CNBC. "To counteract that I've been decreasing the loft where it's harder to hit the driver. This new technology on the interior of the club takes the spin off of it, which allows me to have more loft and make my normal swing.

"Using the engineers and the science and technology of it,” he said, “I've been able to improve my game and hopefully play some of the best golf of my career, not just at the open but in future years.”

Phil Mickelson has represented the sport and the game of golf as well as just about any of his contemporaries competing the PGA Tour today. He has carried himself with a tremendous amount of class, sportsmanship and true determination.

I think if the Players Association and all of the great golfers still around today, were polled as to what current pro golfer has represented the game the to best standard of excellence, and done so with a high level of achievement and graceful attitude, they'd tell you Phil Mickelson.

This win was well deserved, and a long time coming for a man who has put it all out there to inspire others, remain highly competitive, and pursue greatness through demonstrating a truly great style.