Endurance: Winning Lifes Majors the Phil Mickelson Way

For the first twelve years of his career, Phil Mickelson was one of the world's most skilled, successful, and beloved professional golfers. He also spent most of that period under the cloud of a different title—"The best golfer never to win a Major." Mickelson's persistence and talent were finally—and dramatically—rewarded with his heart-stopping, come-from-behind victory at the 2004 Masters.

Endurance traces Phil Mickelson's golfing career from the day he shot an amazing 144 as a three-year-old to his Masters victory and beyond.

Invaluable for golf fans and business readers alike, it reveals how, after already securing fabulous success in both his career and personal life, Phil Mickelson continued to study and refine his game toward reaching even greater achievement and fulfillment.

Phil Mickelson is esteemed around the world as the "Everyman" who reached the top. Endurance charts how Mickelson overcame disappointment and adversity to claim the ultimate prize—and how anyone can follow his model to do the same.

Golf fans love Phil Mickelson.

From his wide-eyed, approachable demeanor to the unique left-handed swing that earned him the nickname Lefty, Mickelson has forged a bond with the golfing public that is both unprecedented and undeniable. One glaring frustration in his storied career, however—his inability to win one of golf's four major tournaments—long branded Mickelson in the eyes of his detractors, even as it further endeared him to millions of fans who had fought their own battles against disillusionment and disappointment.

Endurance: Winning Life's Majors the Phil Mickelson Way tells the saga of how Phil Mickelson was able to persevere and overcome his highly publicized string of bad luck and subpar performances, winning the 2004 Masters and removing the final roadblock to his recognition as one of professional golf's all-time greats. Both inspiring and instructional, with chapter-ending "takeaways" to summarize and reiterate valuable lessons learned in each chapter, Endurance recounts the important lessons learned from the different stages in Mickelson's career, including:

• How his father proved conventional wisdom wrong by not altering his young son's natural left-handed swing and trying to make him a right-handed player
• How Mickelson's single-minded determination made him continually push for success even after winning three NCAA championships, a U.S. Amateur championship, and PGA Tour event as an amateur
• How Mickelson learned to deal with Tiger Woods, the new star player on the Tour grabbing all the attention
• How Mickelson determined that winning is not everything, prioritizing his family and life outside of golf with his professional career
• How he adapted his game and attitude for the 2004 Masters, recognizing that to win a major, you have to be willing to change

Golf has known many legends over the years, but few have captivated fans like Mickelson. A combination of personable approachability and head-turning talent make him a standout on the PGA Tour, the Everyman that everyone is pulling for. Endurance tells the story of how Mickelson developed his talent, worked hard to succeed, and dealt with ongoing adversity before finally winning a major. Gripping from start to finish, it further cements Mickelson's reputation as one of sporting history's most talented, likable, and determined-to-win superstars.

Library Journal

Magee (Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan, Ford Tough) here tackles golfer Phil Mickelson. Why Mickelson? Though he's likable, handsome, and talented, both Ernie Els and Retief Goosenhave have won more majors, and the careers of other first-time majors winners like Todd Hamilton and Rich Beem have almost a storybook quality. What makes Mickelson a really interesting subject is that he has, in the popular parlance, "game" coupled with nonchalance. There is also the tragic element to his story: until he won the Masters in 2004, Mickelson wore the mantle of the best golfer never to have won a major. Magee's contribution is that he delves into Mickelson's keen interest in golf, work ethic, commitment to family, and character. He has done considerable research, such as noting that when taking a music appreciation course, Mickelson related the rhythms and tempos of particular pieces to golf swings. Though this book is well done, Mickelson is still mid-career, and with an autobiography just out from Warner (One Magical Sunday: But Winning Isn't Everything) this book is an optional purchase.-Steven Silkunas, North Wales, PA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

DAVID MAGEE is the author of Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan; The John Deere Way: Performance That Endures; and Ford Tough, the latter two published by Wiley. A former newspaper editor and columnist, Magee has been interviewed on NPR, ABC Radio, Bloomberg TV, and the Discovery Channel and has appeared on dozens of regional television and radio programs.