Is Phil Mickelson the Andre Agassi of Golf? a true elite but taking the back seat to better players?
yes, in my analogy, phil would be to tiger and andre is to pete sampras.
It's pretty apt. In terms of making shots with an iron/wedge, it's Tiger and Phil and everyone else is WAY down the list. It's hard to judge who is actually better. Tiger certainly executes on a more consistent basis, but Phil may have a better arsenal of shots, especially inside 150 yards.
The problems with Phil have always been putting (at times) and course management (a lot).
Even today, Phil went for the green on 15? (or 13) from behind a tree on his second shot. It was an INCREDIBLE shot, but considering the score at the time it just wasn't necessary. If that shot's a foot shorter it could have cost him the tournament, and in the end he gained nothing from laying up (he probably would have birdied anyways considering how good he is with wedges). He's lost a lot of tournaments that way.
Tiger's known for making those shots too, but he only makes them when he has to. Watch Tiger playing with a lead and you'll see him going for the centre of every green, figuring if he makes 1/2 20 footers the tournament's in the bag, and he won't bogey. Tiger is also a much better putter, which goes a long way.
So yeah, I think Phil is definitely elite, and at least right now might be the most talented shot maker in golf (especially with a wedge). He's just not able to control the aggression/creativity when he needs to, and ran into a guy who dominates the game like no one has dominated any sport ever.