British Open 2024: Phil Mickelson saying he's 'not a betting man' the day after losing a bet is peak Phil Mickelson

Sometimes, even Phil Mickelson realizes when he has to check himself. He wouldn't be the smartest man in every room he walks into if that wasn't the case.

Lefty was putting on a peak Lefty performance on the range Wednesday at Royal Troon, where he stopped for a chat with former PGA champion Rich Beem who now works for Sky Sports. Beem wanted to pick his brain on the wind directions this week, and Mickelson, naturally, went full John Madden on the telestrator with his response.

"We had a similar wind in 2016, this is kind of the prevailing wind," Mickelson said. "I think that the back nine, as you come back into the wind, when it's off the left and it's a hook wind it's a lot easier than when it's a slice wind. I think a down-slice wind is a lot easier than an into-slice wind because the magnification of the shot and the miss is not going to be as great. Down wind, the ball kind of straightens out, so you have a slice wind but it's straightening out when it's down.

"So the back nine, when it's very difficult, you have to make up your scores when it's down wind on the front," he continued. "And then you have to kind of fight for pars on the back. But it's a lot easier to make pars, I think, into the wind with a hook rather than a slice wind."

Beem than wondered if that meant that lefty players might be a "good wager" this week, which allowed Mickelson to trot out his tried and true "I'm not a betting man" line, which he then promptly checked himself on:

Considering you quite literally just lost a widely-publicized bet against a YouTube golfer on Tuesday, yes, that's probably not true. Vintage Phil.

Of course, Phil's losing bet to Grant Horvat did not involve any money, only joggers that the 54-year-old has to now wear this week. But it's still technically a bet, thus making you a betting man. Never change, Phil. Never change.

MORE GOLF DIGEST BRITISH OPEN COVERAGE

British Open 101: Answering all your frequently asked questions

How to watch the British Open on TV and streaming

Tee times for Rounds 1 and 2 at Troon

Power Rankings: Every player in the field at Royal Troon

Video: Every hole at Royal Troon

How hard can the 123-yard Postage Stamp hole really be? Our deep-dive explantion

Tiger Woods and when enough is enough

History of the claret jug: 152 years of triumphs, dents and lots of drinking

How Brian Harman (aka ‘The butcher of Hoylake’) beat the British tabloids

Rory McIlroy’s media blowoff reignites debate about obligation in the face of frustration

Links golf interactive: What shots you should play on a links course