Phil Mickelson hits Ball Into Spectator Shorts During Tournament (VIDEO)

By Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, February 19, 2012

A spectator at a PGA tour event in Los Angeles got more than he bargained for after a golf ball hit by golf superstar Phil Mickelson ended up landing in his shorts.

Mickelson, who was playing in the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles, hit the wayward tee shot on the Par-4 15th hole on Saturday. The shot made its way in to the gallery which lined the fairway and then found its way into the gentleman's shorts.

Mickelson sliced his tee shot into the gallery and after hitting a tree just off the fairway bounced off members of the gallery before coming to rest up in the fan's right hem of his shorts.

Mickelson explained later that as he approached the area where the ball was he saw a man lying on his back and that he immediately feared for the worst. The reason the fan did not move was due to the fact that the ball was still in his shorts.

"I thought I had taken him out," Mickelson said. "It wouldn't have been the first time."

Mickelson carefully took the ball out from the man's shorts, marked his drop and was still even to save par on the hole. He finished the third round of the tournament with a 1-under 70 and entered the final round tied for the lead with Keegan Bradley.

Showing true professionalism Mickelson, after he had retrieved the ball, immediately gave the fan an autographed glove as an apology. He played the rest of the round without incident.