Phil Mickelson, Pinehurst U.S. Open and that beeper: Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay opens up

The beeper never did go off.

But what if it had?

It was a fascinating scenario back in 1999 at the U.S. Open held at Pinehurst No. 2. Phil Mickelson was on the cusp of potentially winning his first major championship, all while his wife, Amy, was days away from delivering their first child. This scene was eerily similar to the one earlier this year when Scottie Scheffler competed in the Masters as his wife, Meredith, neared her due date.

For the Mickelsons, a plan was meticulously set. If Amy went into labor, Mickelson would leave North Carolina immediately to return to their home in Scottsdale, Arizona, regardless of his standing in the tournament. He was to be notified via a beeper, which he entrusted to his caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay. Mackay dutifully kept it in his pocket throughout the competition.

In the end, the beeper remained silent, and Mickelson stayed the course. He and his final-round partner, Payne Stewart, produced one of the most dramatic finishes in the championship’s history. At the par-4 16th hole, Stewart evened the score with a spectacular 25-foot, double-breaking par putt. Moving to the par-3 17th, Stewart gained the lead by placing a 6-iron shot just 4 feet from the pin, almost matched by Mickelson’s 7-iron shot landing 6 feet away. On the 18th, after Mickelson narrowly missed a 25-foot birdie putt, Stewart clinched victory with a 15-footer for par. Stewart’s iconic fist-pump and subsequent emotional embrace of Mickelson are etched in the annals of golf history. Holding Mickelson’s face in his hands, Stewart offered words of encouragement about fatherhood: “You’re going to love being a father.”

The beeper, though, remained untouched and quiet.

This beeper scenario recently resurfaced in a conversation with Mackay. When asked if he had ever tested the beeper to gauge its sound or vibration, Mackay laughed and admitted, “That’s a great question. And the answer to that is no, I didn’t. But I probably should have. Yeah, I don’t know if that thing was on vibrate or beep or what, but that’s a really good question.”

As the U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst this week, Mackay remains deeply connected to the event. Now part of the NBC broadcast team, he recently announced his full-time return to broadcasting after serving as Justin Thomas’s caddie. The memories of those four days 25 years ago with Mickelson remain vivid for Mackay, marking the beginning of their journey toward major victories.

I reached out to Mackay, who was in San Diego by the water and more than willing to share his memories. Below is a portion of our conversation, which has been slightly edited for clarity.