A man’s voice bellowed from the crowd outside the ropes surrounding the 18th green at Bethpage Black yesterday as Phil Mickelson and his playing partners — Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson — were finishing up their practice round for the Barclays Championship.
“Phil, would you please buy the Mets … pleeease,’’ the man pleaded to Mickelson, who is part of a group that just purchased a portion of the San Diego Padres.
Mickelson heard the fan and flashed a sheepish grin.
What Mickelson would really like, though, is a win, which would take the sting off of an otherwise disappointing 2012 season for him.
A Mickelson win this week at Bethpage, which in the last 10 years has become a temple of passionate fan support for him despite the fact he’s a native Californian, would be as popular as one of the local teams winning a title.
Mickelson might as well have been born in Brooklyn, Queens or Long Island; he doesn’t get this kind of rabid support in his own state.
“Some of the most excitement that I’ve had in my career has taken place right here at Bethpage Black,’’ Mickelson told The Post after his round yesterday. “That 17th hole on Saturday in ’02 (at the U.S. Open) when I made a 20-footer for birdie was the loudest I’ve ever experienced. It’s something I remember to this day 10 years later.
“Being in that amphitheater and hearing the roars and making that charge on Saturday to get into contention was one of the most exciting moments of my career.’’
Mickelson’s charge would fall short in that ’02 U.S. Open just as a late-afternoon Sunday charge in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage did when Lucas Glover won.
Tiger Woods won that ’02 Open and wasn’t likely to be caught by anyone on that Sunday.
But the 2009 U.S. Open was Mickelson’s to win after he had birdied No. 12 and eagled 13 to tie for the lead. But bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 derailed his chance to win his first U.S. Open and left Mickelson with his record fifth runner-up finish in the event.
“I may look back at the end of my career and I think about what might have been in the U.S. Open,’’ Mickelson said. “But I still believe I’ll get a U.S. Open, and if I do, I won’t look back on 2009 as much.’’
Despite the heartbreak that has occurred on these grounds, Mickelson insisted he looks back on the positive experiences playing Bethpage “because I’ve never felt such support.’’
That support hit a peak in ’09 when Mickelson came close to not playing the Open because his wife, Amy, was awaiting breast cancer surgery.
Three years later, with her health much improved, Amy and their three children are in Manhattan this week enjoying the tourist life while Phil plays the tournament.
“My kids and wife get this energy when they come here,’’ Mickelson said. “This city brings out a whole different energy level in them.’’
And, despite his inconsistent year, Mickelson sounded energized about the state of his game, saying it has recently “clicked.’’
“I am so excited right now, more than I’ve ever been at the end of a year,’’ he said. “If I can get hot with the putter, this can be a special week. This is the best my game has felt in a long time.’’
Mickelson said his 2012 season, which began with a win at the AT&T at Pebble Beach, “had a lot of promise early on.’’
“Then I had a three-month stretch where I just kind of lost some focus,’’ he said. “I have a chance to salvage my year with a strong showing in the (FedEx) playoffs and what better place for me to get started and get momentum than right here at Bethpage?’’
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com