The last four times Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have played in the same tournament, Mickelson has won three and finished second in the other.
Woods seems to bring out the best in his left-handed rival these days, something that wasn’t always the case.
“When he and I would play earlier in my career, I didn’t perform to the best of my abilities,” Mickelson said here at The Players. “But now I believe that when I’m paired with him or compete against him, he gets my best golf out of me, or I find a way to play my best golf. I’ve needed him to help me get my best golf out.”
A few years ago, Mickelson told me in a one-on-one conversation at the Byron Nelson tournament that Woods’ success made him practice more than he used to. He also revealed what motivated him to improve. Woods was his carrot. In effect, he said that because many consider Woods to be the best player of all-time, what would that make Mickelson if he ever started beating him regularly?
He said as much here without getting into that bit about historical significance.
“He’s pushed me to work harder,” Mickelson said, “and he has pushed me to become a better player. I get motivated when he’s back in the field.”
That’s nothing new in sports, or in business, or in life. Competition helps people reach their potential. We’ve seen that in rivalries for decades. Just a few: Chamberlain-Russell, Navratilova-Evert, Borg-McEnroe, Bird-Magic, Palmer-Nicklaus.
This week, Mickelson can pass Woods in the world ranking if he wins and Woods finishes out of the top 5. The way they’re playing, that could happen.
“It’s every player’s goal and intent to strive to be recognized as the No. 1 player,” Mickelson said. “It’s certainly something I’ve been striving for. It would mean a lot to me.”
But he’s looking beyond this week and this year. Perhaps the most interesting thing he said here is that, even though he turns 40 in June, he thinks his best golf is ahead, not behind. If that comes to fruition, it’s great news for golf fans. Nothing would elevate interest in the game more than prolonging the Woods-Mickelson rivalry.
For years, the average age of a Masters champion was 32. That gives you an idea of what had been the peak golf age, when both mental and physical capabilities peak and converge. But the success of players well into their 40s, particularly Vijay Singh and Kenny Perry, has changed the landscape.
It’s always been said that the early 30s is kind of the prime age,” Mickelson said. “However, if I look at my game today, where I was five years ago, I see a big difference. And so I feel like I still have my best golf ahead of me.”
• This is the first tournament ever where the media center seems abuzz wondering whether Tiger is more likely to win or miss the cut.
Never thought I’d say this, but the best guess seems to be the latter, since he missed the cut by eight strokes last week and hit seven balls into water in his first 18 holes of practice here. The difficult TPC Sawgrass is not the best place at which to try to find your game. On top of that, Woods has finished better than eighth just twice in 12 starts here, and not at all since winning in 2001.
Having experienced sex scandal, rehab and marital problems, Woods clearly is more vulnerable than ever on a golf course. It’s understandable, but still surprising given his mental toughness.
• Jim Furyk has lived in Ponte Vedra Beach for years. And he excels on so-called target golf courses, where the premium is on accuracy and control. But he didn’t finish better than 14th until his ninth start at the Players.
You might say the TPC Sawgrass has been an acquired taste for one of golf’s best players over the last 13 years. Furyk has eventually learned to play it and be comfortable on it. He has learned to maybe even like it after three top 5s in his past six starts here.
Pete Dye took a piece of swampland and carved out a difficult golf course, one that was particularly penal early on. Furyk calls it a “manufactured course” that didn’t fit his eye — or his game.
“When I stood on most of the holes early on in my career, I was not comfortable with this course at all,” he said. “I struggled because I wasn’t comfortable. (Dye) has a lot of sharp edges. There are long bunkers where you’re not sure how much you’re supposed to bite off.”
Furyk and others have a similar feeling at Whistling Straits — site of this year’s PGA Championship — another Dye creation from scratch. Furyk calls it the “most visually disturbing golf course” he has ever played.
“(TPC Sawgrass) to me was like that early in my career,” he said. “Now that I’ve played here a lot, I’ve gotten used to it, and it’s not disturbing to me off the tee.”
Hence, Furyk stands as one of the favorites this week. He has won twice since mid-March and, finally, he feels kind of at home.
• Furyk wasn’t the only slow learner here. Jay Haas had but two finishes better than 20th place at the TPC Sawgrass, before tying for second in 2003 at age 49.
“You could just pencil in MC for me on this tournament,” he said. “I started to realize ... getting the ball in play was maybe what I needed to do. I just learned the course more. I guess I just always got frustrated here. I’m not a terrific wind player, and it seemed in March (before the switch to May in 2007) we always had heavy winds here.”
• This is my 25th Players Championship. The first was in 1979. And yes, I have a favorite: The 1980 event at Sawgrass Country Club in which Lee Trevino beat Ben Crenshaw by one and Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson by two.
The top 21 scorers, all within seven shots of the top, featured nine Hall of Famers and two other major champions. The other HOF members on the solid-gold board besides those four were Hubert Green, Gary Player, Hale Irwin, Jack Nicklaus and Curtis Strange.
It’s not only my favorite Players; it’s one of my favorite tournaments, majors included.
In the winner’s news conference, someone asked Trevino if he was nervous playing against all those big names. “Man,” the Merry Mex shot back, “I’m not exactly cotton candy myself.”
I reminded Trevino of the quote the other day. He laughed and said, “That stuff comes out of my mouth, I don’t know where it comes from. It just oozes out.”
• Rookie Rickie Fowler, of course, dresses like a young golf hipster, colorfully, and like he’s ready for the cover of Teen Vogue magazine. But when he was 8, he dressed up for Halloween as his golf idol: Fred Couples.
I endorse the choice. Better Freddie than, say, Chi Chi Rodriguez. Can’t see Fowler in Sansabelt polyester slacks. There’d be no loops for the white belt.
• By the way, what does Chi Chi do with his old clothes?
He wears them.
(Memo to Chi Chi: Love ya, just playing.)
