Free-swinging Lefty ready to hunt down Tiger
LOS ANGELES: Phil Mickelson's superb victory at the Players Championship has raised the prospect of a mouth-watering rivalry between the American left-hander and world No 1 Tiger Woods at next month's US Open.
Although it would be foolish to draw too many conclusions from what is, after all, just one tournament win, the manner in which it was accomplished has whetted the appetite of golf fans across the globe.
Mickelson, in harness with new swing coach Butch Harmon for only the third tournament, delivered a consummate exhibition from tee to green at Sawgrass on Sunday that suggests he is ready to lift his game to a new level at the majors.
"Phil the Thrill" has long entertained fans with his dazzling skills around the green and his swashbuckling, high-risk approach combined with one or two moments of bone-headed stupidity.
Although he has become one of the most meticulous practitioners in the game with his build-up to the big events over the last few years, his driving accuracy has been well documented as his Achilles' heel.
He himself has said that memories of his US Open meltdown at Winged Foot last year will never really be banished until he wins the tournament for the first time.
The emerging 2007 version of "Lefty", as he is popularly known, hints at a near-perfect blend of careful course management without sacrificing the short-game skills for which he has become a fan favorite.
Long-term planning
Although his route to victory at Sawgrass last week was by no means a sure recipe for success in the majors, his performance in the final round rubber-stamped that he and Harmon are ahead of schedule in their long-term planning.
In a master-class display, Mickelson hardly put a foot wrong in closing with a three-under-par 69 to claim the prestigious Players title for the first time on a course where he has traditionally struggled.
He missed only four of 14 fairways and reached 16 of 18 greens in regulation. Had his putter been on song, he would have probably signed off with a 66 and a five-stroke triumph.
The burning question, though, is: Can he replicate that performance in a head-to-head with Woods down the closing stretch in a major?
Harmon, who helped Woods win an astonishing seven majors in 11 starts from late 1999 to mid-2002, is confident his new charge is up to the task.
"Phil not only has the talent, he has the desire and he wants to challenge Tiger Woods," Harmon told the Golf Channel.
"That's what you play golf for: to challenge the best. I just think it's going to be fun to watch this unfold. It should make for a heck of a summer.
Greatest player
Phil Mickelson of the US chips on to the 18th green during the final round play of the Tournament Players Championship golf tournament at the TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida on Sunday. Reuters |
"Tiger Woods is the greatest player in the world but you know this is going to motivate Tiger to work even harder and get even better.
"Phil has got to be one of the most talented players, other than Tiger Woods, I've ever worked with in my life. He can do anything."
Mickelson, a three-times major winner, was careful not to talk up his own prospects too soon for next month's U.S. Open at Oakmont.
"I'm really excited about the direction I'm headed but I do need those three or four weeks to continue to progress and get sharper," he said of his preparation for the June 14-17 event.
"I struck it the way I need to (at Sawgrass), but I didn't do it all four days. I still have a lot of work to get my ball-striking to where I would give myself a chance to try to contend.
"If I keep working at these things and progressing, I should be ready to take on the ultimate tough challenge at Oakmont."
Ever since Woods burst on to the major stage by winning the 1997 Masters in record-breaking fashion, the world has waited for another player to step up and challenge him on a consistent basis in the big events. That wait could end at Oakmont.
Agencies
(China Daily 05/17/2007 page23)
