Mickelson vs. Woods Not Headline Act

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He was in the weeds more than he was in the hunt, cussing and fussing and throwing his iron so angrily that he almost beheaded his cute Tiger club cover. "(Bleep)," said Eldrick Woods, more than once. But if Tiger is finished at the 2009 Masters, we can guarantee he'll be back to collect additional green clothing at some point, even if he has won only once at Augusta National since 2002 (slump!).

"Anything you need to work on?" Woods was asked Saturday after another round of misadventures.

"Yeah. I need to eat right now," he said.

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Considering he's coming off reconstructive knee surgery, after painting a profile in mental toughness last June, we'll give him a pass and recommend the chicken-wing joint on Washington Road. But Phil Mickelson? I can make no such assurances about future Butler Cabin visits. Going on 39, and not armed with the killer instinct that will keep him ambitious for major titles in his 40s, he's running out of opportunities to heighten his still-undefined niche in golfing history. This was supposed to be the weekend when Mickelson, who arrived on a roll that he called "some of the best golf I've ever played," dueled the greatest player ever on Easter Sunday for the No. 1 ranking. This was supposed to be Mickelson's chance to avenge the cheap shot of a prominent Camp Woods member, caddie Steve Williams, who made light of Phil's famously wiggly pecs -- OK, man boobs -- and said, "I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player, 'cause I hate the (expletive)."

Turns out they'll actually go mano-a-mano Sunday, but it isn't what we had in mind. In a no-brainer straight out of CBS corporate, Woods and Mickelson will be paired together at 1:35 p.m. ET ... as the seventh-to-last group. What we wanted was their first head-to-head duel in the Masters final round since 2001, when Tiger won by two strokes and became the only pro to win four consecutive majors. Instead, we'll apparently settle for the inspirational Kenny Perry vs. Angel Cabrera, with Mickelson and Woods seven strokes shy of the co-leaders. I don't see Perry, trying to fulfill his father's dream and become the oldest majors champion at 48, giving back seven shots on a course set up deliciously for him. Somehow, Mickelson thinks anything is possible.

"I think a lot of things happen on Sunday at Augusta, and I'd never put it past happening again," he said. "I remember when (Jack) Nicklaus won in '86 and he came back with a 65 and it didn't look like it was going to be enough. And not only was it enough, it didn't even get in the playoff; it won outright. At this golf course, funny things can happen, and if you get momentum on your side and you're making some birdies, you can make a lot of them. But when it starts coming apart, it's hard to get it back. And it's easy to tumble.

"I think for me to have a chance, I'll need a 64 or 65. But I think it's out there."

For someone else, maybe.



I've increasingly lost faith in Mickelson since a summer day in 2006, when he could have emerged as the sport's alpha dog and chose to be an idiot. That was his word, not mine, though I agreed with the assessment after he used a driver rather than a more conservative club -- and ripped his tee shot off a Winged Foot hospitality tent. He compounded his mess by trying to blast through trees, eschewing a wiser lay-up into the fairway -- and hitting nothing but bark. So much for his third straight major championship, which would have made him the centerpiece of the sports world as he pursued the Phil Slam at the British Open. And so much for finally one-upping Woods, who was reeling emotionally after his father's death.

He hasn't won a major since. I'm beginning to wonder if he'll win one again, which means we also should wonder if his rivalry with Woods -- primarily a disappointing, underdeveloped dud -- is fading away. At least the days are gone when we kept track of Mickelson's 0-for streak in majors, which ended here in 2004 when he finally won his first green jacket. But despite his massive ability, the fact remains he has won only three majors, all in a two-year period. This suggests his career as a majors winner might be over. Someone asked Mickelson how he might help some of the young players emerging on tour. His answer was revealing about his state of mind.

"If you're asking me if I feel old, at times I do," he said.

He looked old, too, when he pushed his tee shot into the trees on No. 18. There was Mickelson, trying to maintain momentum after two par-5 birdies on the back nine, forced to search for his ball while removing his cap and rubbing his hand across his drained, exasperated face. He would recover with an amazing shot, a slice with a 3-iron that allowed him to two-putt and save par. Still, it was the story of his life. When he needed a birdie, he made a mess and settled for less. This is in contrast to Woods, who usually makes the shot and drains the putt when he needs it.

When he's compared to Woods in media settings, Mickelson grows uncomfortable. Someone asked, in effect, if major championships won without Woods in the field -- such as the last two in 2008 -- should have asterisks when recalling the Tiger Era. "I don't feel though any of last year's majors when he didn't compete were detracted. I think they are still every bit as important," he said. "Twenty or 30 years from now, we may look at it differently, I don't know. I haven't sat down and looked at how many tournaments I've won with him in the field as opposed to against. But it certainly is a fun challenge for all of us to try to compete in an era when arguably the best player of all time is playing."

Interesting that he tossed in "arguably." Earlier in the week, Mickelson evaded the idea that he and Woods have a rivalry, but it's clear they aren't friends after various snipes through the years. "I think if it were in tennis, a rivalry would be a bigger factor than it is in golf, where we are not really playing against an individual as much as we are playing to shoot the lowest score and try to beat all the players," he said. "I'm a big San Diego Charger fan. I grew up in San Diego. I don't care who they are playing, whether it's the Raiders, who are historically their rivals, or the Broncos or the Giants or Jets. I am pulling for San Diego to win as much one game as another. When I watch a tennis match, I don't care if Federer is playing Nadal or Nadal is playing Federer. I like watching their skills and seeing what they can do against any competition. I just appreciate their excellence, if you will. It doesn't make a big of a difference to me, but that doesn't mean it makes a lot to you."

In other words, no, he isn't frothing at the mouth to face Woods. "I think that when I had success in a head-to-head match with Tiger at Boston a couple of years ago, it didn't matter to me the fact that we were playing together per se," said Mickelson, referring to his victory over Woods at the Deutsche Bank Championship. "I know it was made out into a huge deal, but for me to perform well, I've got to attack the golf course the way I can and not worry about what he does and not let his great shots or poor shots affect the way I play my next shot. It's not a match-play situation. It's a stroke-play event and for me to play my best, I can't get caught up in that or nor can he."

As for Woods, he has needed 92 putts over 54 holes, which ties him for 42nd in putting efficiency. He started miserably, pushing his tee shot into the trees left of the fairway, needing three putts and opening with a dreadful double-bogey. "I just put myself right behind the 8-ball. But man, I fought hard to get it back today. That was a hell of a fight," said Woods, who settled for a 70.

Can he keep fighting enough to overcome seven shots? "It depends. If Kenny and (Cabrera) go off and shoot two, three, four more under par from where they are right now, it almost puts it out of reach for us," he said. "But if they come back a little bit or stay where they're at, we've still got a chance."

Hungry and looking for an escape hatch, Woods shot back at an interviewer who asked about "his thoughts" during an errant tee shot on No. 6. "You don't want to know my thoughts. You don't want to know my thoughts," he said.

It is possible he just wasn't ready for a major tournament, 10 months since his last one at Torrey Pines? "No, it's not that at all," he said. "I just didn't hit the ball as precise as I needed to today and just fought my ass off to get it back, to shoot a number. I'm very proud of that. After making a double on the first hole, I still got myself in (contention), depending on what the leaders do."

Depending on others wasn't the idea, of course. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were supposed to be the leaders, not the followers playing seven groups behind. Someday soon, Tiger will be back. Whither Phil?