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Cabrera Prevails on Day That Tests Wills

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:31:00 EST

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Please resist any temptation to call it anticlimactic, a multi-car pileup won by the least-damaged vehicle, a classic movie with a clumsy ending, a spectacular piece of drama ultimately doused by Rae's Creek and sabotaged by mental blunders. Yes, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods gave us four vintage hours in the Octagon, if the stuffy fathers at Augusta National allow UFC slang. Yes, they were followed by 99.9 percent of the patrons, with only friends and family types watching those actually leading the tournament in a scene both sad and surreal.

And, yes, Mickelson oh-so-predictably wilted after a historic front nine while Woods somehow lost his way when the usual clinch hold was expected.

More Coverage: Cabrera Wins in Playoff | Leaderboard | Podcast

But on a day when golf's two most prominent figures tantalized us in a mano-a-mano conflict, only to take machetes to their chances of winning the Masters, wasn't this still about the survivor who maintained his equilibrium a bit longer than the pretenders who faded? Wasn't it about Angel Cabrera, known as "El Pato" (The Duck) in his native Argentina because he walks like one, becoming the first South American to win a green jacket even though he ricocheted a shot off tree bark on the first playoff hole? Wasn't it about Cabrera hitting the right shot on the second extra hole -- gambling on a fade and placing it in the middle of the green -- when poor Kenny Perry was disintegrating just as Chad Campbell had on the first playoff hole and Mickelson and Woods had late in regulation?

Don't be so immersed in Tiger and Phil that you can't honor a champion.

"This is the Masters. It's a course that you can do a lot of birdies, a lot of bogeys," said Cabrera, who now has two major titles on his expanding belt. "A lot of magical things happen here. It's simply the Masters."

In our lifetime, we won't see two or three more compelling days of golf than we did Sunday -- and that includes all the Tiger Sundays, the Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer Sundays. It ended in the fading twilight on the most prescious landscape known to sport, a slice of heaven that looks more beautiful then ever, especially when the rains and lousy weather of recent years finally disappear and let us appreciate Augusta's majesty. Just because Tiger didn't win his 15th major and Mickelson didn't prove his critics wrong doesn't mean it wasn't a memorable afternoon and early evening at the Washington Road pitch-and-putt course.

Golf was the winner Sunday, seizing the American attention span on the Easter holiday and proving why it can be the most emotional of sports, with golfers all alone out there, their flaws and reactions naked to the world.

"It was a very emotional day because it was very up and down, up and down, a lot of highs and lows," Mickelson said. "The crowd made the highs higher, and the moans made the lows even lower."

"I fought my swing all day and just kind of Band-Aided it around," said Woods, who has a way of coining new phrases even amid disappointment. "I almost won the tournament with a Band-Aid swing today. It was just terrible. I don't know what was going on."

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Noriko Asakawa, left, and Heihachiro Nishimiya, right, rest before watching the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Anthony Kim was sporting his initials on his belt buckle during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Kenny Perry reacts to missing his chip for par on the 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Phil Mickelson hits his approach shot to the 11th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Tiger Woods celebrates a birdie on the 16th hole during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Shingo Katayama celebrates a birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Angel Cabrera celebrates par on the 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Chad Campbell comes out of the bunker on 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 12: The leaderboard on the 18th hole is seen at the end of the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 12: Kenny Perry reacts to his chip shot on the first sudden death playoff hole during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

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Watching them come undone, when the masses were hoping for a Tiger-Phil duel to the last shot, was fascinating theater. Mickelson tied a course record with 30 on the first nine before -- you know the drill, Phil bashers -- foolishly using a 9-iron on No. 12 and pushing his tee shot into the creek, which was followed by two typical missed gimme putts that ended his chances. Then there was Tiger, who had grinded into contention while Mickelson was rising and falling, pulling his tee shot on No. 17 and finishing his first major tournament since knee surgery with consecutive bogeys. This was Ali and Frazier knocking each other out. This was Godzilla and King Kong both ending up dead. This was a $1.7 million Bugatti Veyron crashing into a $1.1 million Ferrari Enzo. And somehow, when it was all over, Woods and Mickelson managed to shake hands warmly while their respective caddies, Steve Williams and Bones Mackay, exchanged low-fives. Um, wasn't this the same Williams who recently said he despised Mickelson and made fun of his man-boobs (which, by the way, don't seem to be as obvious these days with Phil on a workout kick of some sort)?

"I enjoyed the chance to play with Tiger, but I don't think we were really paying much attention to what the other was doing," Mickelson said. "We were both more concerned with trying to make bogeys and catch the leaders."

When they fell short, you could feel the electrical current unplugged on these venerated grounds, where the crowd surrounding the Woods-Mickelson pairing appeared to rival the size of large American cities. And that was wrong, because a few holes back, Cabrera and Perry were playing for their own causes. Perry, the 48-year-old Kentucky gentleman, was trying to become the oldest player to win a major. He also was playing with a heavy heart. His mother, sick was cancer, was back in the family's hometown of Franklin with his father, Ken, who had called his son Saturday night and repeated what he has said many times.

"You need to win that green jacket," said Dad, a retired insurance salesman who built the town golf course.

Kenny seemed on his way, too, needing only a safe landing as he entered the 17th hole with a two-shot lead. But like everyone else, Perry wobbled, ending regulation with two bogeys and surprising those of us who thought he was too smooth to choke. He had another misstep on the first playoff hole, appearing to save himself with a terrific pitch until it was matched by a clutch Cabrera putt. On the next hole, where Campbell eliminated himself with a missed putt, Perry was sloppy again while Cabrera, who won the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont, was letting his poise shine through. Perry, who never has won a major, may not have this chance again to expand his place in golf history, enhanced last year when he eschewed the majors -- amid considerable criticism, so he could more easily accrue Ryder Cup points -- and wound up vindicated when he helped the U.S. win in his native state. He wanted this so badly for his father, saying, "I'm still burning inside, wanting to kick everybody's butt. I've got a will inside of me that my dad taught me. He beat on me so bad as a kid and any kind of game -- sport, whatever -- he beat me so bad, I cried all the time because he just beat on me. And then he would laugh in my face as he was doing it. He was a smart man. He taught me a lot."

So when he lost the holy grail, sure, he was devastated. But not so torn up that he couldn't maintain the good-guy demeanor that makes him so popular in the locker room. "I'm not going to hang my head from this," Perry said. "I fought hard out there. I was nervous, but I was proud of the way I hung in. You know, I might never get this opportunity again, but I had a lot of fun being in there. It was a blast for me. I had the tournament to win. I lost the tournament. But Angel hung in there, and I was proud of him."

Proud? Mighty nice of you, Kenny. "Definitely. I don't root against anybody," he said. "I'm going to congratulate him because I know how hard it is, as a professional and a competitor. I know how the momentum swings here and there, and if they execute and beat you, I'm going to shake the man's hand."

In victory, maybe Cabrera soothed a countryman who has had to live in pain for years. In 1968, Roberto De Vicenzo was set for a Masters playoff with Bob Goalby when he signed an incorrect scorecard. He had made a birdie on No. 17, but he signed for a par -- and Goalby was declared the winner. I know, it's one of those silly golf rules that seem sillier when no dishonesty involved. "What a stupid I am," De Vicenzo said. Finally, 41 years later, a South American has won what he could not.

"De Vicenzo had bad luck. He had a bad moment," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "It's not going to change what happened to him. This win, to take back to Argentina, it's going to help a lot with our game.

"When I won the U.S. Open, Roberto gave me a nice picture with a green jacket inside. He said, 'Go for it.' "

El Pato went for it, all right, even when the thwack of ball hitting tree trunk seemed to end his chances. "I only had a spot, like, this big, and only trees, so I've got to put it through there. That's it," he said of his second shot, which luckily bounced into the fairway. "It was as easy as that."

Chuckles bounced off the walls of the interview room. Clearly, nothing at all was easy about this day, one that left us exhilarated, exhausted and wanting more. A lot of golfers lost Sunday.

But we won.

Cabrera Prevails on Day That Tests Wills originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mickelson vs. Woods Not Headline Act

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:51:00 EST

Filed under: Golf, Masters

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.

More Coverage: Tiger Still Struggling | Perry, Cabrera on Top | Leaderboard

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.

Latest From Augusta

Angel Cabrera reacts as he nearly made a birdie from the bunker on the ninth hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Kenny Perry tosses his ball to his caddie after putting on the 15th hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Rory Sabbatini reacts after a bad putt on the 13th hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Chad Campbell did not get his first shot out of the bunker on the 16th hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry walks with his caddie Fred Sanders on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Fred Sanders

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Angel Cabrera of Argentina (L), Todd Hamilton (R), caddie Ruben Yorio (3rd L) and caddie Kieran Docherty (2nd L) walk down the 16th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Angel Cabrera;Todd Hamilton;Kieran Docherty;Ruben Yorio

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell walk to the 13th green during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Chad Campbell

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Chad Campbell plays his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Anthony Kim chips from a greenside bunker on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Anthony Kim

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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?

Mickelson vs. Woods Not Headline Act originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better Tales Push Tiger Into Background

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Golf, Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The winds tend to howl and hurl dust across the prairies of West Texas, where not every golfer is a washed-up pro trying to impress Rene Russo at a driving range. Chad Campbell grew up playing in tricky gusts much like those at Augusta National, in a second round worthy of wind turbines on every hole and intense prayer at Amen Corner. As Tiger Woods predicted, the conditions did change, from laughably accommodating to punitive.

If only Woods was as good a golfer Friday as he was a meteorologist.

More Coverage: Chad Campbell Stays Hot | Leaderboard

I'm not quite giving up on Tiger's post-rehab green jacket fitting Sunday at Butler Cabin, but I'm starting to weigh two other invitations far more seriously. One would be the long-awaited coronation of Campbell as champion of a golfing major, a legitimate pursuit after his second straight impressive day at the Masters. He followed his historic first-round start, when he birdied the first five holes en route to a 65, with a carefully crafted 70, leaving him seven strokes ahead of a scuffling, demoralized Woods. Campbell enters the weekend sharing the lead with another compelling story, that of Kenny Perry, who is 48 and, thus, trying to one-up Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters champion.

This after blowing off the four majors last year so he could focus on smaller tournaments and more easily accrue Ryder Cup points, a decision that some of us originally thought was, well, hokey. Perry did it so he could qualify for the U.S. team at Valhalla, in his native Kentucky, where he wanted to rescript his career after a painful collapse on the same course at the 1996 PGA Championship. When the Americans beat Europe amid a raucous home-state celebration, the criticism stopped. "It was the pinnacle of my career, the ultimate," Perry said. "I felt like Tiger for a week. I felt like a rock star."

Now, he's trying to write more history as Woods, who finished with a bogey for the second straight day, fades away in his first major since the reconstructive knee surgery that interrupted his career.

Is erasing seven strokes do-able?

"Yeah," said Woods, answering questions tersely after shooting 72.

Was the wind difficult?

"Yeah, you might say that."

Funny, but others seemed to handle the conditions better, including 2007 U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, who is in the hunt with 2004 British Open champ Todd Hamilton, Tim Clark, hard-charging Anthony Kim and Tiger-irritator Rory Sabbatini, among others. For now, Perry and Campbell have the spotlight. In nine starts at Augusta, Perry never had appeared in the interview room before his second-round 67. No one ever wanted to talk to him except, maybe, his hometown newspaper. And he knew exactly what was coming Friday -- first question, bomb drive down the middle of the fairway, even before he could take his first sip from a water bottle with an Augusta Nationalized logo.

"Kenny," said an interrogator, his sarcasm knife sharpened, "I guess we can assume now that you are focusing on the majors and not the Presidents Cup."

"Good question," said Perry, chuckling. "Definitely, yeah. I told y'all earlier this year that I was going to play all four majors this year. The Presidents Cup is not in Kentucky. We are after the majors this year."

Latest From Augusta

Gary Player (2nd L) of South Africa is hugged by defending champion Trevor Immelman (2nd R) as golfer Louis Oosthuizen (L) of South Africa and William Porter Payne (R), Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club watch as he leaves the green at the end of his final Masters competitive round at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain waves to the gallery following his the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Greg Norman of Australia waves after chipping in for a birdie on the 12th green during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Stephen Ames of Canada tips his cap after finishing his second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Gary Player, right, of South Africa crosses the Nelson Bridge on the 13th fairway with Stephen Ames of Canada and their caddies during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Golf legend Gary Player of South Africa kneels before walking onto the 18th green as he finished his final competitive Masters play in the second round of the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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So the big story, apparently, will be his duel with Campbell, the hanging Chad in this drama. He was the player named by his peers, in a Sports Illustrated poll, as the most likely "Next Big Thing." Problem was, the survey was taken in 2003. He has won four times since and played on three U.S. Ryder Cup teams, but to be a Next Big Thing, you must win a major. He has teased us twice -- in 2006, he led the Masters after two rounds before stumbling, tying for third and watching Mickelson win; in 2003, he battled Shaun Micheel down the stretch of the PGA Championship and lost by two strokes. Otherwise, he hasn't been the Next Big Thing as much as the Next Hal Sutton, another highly celebrated player who never reached his potential. In his golfing midlife, Campbell may never have a better chance to win a major again.

"I don't pay that much attention to it," he said of unfulfilled expectations. "I obviously have not done as much as I would like to since I've been on tour, but I'm only 34. I have a little ways to go, so hopefully I can win a few more times before I'm done."

Could it be Campbell, a low-key sort with a moon face who looks like a big teddy bear, lacks the ego to be a star? He's a family man who loves the Dallas Cowboys and helped pay his way through UNLV by working in a Vegas coffee shop. His hometown of Andrews is in the middle of oil country, somewhere between Lubbock and Midland, not far from the New Mexico border. Roy (Tin Cup) McAvoy and a lot of armadillos live nearby. "I've never been, like, big and high-profile or supposed to win the majors or anything," he said. "I never saw myself in that aspect, or having to come to the media room before tournaments or anything. I never really saw myself like that. It's all been the same the whole time in my career."

Nerves, too, have been an issue. How much of the weekend challenge will be managing his mental condition? "I think a lot of it," he said. "You've definitely got to be very patient and stay positive. I mean, I'm going to have some bad holes. I'm probably going to make some bogeys -- hopefully not -- but you can't get too down when you do.

"You always get a little nervous when you're leading any tournament -- or I do, anyway. But I take nerves as being a good thing. I'm going to be nervous tomorrow. That's just the way it is. I mean, I was nervous yesterday. First hole, I was nervous today. I actually like being nervous. It means that you are intense and you care with what happens. Sometimes you get out there and you're teeing off and you're not nervous, you sometimes get a little lazy and lackadaisical and just kind of go through the motions."

He'll face a steely competitor in Perry, who has won 10 times in his 40s but still hasn't snagged a major. His best Masters performance was a 12th-place finish in 1995; this is only the fourth time he has made the cut. His peers always have raved about his driving ability, but now, he has located his putting stroke and has won four times the past two seasons. Specifically, the secret is a new putter. Two years ago, Perry was practicing at his club in Vero Beach, Fla., when a fellow member, Paul Hargarten, gave him Ping Craz-e putter. Perry has used it ever since, even with Hargarten's name still on the shaft. "The face is real dead. At my age, I have a little firing mechanism that wants to shoot the ball a little bit. Well, the face is so dead on this putter, the ball won't take off very fast when you hit it. Ever since he gave me that putter, I have putted beautifully. If I do ever get excited or something, I don't really knock it way by the hole like I used to. It's just given me a lot of confidence."

The pressure on Perry to win the Ryder Cup -- or, at least, perform well -- was immense. He knows what was being written and said about him. But dealing with that pressure, and beating it, could serve him well this weekend. "It ought to be very similar. I laid all my cards on the line that week," he said. "I put it all out on the line, being in front of my home -- I mean, I could have been a dog that week and went 0-and-5 or 0-and-4 or whatever and not won a point. I put all of the pressure I could put on myself.

"It was basically a mulligan. People remember my debacle at the PGA, how I screwed that up and all of Kentucky remembered me for that. I was throwing it out there and I was going for broke. I was either going to hit a home run or I was going to get thrown out. And it went my way. Things went my way. I played great. It was probably one of the greatest three days of my life ball-striking-wise. Very similar to the way I'm hitting right here."

Hmmm. Imagine a Ryder Cup, My-Country-'Tis-of-Thee moment last autumn, followed by a green jacket as his first major title?

"You know what? Everything is a bonus now, it really is," Perry said. "I'm just going through each and every day enjoying life a little bit. I think I can win. You know I'm not going out there very casually. I'm still burning inside, wanting to kick everybody's butt. I've got a will inside of me that my dad taught me. He beat on me so bad as a kid and any kind of game -- sport, whatever -- he beat me so bad, I cried all the time because he just beat on me. And then he would laugh in my face as he was doing it.

"He was a smart man. He taught me a lot. At the Ryder Cup, when he came up and gave me that hug, I told him that was the greatest gift I could ever have given him. That was pretty special for us as a father and son. Everything is just going great. I understand what I'm trying to do, what I'm trying accomplish. Can I? I think I can. I really believe I can win this tournament. Will I? I don't know."

Along the way, Perry's father always has told him, "You need to win that green jacket." Kenny never bought into it completely. "Not really. I think the public looks at you and says you need to win a major, but for me, to where I came from, the roots I had and my upbringing, to come from a nine-hole golf course in the middle of nowhere?" he said. "I didn't have swing coaches. I didn't have this entourage. I didn't have the money. I didn't have anything. I was borrowing money, begging, doing whatever I could, scratching and clawing to get out here. It means a lot more to me, I think, because of where I've come from and where I've been able to go and how much success I've been able to have. To me, that's very satisfying and very gratifying.

"Now, everybody looks at winning majors as very important, and I would agree. You know, people look at your stats. They are going to say, you need to win majors if you are going to be the upper echelon of the PGA Tour players out there, of the winners. But I've had a great career. And I'd be very satisfied if it ended today, where I'm at in my life, in my career. The Ryder Cup, I can't express to y'all how much that meant to me. To me, that was the ultimate of anything I have ever been a part of or accomplished, be it any of my 13 wins. None of those meant anything compared to what I experienced that week with my family, my dad.

"But Dad has always said, 'You need to win that green jacket.' He always calls me and tells me."

Um, Tiger who?

Better Tales Push Tiger Into Background originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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