Mickelson aims to bring Tiger to a standstill

Published on Wednesday 16 June 2010 23:30

HE'S INCHING closer to Tiger Woods in green jackets and is now officially one-up on Woods in moments that make you want to cry.

A simple hug with his ailing wife off the 18th green at Augusta National had people reaching for tissues across the country. The loveable lug with the goofy grin not only won the Masters, but a lot of hearts to go along with it.

Phil Mickelson was the anti-Tiger in a week when people were consumed by Tiger. Fitting, perhaps, because he always seemed to be the one chasing Tiger. He chased him as Woods won major after major. Kept chasing him even after he realised that his career would always be second-best to perhaps the best player ever.

The chase could end this week in a tournament that has haunted Mickelson the most. Oddsmakers believe – and Mickelson heartily concurs – that his 20th US Open might be the one he finally wins.

If he does, he won't just be No. 1 in everyone's hearts. He'll be No. 1 on the world golf charts.

"I feel if I play good golf that will happen," Mickelson said. "I don't know the ranking system or world points or how that works, nor do I care. I just know that if I continue to play well, ultimately in the long run, it will happen."

For a long time it looked like it would never happen. As good as Mickelson was at times, Woods was always so much better.

Yes, Mickelson collected three green jackets and has won more majors than any player in his era other than Woods. But he was never first on the money list, never first in scoring average and never won player of the year.

And, of course, he's never won the US Open, finishing second five times.

"I think when I started out as a young pro not many people – maybe even myself included – thought this would be a tournament I would play well at, but yet I've been able to," Mickelson said.

"So because of that I still have a sense of pride in the way I've played, but, again, I would like to win my national Open."

To say this would be his best chance would be to overlook the many chances he has had in the past. Whether it was short missed putts at Pinehurst and Shinnecock or disaster on 18 at Winged Foot, Mickelson always seemed to find a way to lose.

Loose drives and bad putting usually did him in. Sometimes, though, it was just his own thought process getting in the way.

"I am such an idiot," he said after Winged Foot.

Not many disagreed. Mickelson was usually his own worst enemy when given time to think through a situation.

But now he's got a miracle shot of his own good enough for a television commercial, just like Woods had one with his chip-in a few years back at Augusta National. Now he's got the confidence that both his mind and his game are better than ever.

Now he's got his chance to finally win an Open and be a No 1.

Mickelson turns 40 on Wednesday, a time when players tend to start reflecting on their careers. He did just that, talking about playing in the 1992 Open here in his first tournament as a pro and the special feel he will always have for Pebble Beach.

But Mickelson was also in a mood to look ahead, both in his personal life and his job on the course. Amy, he said, is progressing well and has a good long-term prognosis in her battle with breast cancer. She is likely to be here this weekend, and Mickelson believes his game is good enough that he will be in contention.

As Mickelson has so painfully learned over the years, the brutal conditions at an Open have a way of disrupting even the best-laid plans. But Woods is hurting in more ways than one, and the list of other credible contenders is a short one. If Mickelson's short game is on, the fast greens and tricky chipping conditions give him an edge.

This week's US Open is the 18th straight for Ernie Els, the longest consecutive streak of any player in the field, one ahead of Mickelson and two better than Woods and Vijay Singh.

But other than his second place finish 15 shots back of Woods in 2000 at Pebble Beach, the Open has become just another week for Els. While most players would be thrilled with 10 top-25 finishes in 17 US Open starts entering this week, Els' opinion of his US Open performances is always tempered by the titles he won in 1994 and '97 that instantly raised his own expectations.

Major championships – and US Open titles in general – went from being a great accomplishment, to an expected result.

"In 2000 I came here, and finished second, although I was never really in the ball game. And I haven't really done too much since then. I might have had a couple of top-10s or top-5s since then, but not really something really spectacular," Els said. "You know, I had a great start to my major campaign. And as I say, I've won two, won another Open Championship, but I haven't really capitalised on the chances I've had."

Els has played well this season at times, inconsistently at others. He won back-to-back titles at Doral and Bay Hill in March, but wasn't able to translate that into a strong showing at The Masters, where Els finished in a tie for 18th. Els has played only three times since Augusta – missing the cut twice, sandwiched around a third place showing at the Texas Open.

When Els arrived at Pebble Beach on Sunday, it was his first visit since the 2000 Open, he said. His preparation for this week included a trip to Pine Valley with his dad and a practice round at Pebble when he arrived on the Monterey Peninsula.

"As a venue I don't think you can get a better venue any place in the world," Els said. "So it's great to be back."