Phil Mickelson has scores to settle at Loch Lomond

EVEN though he'd only just arrived in Scotland, Phil Mickelson already looked as though he'd been in a fight.

The Masters champion spent his entire press conference yesterday wiping blood away from a cut above his right eye. Jokingly, he said that he'd got into a "little tiff" with a fellow player before explaining: "I just scratched myself."

Starting at Loch Lomond today, though, the left-hander is ready for a fight, not just in his bid to win the 3 million Barclays Scottish Open, but also in a latest attempt to topple his great rival, Tiger Woods, as the world No 1.

Woods has occupied that spot for more than five years and, for the past 254 weeks, Mickelson has been the No 2.

However, a win or even second place this week will see the left-hander take over the No 1 spot, adding extra spice to a tournament that boasts its strongest field this year, at least in terms of global talent, and, as always, is a tasty appetiser for The Open Championship.

"It would be cool, but it's not something I think about yet," said Mickelson when asked yesterday what it would mean to him to become the world No 1 in the home of golf.

"I'm just trying to get my game sharp. I always felt that if I could play well enough then the results would happen. But, having come so close to winning this tournament, it would mean a lot for me if I did that as a result of winning here."

Pressed on where the accomplishment would rank if he could finally become the No 1 after such a lengthy spell behind Woods, he added: "You know, I have a good answer for you, but let's talk about that on Sunday night. Let's see if I can do it first. Let's not do hypotheticals. Let's play well this week and then chat."

Mickelson, one of nine Americans in the field, has played well at Loch Lomond in the past. Three years ago, he shot four rounds in the 60s before losing in a play-off to the Frenchman, Gregory Havret, and is back to try again because he feels playing this week is the best preparation for St Andrews.

"I think the best way to get in playing condition for The Open is to play well, get in contention here and compete on Sunday for the title," said the recently-turned 40-year-old. "Having lost in a play-off here, I would like to win this tournament.

Due to my special relationship with Barclays (one of his main sponsors] it would mean a lot for me to win here."

So too would winning The Open, but Mickelson has a poor record in the world's oldest major, his only top-ten finish having come in 2004, when he was third at Royal Troon, just a stroke behind Todd Hamilton and Ernie Els.

It took him time, he admits, to find a technique that allowed him to take the spin off his shots in the wind, while, surprisingly perhaps for a man renowned for his putting touch, he has also struggled on the greens over here. "That's the thing I have struggled most with," he noted. "Due to the fescues on the greens, it's a stronger blade of grass and I haven't adjusted properly to that. As a result, I haven't had great weeks on the greens."

What Mickelson, who was forced to scrap plans to visit St Andrews last week after "a couple of things came up" at home, has been practising specifically with next week's event in mind is adding some length through a faster clubhead speed. He believes that is required in order for him to keep up with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Ryo Ishikawa and Rickie Fowler in the hitting stakes. "One of the things I've been working on in my preparation for St Andrews is trying to swing the clubhead faster because I feel the driver is going to be the key club there," he said. "Length is one the things I think gives a player a great advantage there. I've seen it in the three Opens I've played at St Andrews. The further you are able to carry the ball the more bunkers you are able to eliminate.

"It's not that I think I need more length. It's that I am trying to take advantage of some golf courses that pose that opportunity. St Andrews is one, Augusta National is another. I would never have won at Augusta without the distance I had and the ability to hit some of the short irons into some of those holes.

"I think clubhead speed is a factor. And I look at the young guys today who all hit the ball so hard: McIlroy, Ishikawa and Fowler. These guys have so much clubhead speed that it's a necessity now."

Mickelson, who remembers being on the leaderboard at some stage in each of the three Opens he has played at St Andrews, added: "I've dreamt of winning the British Open ever since I was a kid - it's a tournament that I wanted to win regardless of the setting. But I have read quotes from Jack Nicklaus saying there's nothing more gratifying than winning The Open Championship at St Andrews.

"(Before playing the Old Course for the first time], I had read a lot about it and was aware that Bobby Jones had come over and disliked it at first and learned to love it.

"I liked it immediately, but I knew I was going to love it because of what it represents, the home of golf." z