Phil Mickelson
The last three tournaments have illustrated why Phil Mickelson might be the one player with the talent to compete at a similar level to Tiger Woods, yet still showcased how lost opportunities are preventing him from reaching that lofty status.
As Ernie Els addressed the media during the Nissan Open he speculated that even if Woods had played at Pebble Beach it would’ve been hard for him to better Mickelson’s winning effort of 20-under par. Lefty had back-to-back wins in his grasp off Sunset Boulevard, but a series of costly mistakes down the stretch at Riviera C.C. helped Charles Howell triumph in sudden-death. Having won several times in Tucson, the Accenture Match Play seemed a perfect place to erase the sting of defeat, however, Justin Rose morphed into a desert snake, biting him in the second round.
During the week on the Monterey Peninsula, Phil drove the ball exceptionally well and wasn’t afraid to boast about it. Unfortunately his driving wasn’t as razor-sharp the next week and because of that frustration reports out of Tucson had him working with teacher Butch Harmon, a man formerly in Tiger’s camp, rather than his usual swing instructor Rick Smith.
All of this adds up to support the claim that in order to compete with Woods the other outstanding players first need to reach his level of consistency and confidence. One win has to be followed by a second, and a third. A grand slam victory needs a repeat performance in the same season. Money titles, Fed Ex triumphs and Player of Year awards have to transfer from “his” hands to the competition.
Sound easy? It’s never easy when the greatest player of this generation and many others is relentless with his preparation, totally confident in his abilities and obsessed with the game’s top records. Woods has set a standard his peers can’t match. Els made a nice run for a couple years, as did Vijay Singh. Last season, with Tiger struggling on and off the course, Mickelson had his chance to join Woods as co-dominators of the sport. It didn’t materialize and he slipped back in the pack.
To own 30 tour titles (more than Tom Watson and Lee Trevino) and three majors (exceeding Greg Norman, Ben Crenshaw and Johnny Miller) in the Tiger Woods era is an outstanding accomplishment. In order to continue adding to those stellar numbers Mickelson needs to push and scrap and fight for every title. Lost opportunities like the Nissan and especially the U.S. Open at Winged Foot don’t disappear from the memory bank.
Meanwhile, Woods wins when he plays and even gains momentum when he doesn’t compete. For over ten years he handled nearly every pressure-packed situation with the ultimate skill. During the same decade he’s learned how mental duress adversely affects his top rivals.
The nuances of the game didn’t change when Woods hit the scene. It’s still a nerve-wracking endeavor at times, still a complex one all the time. What did change is the reality of what it takes to win. Starting in junior golf, through the college and amateur ranks all the way to the top level, players understand the best golfer keeps improving with age. Men like Mickelson realized this long ago and are still searching for ways to stay close. Maybe he’ll find an answer next week on the ski slopes of Colorado.
