Evidently the PGA Tour is counting on Tiger Woods to be recovered from the crick in his neck.
Evidently, the PGA Tour is also counting on Phil Mickelson to actually make a decision that he’ll play this week at The Players, although Phil is mum on that.
The powers-that-be at the PGA Tour headquarters teased everyone Sunday, releasing some of what it describes as “feature pairings” for this week’s Players Championship.
One of those feature pairings will put Woods in the same group with his favorite Ryder Cup partner — Patrick Reed. Last September, Reed threw Woods under the bus along with virtually everyone else on the team, captains included. Defending champion Webb Simpson will round out that threesome.
Phil Mickelson showed up on the property Sunday for a practice round after missing the cut Friday at Bay Hill, thanks to a second-round 78, which prompted Mickelson to cast doubt on whether he would actually play this week.
Mickelson said he planned to play a practice round Tuesday., but only then would he make a final decision.
“I mean, I want to play it, so I would most likely,” Mickelson said, “but if I hit it like this, it’s pointless, so I got to figure something out,” he said after his sloppy round at Bay Hill.
While the tournament announced Mickelson as a participant earlier this week, the deadline to officially commit to The Players field was 5 p.m. last Friday, so evidently, Mickelson said he’s in for now but he could still WD.
Mickelson is slated to play with Rory McIlroy and Matt Kuchar.
Another featured group was made up of world’s No. 2 Justin Rose, Justin Thomas and FedEx Cup points leader Xander Schauffele.
World No. 3 Brooks Koepka is slated to play with Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth.
