If Tiger Woods had finished in a tie for eighth at the Hero World Challenge, there would have been instant madness in the world of golf.
He would have been installed as the overwhelming favorite to win the 2017 Masters, trumpets would have sounded, somewhere, there might have been a ticker-tape parade.
What if Tiger Woods had finished in a tie for 14th at the Farmers Insurance Open?
The headlines would have read: “HE’S BACK!!!!”
The media would be stumbling all over themselves, the folks at TaylorMade would be so giddy they’d have to shut the place down for a week just to get all the drool off the floors.
Alas, none of that happened but while everyone was focused on the announced return of Tiger Woods, there was a 46-year-old warhorse with psoriatic arthritis who was throwing on his spikes to make a go of it at The Safeway last October.
Tiger Woods was supposed to play at The Safeway. He didn’t. Phil Mickelson did.
Mickelson, after having not one but two surgeries for a sports hernia in the offseason, came back without a lot of practice under his belt, not much fanfare because everyone was busy talking about he fact that Woods bowed out of the tournament the Monday of the competition.
Mickelson went on to tie for eighth and promptly declared his game to be ahead of where he hoped it might be.
At the CareerBuilder, Mickelson tied for 21st.
Next stop for Lefty would be the Farmers and he flew completely under the radar because You Know Who was finally back, playing in an event on a golf course he basically owned for most of his storied career. Yeah, that guy Tiger Woods would finally tee it up.
While Woods was hopping on his private jet on Friday after missing the cut, Phil was preparing for his third round and would finish in a tie for 14th that Sunday in San Diego.
Last week while Woods began to rehab for the 153rd time in his career, Mickelson tied for 16th at the lively Phoenix Open.
Here’s the crazy part about Phoenix and Mickelson’s final round — he shot an even par 71 on Sunday with four bogeys and a double. Get rid of those and he would have been totally in the thick of it with Matsuyama and Simpson.
This week the PGA Tour moves to Pebble Beach for what now is a descendant of the old Crosby Pro-Am, started back in 1937 by Bing Crosby as a little get-together for his Hollywood pals and back then it was the Crosby Clambake.
Today it’s another corporate-titled event but still at the fabulous environment that is Pebble Beach.
Unfortunately they’re going to have what the old-timers refer to as “Crosby weather” which means rain and cold temperatures.
Darn good thing Tiger Woods won’t be there, his back wouldn’t make it past a few range balls.
On the other hand, Mickelson is there and he’s a pretty good bad weather guy.
No one is talking about him all that much because No. 1 Jason Day is in the field, so is Dustin Johnson. Justin Rose is one of the pre-tournament favorites. You’ve got Brandt Snedeker, Patrick Reed and the young sensation Jon Rahm.
Lost in the buzz is Philly Mick.
Sure, he hasn’t won, but you have to admit, he’s looking pretty good this early in the season.
Really good for a 46-year-old guy.
4 Comments
scalefreak@aol.com
Mickelson making noise? He probably just has gas.
Tom Edrington
I think he has gas in the tank, more-so than another guy who is struggling in his comeback.
beege
he is running out of chances–meaning he could win this week and he could win at tpc southwind and that’s it. no masters, no erin hills nowhere else. he could have won at torrey pines or phoenix did not so only two more shots for 2017.
(am i too tough or am i very realistic?)
Tom Edrington
Bob, you are tough on Phil. I think for a 46-year-old guy who just had a pair of hernia surgeries, he’s incredible, I see he’s off to a good start at the AT&T, gosh I hate calling it that, will always be the Crosby to me. A buddy of mine won it won year playing with Andy Bean. Guy named Bill Bunting, who went out there with a 14, guy was really about a 5. He and Andy won the pro-am. He was on television, hit a six-iron from 180 out and spun it back to which Ken Venturi commented: “Sure doesn’t look like a 14-handicapper to me….”