Lefty gets another shot to top world rankings
It’s all right there for Phil Mickelson.
With a win at the Tour Championship, golf’s greatest left-hander would become the world’s top-ranked player for the first time and a virtual lock to capture his first PGA Tour Player of the Year Award.
Not that he hasn’t been in this position before.
This will be the 12th time this year Mickelson has arrived at a tournament with a chance to leapfrog No. 1 Tiger Woods. With Woods at home in Orlando, Fla., eliminated from the FedEx Cup playoffs, the Callaway is in Mickelson’s court this week at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta.
“I’d love to take advantage,” Mickelson told reporters. “I don’t follow the ranking points and so forth, but I know that I’ve had multiple opportunities for months, and I haven’t played well enough to do it. Hopefully, I do this week.”
Considering he has captured 38 PGA Tour events and four major championships, it’s almost inconceivable that Mickelson, 40, has not won a player of the year award or been ranked No. 1. But his misfortune has been to play in the era of Woods, who has been player of the year a record 10 times and spent 618 total weeks (nearly 12 years) ranked No. 1.
“A lot can come of this week,” Mickelson said. “And whoever plays well has a lot to gain.”
One thing Mickelson probably can’t gain is the FedEx Cup. Entering the final leg of the playoffs 10th in points, Mickelson would need a victory and calamity to strike the leaders.
The only players guaranteed of capturing the Cup (and the $10 million bonus) with a victory at East Lake are No. 1 Matt Kuchar, No. 2 Dustin Johnson, No. 3 Charley Hoffman, No. 4 Steve Stricker and No. 5 Paul Casey.
“I haven’t played well in the first three FedEx Cup events, and you have to have some value to those,” Mickelson said. “You can’t have it all just be, just come down to one event.”
Mickelson is the defending champion at East Lake and the only player in the 30-man field who has won two Tour Championships (2000, 2009). He said Wednesday the fast greens suit his game.
“Last year with the new Mini Verde greens, the subtleties of the golf course came out,” Mickelson said. “I thought it was a great upgrade, and obviously I’m biased because I ended up winning. But I think the greatness of the course really comes through.”
The question this week: Will the greatness of Mickelson come through?
