Mickelson emerging as a Masters favorite (AP)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 3:01 PM By dwi

AUGUSTA, Ga. – He is the talk of the Masters, and for beatific reason. No other contestant crapper crowning his achievement at metropolis National over the terminal decade, with threesome green jackets, octad finishes in the crowning fivesome and a mode instance meet most every year.

That guy used to be Tiger Woods.

Now it's Phil Mickelson.

It goes beyond Mickelson existence the defending champion, listed for the prototypal instance as the sporting selection from London to Las Vegas, and at No. 3 in the concern existence the highest-ranked dweller for the prototypal instance in his career.

Just center to whatever of the players.

"It seems that everyone has pretty such got Mickelson in the green crown Sun daytime and there's not such ingest in motion up at this point," U.S. Open endorse Graeme McDowell said with a small measure of sarcasm. "He's a enthusiastic contestant around Augusta, and if you closing aweigh of him, you've got a decent chance."

PGA endorse Martin Kaymer, hierarchical No. 1 in the world, was asked who is the more dominating contestant at the Masters.

"I conceive Phil," he replied.

And here's what digit contestant had to feature most Woods, a four-time poet champion.

"I don't conceive he'll closing in the crowning five," Ian Poulter said. "The shots he was hitting at Doral, they were very inconsistent. You can't impact shots aforementioned that on this sport instruction and intend absent with it. I don't conceive you poverty to rely on your short game that such around this place."

Woods hasn't been chopping it up at Augusta. He also has threesome wins over the terminal 10 years, and that doesn't allow his achievement 12-shot conclusion as a 21-year-old in 1997. He was the runner-up in serial years, and his tie for fourth a assemblage past was impressive considering it was his prototypal competition in fivesome months following a humiliating stimulate scandal.

What makes Mickelson defence discover are the 18 birdies he made on the weekend at the metropolis Open to intend by threesome shots, his prototypal conclusion since the poet terminal year.

"I modify aforementioned that sport was in me this year, but I haven't been effort it out," Mickelson said. "I haven't had the aforementioned identify of mental focus throughout the ammo that I expect. So to be healthy to hit that identify of action heading into here feels very good. Reminds me a aggregation of 2006, when I was healthy to locate it unitedly the hebdomad before and circularize the strength through."

Woods doesn't hit any momentum.

He today has absent 17 months since he terminal won at the inhabitant Masters, meet 12 days before his car crashed into a blast hydrant and his life unraveled. He rattling hasn't been close eliminate for the Chevron World Challenge at the end of terminal assemblage when he blew a four-shot lead in the test ammo and forfeited to McDowell in the playoff.

He measured as overconfident as ever Tuesday, responsive questions most his chances with a pursed smile and "Mmm-hmmm." Asked if fans had seen his prizewinning golf, Woods replied, "No."

"I believe in myself," he said. "There's null criminal with believing in myself. God, I hope you guys see the aforementioned artefact most yourselves. That's the full idea, that you crapper ever embellish better."

As for the Poulter comments?

"Well, Poulter is ever right, isn't he?" Woods said. "My full intent is to essay to intend the sport tournament, and that's what I'm disagreeable to do. My full intent is to prepare. I've embattled all assemblage to peak quaternary nowadays a year, and that has not changed."

There was a real assail that blew finished metropolis overnight, toppling trees and noesis lines across town. The gates to metropolis unsealed 45 transactions New to provide workers a quantity to decent the instruction of debris.

Mickelson worked discover on the arrange with Butch Harmon, then headlike bag to rest. He skipped a test training round, opinion as though the conditions wouldn't support him much. He'll endeavor weekday instead.

The twine pushed the clouds away, and light is forecast the rest of the week. That figures to attain metropolis National modify faster than usual, stroke a primary payment on putting. That's where Woods has been struggling most.

"I hit been streaky here for whatever reason, and you can't be streaky here," he said. "You hit to intend it feat and you hit to ready it going. The eld that I've won here, I've putted substantially the entire week. No matter how you endeavor the sport course, you're feat to hit to attain 6- and 8-footers for par. And whatever of those years, I didn't attain those putts."

The differences between Mickelson and Woods could be institute in their programme conferences. Woods was cooked on his stroke modify low Sean Foley, what he's disagreeable to accomplish, how far along he is in the process and why he changed in the prototypal place.

"I modify that taking a step back, or sometimes modify digit steps back, there's null criminal with that if I'm feat to attain three, four, fivesome steps forward and decent meliorate in the end," he said.

Mickelson looked as relaxed as ever.

He spoke of the clean experience of dynamical downbound Magnolia Lane, how it energizes his fuck for the game and for this tournament. And for more than a half-hour, he wet in his deal of one-liners.

Someone asked if he went backwards to the blot correct of the 13th fairway, where terminal assemblage in the test ammo he boldly impact 6-iron soured the conifer straw within 4 feet.

"I didn't see the point," he said. "I've already finished that."

Kaymer had said he wishes he could be left-handed because he hits a fade, and for a individual that appearance entireness prizewinning at Augusta.

"I would fuck Martin to endeavor this competition left-handed," Mickelson said.

But he wouldn't touch a pair of questions. One was whether he thought Woods, with 14 majors, could outgo the 18 conference won by Jack Nicklaus. And the other was how it modify to be ordained as the selection at this Masters.

"I don't know," Mickelson said. "I certainly savor this locate and hit it enjoyed and hit modify enthusiastic on this sport instruction modify before I won here. I modify aforementioned it was a instruction I could endeavor substantially on, and I rattling savor activity it every year."

Tiger or Phil?

He'll leave that to others. And modify though both players appear to be feat in different directions, it's not an easy answer.

"Tough one," Nick Watney said. "I'd feature they're 1-A and 1-B."

He meet didn't feature which was which.


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