There is only one match play tournament a year on the PGA Tour, but it sure seems of late that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are playing a little "whatever you can do, I can do better" game against each other. At Quail Hollow this week, you might as well forget all the other names. Mickelson's round of 67 after Tiger posted a 65 this morning was a tournament director's dream, and allowed the rest of the field to look up at the leaderboard and say, "Oh, them again."Playing with defending champion Anthony Kim and Davis Love III, Mickelson birdied his first hole, followed that up with another on the 5th and then chipped in for eagle on the par-5 7th. At times, it seemed Mickelson's short game got too much credit, similar to veteran journalists ogling Brett Favre's arm when there were younger, faster quarterbacks in the league. That isn't the case this season with Phil. He was quoted as saying his short game is as good as it has ever been due to a short game clinic he put on in the offseason, and it is showing.
The shot of the day for Mickelson came on the 18th, where he hit his tee shot in a fairway bunker and yanked his lay-up on the par-4 right into a scoreboard. Taking relief from the obstruction, Phil hit an off-balanced third shot over a bunker to three feet, saving par and keeping him in a tie for second with Steve Marino.
Marino, the 29-year-old who finished t-5 last week in New Orleans, kept up his good play with a 5-under 67.
It wasn't all low scores on a golf course that has shortened the rough. Padraig Harrington was 4-under through 16 holes but took a nasty triple-bogey on the par-3 17th followed by a double-bogey on 18. Vijay Singh started his tournament with four bogeys on his first seven holes.
Still, the golfing world is getting exactly what it wants with Tiger and Phil both playing sharp opening rounds. If Friday gives us much of the same, the weekend pairing of those two could make for some interesting television. Is Phil not scared of Tiger anymore? Will Woods come back with a vengeance after Mickelson took him by a shot at Augusta?
This is what we ask for on the PGA Tour, and it's exactly what we're getting.
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Phil Mickelson tips his hat as he approaches his ball on the 18th green during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, April 30, 2009. Mickelson finished the round at 5-under par. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: Tiger Woods of the USA and his caddy Steve Williams wait on the 5th fairway during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: Tiger Woods of the USA celebrates as he holes a birdie putt on the 9th green during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: Tiger Woods of the USA celebrates as he holes a birdie putt on the 9th green during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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Phil Mickelson, left, chips to the 18th green during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, April 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: David Toms of the USA plays into the 3rd green during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: David Toms of the USA tee's off at the 6th during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: Jim Furyk of the USA reacts to a missed putt on the 6th green during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: Jim Furyk of the USA tee's off at the 6th during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 30: Tiger Woods of the USA tee's off at the 6th during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club on April 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-01-2009 @ 12:30AM
claytor said...
I dont know, i thought playing the game without ridiculously engineered golf equipment, longer tee to pin lengths, and lack of overnight biceps might be the game i always wanted to see.
Oh...nevermind.
Reply
5-01-2009 @ 8:18AM
Sieben said...
Looks like this is going to be another exciting tournament. Good luck Tiger go getem
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