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Golf

Lefty's Game Takes Wrong Turn

Posted May 10, 2009 4:20PM By Greg Couch (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Golf, PGA

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Phil MickelsonPONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Nothing. That's what Phil Mickelson did all week. The No. 1 ranking available to him for the first time, and he never contended at the Players Championship. Never made a run, never made a move.

It's hard to remember him making a shot. After three nothing rounds, Mickelson shot 4-over, 76 Sunday to finish the tournament 3-over par.

This was supposed to be the Tiger and Phil show. Where is Mickelson's game now?

"It's hard to say,'' he said. "It's hard to say after playing here. This isn't going to tell me much.''

Why not?

"It's just ... I don't know ... hard for me to tell right now.''

Mickelson's career has taken a wrong turn. The numbers don't show it: He has won two of his past seven tournaments, and made a late charge at the Masters, before blowing it.

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    Alex Cejka of Germany reacts to hitting into the water from the fairway bunker on the fourth hole during final round play of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida May 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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    Alex Cejka of Germany hits out of the fairway bunker on the fourth hole during final round play of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida May 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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    Alex Cejka of Germany lines up a putt on the fourth hole during final round play of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida May 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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    Tiger Woods of the U.S. watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during final round play of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida May 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 10: Ben Crane lines up his putt on the second hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 10, 2009 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ben Crane

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    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 10: Henrik Stenson of Sweden holds up his ball after making par on the second hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 10, 2009 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Henrik Stenson

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    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 10: Alex Cejka of Germany plays his tee shot on the first hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 10, 2009 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Cejka

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    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 10: Tiger Woods tee's up on the first hole in front of a gallery of fans during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 10, 2009 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

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    Alex Cejka of Germany plays during the final round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida May 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

    Reuters

    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 10: Tiger Woods tee's up on the first hole in front of a gallery of fans during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 10, 2009 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

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But this could have been a big moment for him, even though the computer ranking numbers reflect Tiger Woods' time away from the game for knee surgery. And it just seems that at the biggest moments, Mickelson isn't coming through.

So the question is whether you can draw any conclusions from this one, whether this is one off-week at the wrong time or something more big-picture for Mickelson's career.

"I just didn't score well," he said. "I don't know what more to add to it. It has been a difficult week, a challenging week mentally and physically.

"For the most part, I played pretty well. I didn't putt well.''

Following a practice round before the tournament, he excitedly said he was reading the greens well, and talked about how well he was playing.

By the end of the week, he complained that the greens were fooling him.

This just happens so often to someone with so much talent.

But he's 38 now, and you wonder how many more chances he'll have to reach No. 1. And at his age, the math isn't favorable for how many more chances he will have to win another major.

"Oh, I don't know,'' he said. "One at a time. I don't know how many more years.''

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