BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. This should be Phil Mickelson's time.
Tiger Woods is rehabbing until next season. It would figure that the world's second-ranked golfer might be the most equipped to take advantage of such an opening.
However, he didn't do so well at last month's British Open, the first major that Tiger has missed since 1996. Then again, Lefty rarely does well over there. Which brings us to the PGA, which tees off today at Oakland Hills, maybe the last Tigerless major for another dozen years.
Mickelson tied for 94th here in the 1996 U.S. Open. He also had a forgettable Ryder Cup experience here four years ago. But he won the 2005 PGA at Baltusrol, the last time Tiger didn't win it. And Phil's also got five other top 10s. So . . .
“Well, this is a big week,” he said. “Because right now my season with just two wins is I think just OK. But if I were to come through and win this event, it would make an OK year a great one.”
Three years ago, he found himself in almost an identical position. He responded by winning the second of his three majors. Now, he's 0-for-his-last-10.
“I do feel the same way (as 2005),” he said. “Winning the last major could turn it into something special.”
Even without a Tiger sighting.
Last week, it looked like Mickelson was going to win for the third time this season. That was before he bogeyed three of the last four holes at the Bridgestone World Golf Championships in Akron, Ohio, to turn a one-stroke lead into a tie for fourth.
Naturally, his slip-ups got almost more attention than Vijay Singh's first victory in a while.
“I don't know what was being said,” Mickelson said. “I'm imagining it probably wasn't too nice. Were they complimenting my outfit? I obviously didn't like the way I finished. But I was so glad that I was in a position where every (shot) counted and mattered, in a pressure situation heading into this event.
“I would have loved to have won. There's no arguing that point. But I really needed to be there like I was. I needed to have four good rounds. I needed to play well on a tough golf course. So I don't really look back on it with too much negativity. Seeing putts just go up to the lip of the hole (late on Sunday) and not go in, just kind of took energy from me, as opposed to giving me some momentum.
“But I felt like I hit a lot of good shots. (So) I (can't) get too disappointed, because there wasn't any one thing that was deficient.”
He hasn't come close to winning a grand-slam event since that double-bogey on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot cost him the 2006 U.S. Open, which would have been his third straight major. This might represent his best chance since then.
We're watching. And waiting. Tick tock.
“From a player's point of view, I don't really notice (Tiger's absence) too much,” Mickelson offered, when prodded. “The atmosphere for the competition seems to be the same. And everybody's into their own games, trying to get their best out of them.”
Because at this time, at least for certain members of the food chain, next-best is no longer an option that's as easy to rationalize.
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