Big two theory faces test at Quail Hollow

A theory offered up in some golf writing circles of late that Phil Mickelson has raised the level of his game to that of Tiger Woods will be put to the test today with the start of the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C.

A strong field that includes defending champion Sean O'Hair, Anthony Kim, Jim Furyk and Camilo Villegas could make golf's No. 1- and No. 2-ranked players also-rans on a course (Quail Hollow Club) that would be a perfect U.S. Open venue because of its length (7,442 yards), tight tree-lined fairways, 3-inch deep rough and fast undulating greens. But the fact that Woods (2007 champion) and Mickelson (four career top 10s) have played well at Quail Hollow in the past has many golf fans expecting a shootout between the two.

Mickelson, who had been ill in his hotel room Tuesday night, withdrew from yesterday's pro-am after six holes and was treated for dehydration. But he is expected to compete today, according to his spokesman T.R. Reinman. It will be Mickelson's first tournament since winning his third green jacket. He took the two weeks after the Masters off and only got back into vigorous practicing the last few days.

"I see the improvement each day, and I feel like it's back to a level close to where it was at Augusta," Mickelson said, "so I certainly have high expectations this week and next."

Woods, who has said it usually takes him two or three tournaments to get into a good flow for the season, will be competing before a regular general public audience for the first time since his sex scandal began making headlines. His fourth-place finish at the Masters, however, is reason for optimism.

"Just trying to get more fine-tuned, and I guess into the rhythm of just playing and competing," Woods said. "That takes a little bit of time."

It will be interesting to see if the time he's taken off since the Masters has improved his ability to control his temper. He received a lot of well-deserved criticism for his several outbursts in frustration during play at Augusta National and will no doubt continue to be under heavy scrutiny.

One of the keys to mastering Quail Hollow is playing well on the final three holes, and this could make for some interesting television on the final day. A year ago, the final three holes were the toughest three-hole finishing stretch on tour. So players would be wise to hitch up their britches before coming down the stretch. The 16th hole is a 480-yard par 4 that played to a 4.210 average, making it the 120th toughest hole on tour. The 217-yard 17th hole was the 44th hardest at 3.285. Since 2003, players have hit 248 tee shots into the lake guarding No. 17. Finally, the 478-yard, par-4 18th hole was the 12th hardest with a 4.374 average, making it the second-most-difficult finishing hole on the tour. It should be fun to watch on the Golf Channel (Today-Friday, 2-6 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).

Information from PGATOUR.com, GolfObserver.com contributed to this post.