Mickelson has new motivation

Phil Mickelson didn't have much time to bask in the spotlight afforded to the No. 2 ranked player in the world while Tiger Woods sorts out his personal life. Five weeks into the PGA Tour season, steady Steve Stricker grabbed that spotlight away with his victory last week in the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.

So is Mickelson ready to answer this challenge? That's a question that's out there as the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am begins today on the Monterey Peninsula. The good news for Phil fanatics is he's won the tournament three times. The bad news is he has never won it as early as in his third start of a season.

It would be fair to say Mickelson has stumbled out of the gate in 2010 after playing like the best player in the world at the tail end of 2009. His 19th place finish in his season debut in the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego two weeks ago created more headlines about his use of the controversial Ping Eye 2 wedge than his play. Last week at Riviera Country Club he finished tied for 45th at 2 under par, not what was expected out of someone trying to score an unprecedented three-peat at Hogan's Alley. In his previous three appearances at Riviera, Mickelson had finished 2-1-1 at 16 under, 12 under and 15 under. So what seems to be the problem?

In a word: Rust. Last year Mickelson had played nine rounds in three events before he got to Riviera. This year he played four rounds one week before he arrived in L.A.

“I felt like I was ready heading into the season, maybe over-eager for it to start because of how well I was playing,” Mickelson said on his Web site. “I’m hitting a lot of good shots but I’m not managing my game well, the mental game is not as sharp as it should be. It’s different out on here on tour than playing at home. It’s disappointing, but I guess it’s always like this for me early in the year.”

Oldgolfdawg would suggest that Mickelson should have opened his season at the 90-hole Bob Hope Desert Classic just as sort of a warm-up. It would have made Mickelson sharper for his three-peat bid at Riviera, and it would have been a nice boost for a Hope event that could use some support from golf's bigger names. But hindsight is always 20/20 and Mickelson has his own way of preparing for a new season.

Unfortunately for him, he also has the new motivation of wanting to regain the No. 2 ranking in the world.

Best seen in a rearview mirror

When you've played a course 50 to 60 times during a two-year period you often gain confidence about playing certain holes that at first gave you problems. This was the case for Oldgolfdawg when he had season passes to New Albany Links back in 2001 and 2002.

On the front nine, Nos. 1, 2 and 9 often proved to be problematic, but eventually the hurdles they presented seemed to shrink. That phenomenon never occurred, however, for No. 12, a 406-yard par 4 dogleg left, and for that reason it is the eighth member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen.

Off its tee, the golfer wants to hit a 240- to 250-yard drive to the center or just left of center of a fairway that climbs a slight hill before it flattens out. The tee shot must carry a creek the runs across the fairway about 160 yards from the tee box. The right-handed golf must avoid pulling the drive or hitting a big draw because the fairway at the top of a slight rise drops off sharply to the left into a sand trap or worse, a pond that protects the front of a sliver-like green. Poorly hit drives to the left that manage to carry the creek often funnel into the aforementioned pond. Drives that fade to the right usually settle down in a nasty rough and make the second shot over the pond protecting the green very dicey. Big hitters who hit through the left-hand turn of the fairway, can end up in a bunker, making a second shot over water an adventure one might think twice about embarking on.

The second shot from the fairway is downhill into a narrow green that is 50 to 60 feet deep from front to back and protected by a front right sand trap. It can be tricky, especially when hitting into the wind, which often is the case. Trying to be too fine with anything from a sand wedge to a 7-iron, Oldgolfdawg often tugged his approach shot or hit too much draw and saw his ball run off the left side of the green and down into a creek that runs along side it. After making that mistake once too often, Oldgolfdawg got into the habit of bailing right with the second shot and leaving himself a difficult chip to try to salvage par.

Although Oldgolfdawg did post a few birdies on the hole, they were few and far between. For the most part, he was just glad to have that hole in his rearview mirror with a bogey or better on his scorecard.

New Albany Links, designed by Barry Serafin and opened in 2000, plays 7,004 yards from its longest tees and is basically a private country club that the public can play. From the blue tees at 6,570 yards, it carries a rating of 71.3 and has a slope of 128.
http://www.newalbanylinks.com/golf/proto/newalbanylinks/

Are racing stripes extra?

These are times that try a golfer's soul. The Super Bowl is history, the temporary high received from sniffing travel brochures at the Greater Columbus Golf Show has faded away, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and the most recent blast from winter has harshly reminded us that golf season in central Ohio is far beyond the current snow-covered horizon.

Maybe that's why golf equipment makers use this time of the year to launch their 2010 sales campaigns in earnest, knowing golfers battling cabin fever are at their weakest in terms of trying to resist the call to improve one's game by reshuffling what's in one's golf bag.

Yesterday, Oldgolfdawg received an e-mail from Golfsmith offering generous trade-in discounts for those interested in upgrading to "new technology," and a Golf Galaxy brochure found its way into his snail mailbox with the headline "Launch Your Game For Less." Sunday, a few hours before the Super Bowl, good friend and high school sports writer extraordinaire Steve Blackledge stopped by the house to drop off his Sports Illustrated Golf+ Equipment Issue for Oldgolfdawg's examination.

Did you ever notice how there are similarities between the way golf equipment and new cars are pitched? Marketing departments and designers for both work overtime to come up with "innovative breakthroughs" in an effort to move more metal.

Did you know, for instance, that the 2010 Burner SuperFast is 14 grams lighter than last year's Burner Driver? The TaylorMade folks want you to know that advanced aerodynamics, a longer, more powerful shaft, and a stripped-down, lighter grip ignites its clubhead speed. This is important stuff to know when considering what type of snake-killing device you want to be wielding the next time you sneak up on a golf ball.

Bet you didn't know that "Cleveland Golf is once again revolutionizing the short game by introducing Laser Milled Face Technology on its new CG15 wedges. On these clubs, four perfectly calibrated texture lines are milled in-between each of the Zip Grooves to create a breakthrough in surface roughness that maximizes spin within the rules of golf." The last line of this sales pitch is the best. "If you want to change the face of your scorecard, put a set of CG15 wedges in your bag today."

It's hard to argue with such advanced thinking, especially if you're the kind of person who likes racing stripes on your new car. But buyer beware. Twelve months from now another "revolutionary breakthrough" in golf design is going to entice you to spend more money. It's the nature of the beast in the golf equipment game.

A good vibrations victory

Steve Stricker's two-shot victory over Luke Donald in the Northern Trust Open yesterday was the perfect remedy for what has been ailing the PGA Tour in 2010.  Refreshingly, one of its top-ranked players pulled off a winning performance that made practically everyone feel good.

Considering the recent shadows cast over golf by the Tiger Woods scandal and the square-groove controversy, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem couldn't have written a much better script. It's hard not to feel good when you see an unassuming 42-year-old man wipe tears from his eyes during a television interview moments after recording the eighth victory of his PGA Tour career.

Apparently when you bounce back from a career-threatening slump the way Stricker has it makes you unashamed to show your appreciation for success. With his victory at Riviera Country Club, Stricker has taken over the lead in the FedExCup and risen to No. 2 in the world golf rankings. At the end of the same tournament in 2005, Stricker was ranked 327th among golfers around the globe.

Through hard work and perseverance the steady Wisconsin native has overcome losing his PGA Tour card in 2005 to become one of golf's top players, relying on consistent ball-striking, superior iron and short-game play and a deadly putting stroke from inside 10 feet to separate himself from the competition. In the last four years -- and three tournaments of 2010 -- Stricker has won more than $17 million and five PGA Tour events. He's finished second and third in the FedExCup, too.

Starting the final round of the Northern Trust Open yesterday with a six-shot lead put Stricker in the uncomfortable position of not wanting to match a PGA Tour record for blowing the biggest lead.

"I just knew it was going to be hard," Stricker said after closing with a 1-under 70. "You're playing a different game than what you normally play. You played scared -- at least I did there for a while."

Back-to-back birdies at the turn settled him down. Another clutch putt for par on the 15th hole essentially clinched it for him. On an entertainment scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would throw Stricker's victory 3 1/2 dog biscuits. Watching someone hold onto a lead isn't as much fun as watching someone charge from behind to win. But any victory by Stricker is worth watching, especially the television interview afterward.

"He played nicely coming down the stretch, and I think he was a deserved winner," said Donald, who closed with a 66.

Of Stricker's climb to No. 2 in the world rankings, Donald added:  "It's a great testament to his will. It's a tough game mentally when you're not playing well, and to break that and come back and be where he is right now, that's great going. He's obviously found it, and he's worked hard, and he has a lot of belief in himself now."

Some things aren't elementary

It was good to see Tom Watson make the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic this weekend playing against many of the world's top-ranked players.

Entering today's final round in an eight-way tie for 29th at 2 under, he has no shot at winning. But it remains an amazing performance by a 60-year-old golfer who lost a playoff against Stewart Cink in last year's British Open and opened the Champions Tour season with a one-shot victory over Fred Couples.

But something Watson said about the Tiger Woods scandal before the start of the Dubai Desert Classic rubbed Oldgolfdawg the wrong way.

“Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done," Watson said. "He must get his personal life in order. I think that’s what he’s trying to do. And when he comes back he has to show some humility to the public."

Oldgolfdawg is in perfect agreement with Watson on that statement. But then Watson also said that Woods should clean up his on-course behavior in order to be considered among the true greats of the game, saying: “I feel that he has not carried the same stature that other great players that have come along like Jack (Nicklaus), Arnold (Palmer), Byron Nelson, the Hogans, in the sense that there was language and club throwing on the golf course.”

Apparently this is something that has been gnawing at Watson for some time.

“You can grant that of a young person that has not been out here for a while," Watson continued. "But I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that other people before him have shown.”

Oldgolfdawg can't help but think Ol' Tom seems to being piling on or kicking a cat when he's down to criticize Woods' on-course behavior at this point in time.

To suggest that Woods can't be considered among the true greats of the game because he has exhibited a potty mouth during moments of frustration in his career is ridiculous. Woods' game speaks for itself. The passion he has demonstrated with his salty language or the slamming of a club during his career has played a big part in helping him become a 14-time major winner. It also made him interesting to watch as television ratings over the years have overwhelming proven.

Granted, Watson is adding a filter of what he deems to be socially acceptable in forming his "true greats" list. Oldgolfdawg would include Woods in any such list despite his current fall from grace or past on-course behavior issues.

Up until his car accident Nov. 27 and subsequent revelations about his extramarital affairs, Woods was the best thing that ever hit the PGA Tour. Nine PGA Tour pros made $1 million or more in official money winnings the first year Woods teed it up as a pro in 1996. Last season, 91 of them earned $1 million or more. And Woods has made concerted efforts to recognize the contributions of golf legends who paved the way for his success. For Watson to suggest that Woods hadn't been showing respect for the game is a bit over the top.

If hearing Woods drop an occasional F-bomb puts Watson's panties in such a bunch, Oldgolfdawg can only assume Ol' Tom doesn't have a vast collection rap CDs. That's OK. To each his own. But not all people are caught up in the superficial illusions that "correct decorum" can construct.

Lobbying against the loophole

Turns out Phil Mickelson was pulling the chains of golf's ruling bodies when he decided to use the Ping Eye 2 wedge at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego last week.

After announcing he won't be using the controversial club when he begins his two-time title defense of the Northern Trust Open today at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, Mickelson said he hopes others will use the wedge to keep attention on what he calls a ridiculous rule.

“I won’t be playing that wedge. My point has been made,” Mickelson said yesterday. “But if these governing bodies cannot get together to fix this loophole, if players stop using this wedge – which would stop the pressure of the issue – then I will relook at it and put the wedge back in play.”

The Ping wedge has grooves that no longer conform under a new USGA regulation, adopted by the PGA Tour. However, any Ping wedge made before April 1, 1990, is approved for play under a legal settlement from two decades ago.

Mickelson is among five players who have used the Ping wedge in competition this year. Several players believe using the club goes against the spirit of the new grooves regulation, although Scott McCarron fueled the debate when he said of Mickelson and others, “It’s cheating.”

McCarron offered Mickelson an apology Tuesday night for his remarks and it was accepted.

“We all make mistakes, and we all say things we wish we could take back,” Mickelson said. “I’ve done it a bunch in my career. And the fact that it’s also not easy to come up and face that person, look them in the eye and apologize … I appreciate him being a big enough man to do that.”

However, Mickelson wasn't ready to forgive the USGA for its lack of transparency in developing the new rules for grooves. He has complained that his submitted wedges that fit the guidelines were rejected by the USGA for violating the intent of the new rule.

“I’ve very upset with the way the rule came about, the way one man essentially can approve or not approve a golf club based on his own personal decision, regardless of what the rule says,” Mickelson said. “This has got to change.”

How, when or if that change will come remains unclear. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem met with players Tuesday night and conceded that Tour officials did not realize a Ping wedge from 20 years ago would become such a big issue.

“The assumption was made last year that very few, if any, players would use that club because they’re 20 years old,” Finchem said. “I think we underestimated that a little bit.”

Doing nothing about the current situation seems unlikely because Finchem said issues over fairness in competition have been raised. It's possible an agreement with Ping chairman and CEO John Solheim can be reached. Solheim is to meet with the USGA over the next few weeks and Finchem hopes progress is made in that regard.

Any solution could be weeks, if not months, away. In the meantime, Mickelson said he would not use the wedge at the Northern Trust Open, even though he’s hopeful others will.

“If there’s no pressure among these organizations to make changes, I will immediately put the club back in play,” Mickelson said.

Oldgolfdawg thinks Mickelson is probably right about the need for more transparency in the formation of rule changes. The current controversy will not go away until it is addressed. It would be a shame to see someone win the Masters this year with a Ping Eye 2 wedge in their bag. It would taint the accomplishment in the minds of many. Some might even suggest putting an asterisk next to the winner's name.

Was Mickelson just stirring the pot?

Is it possible that Phil Mickelson had a controversial pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedge in his bag during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines just to make golf's ruling bodies look silly?

Several golf writers who follow the tour on a regular basis are wondering just that as the controversy over the square-grooved club continues to rage.

"I don't think there's that much difference between this club that I'm using and my other wedge," Mickelson said last weekend. "So there's a very good chance that I'll switch back, but not for the reason that I think I've been doing something wrong."

Last Friday, after being criticized by fellow pro Scott McCarron for using the Ping Eye 2 wedge, Mickelson said: "We have 'legal and conforming' grooves, and we have 'approved for play,' and I have sent in legal grooves that have not been approved, and these grooves (that he played last weekend) in my opinion are, just like Scott felt, are non-conforming grooves, but they are approved."

It sounded like something one would hear from a high-paid lawyer that clears up nothing.

Then the PGA Tour issued this statement: "Leading up to the implementation, we have been aware that under the USGA Rules of Golf, the pre-1990 clubs would be allowed and that there was the potential that some players might choose to use them. We will monitor this situation as we move forward and under Tournament Regulations, we do have the ability to make a local rule which would not allow the clubs. There's been no decision made at this time."

That decision might be announced today by PGA commissioner Tim Finchem. Oldgolfdawg hopes for any ruling that will make the controversy go away. Most people just don't care, and many players on the tour just want to play golf.

The idea to make the game harder just because elite players like Tiger Woods and Mickelson can hit biting shots out of the rough with the square-grooved wedges was a bad one from the get-go. Ninety-nine percent of people who golf don't need to have the game made any harder. The new rule doesn't go into effect for the general public for 14 years. But the long lag time won't change anything. When was the last time you heard of anybody quitting the game because it was too easy?