It was Thanksgiving weekend, and Phil Mickelson couldn't handle Annika Sorenstam. He was flailing around at the Skins Game, lost.
A week earlier, he dropped all five of his matches at the Presidents Cup. If ever a player needed a long break from the game, it was Mickelson.
Long considered the chief rival to Tiger Woods, Mickelson dropped to 16th in the world in 2003.
After three straight runner-up finishes to Woods on the PGA Tour money list, he fell to 38th. He had gone some 18 months without a victory, and no longer were the questions about when he was going to win his first major championship, but when he was going to win, period.
There were more than a few who wondered if Mickelson's best days were behind him, if after 21 PGA Tour victories and millions in earnings, he had lost his desire.
Instead he comes out and wins his first tournament of 2004 at the Bob Hope ChryslerClassic, then is in contention until the final holes last weekend at the FBR Open. Turns out, it didn't take long at all for Mickelson to turn his game around.
"I won't want to say it's surprising, but it's very, very rewarding to have it happen so quickly," Mickelson said after winning for the 22nd time, moving into a tie for 25th all-time with Raymond Floyd and Johnny Farrell.
"Last year, my confidence just slowly, slowly dwindled, and so that's why I really don't even want to think about last year."
When you have more victories than anybody this side of Woods, and fail to win for the better part of two years, there are going to be questions.
It was easy to wonder about Mickelson's motivation, but there was more to it, and Mickelson let the world in on that before the start of the Hope. Mickelson's wife, Amy, gave birth to the couple's third child, Evan, last spring, and Phil took time off from the tour.
Mickelson had never publicly disclosed the seriousness of the situation until two weeks ago. He said the delivery was dangerous, and nearly led to Amy's death. He said that Evan was without oxygen for several minutes, and could have suffered brain damage. It's easy to see now that Mickelson's mind was not on the task of golf. And when the health of his wife and baby were no longer in doubt, and when he could focus on his game, perhaps some bad habits had emerged.
Mickelson couldn't hit fairways, and was inconsistent with his irons. His solid short game left him, too.
"It's very encouraging for the work I put in during the offseason," said Mickelson, who somehow managed to right all the wrongs, and quickly. "I can see it paying off in fairways hit through better swing mechanics. I can see it paying off with more birdies with wedges because I'm having better distance control."
Now he's posted a victory and another top-10 in two starts, moved to fourth in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings and is on the verge of cracking the top 10 in the world ranking with one of his favorite events, Pebble Beach, this week. Can questions about winning a major be far behind?
LOSING THEIR WHEELS: The movement began last year and will culminate with the expulsion of carts next year on the Champions Tour. This year, carts will not be allowed at the five major championships, the Charles Schwab Cup or the Pebble Beach event. Next year, players will not be able to ride carts in any event, unless they qualify for one under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
"We felt moving forward that the best thing for this tour is that we have moved into a fan-friendly tour," said Rick George, the tour's president. "It's a better look, better access (without carts). We think it's a better position to take as we move forward."
OUTBACK PRO-AM: The Champions Tour event at the TPC of Tampa Bay is just two weeks away and is in the process of securing a group of celebrities that could include actors, musicians and athletes from other sports. Tournament director Amy Hawk said the names will not be released until next week to create suspense and make sure the commitments are secure. There will be 72 amateurs paired with 72 senior pros during the first round rounds of the $1.6-million tournament, with the top 12 amateur teams advancing to the final round, when all of the professionals will play.
- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.
