Wednesday, November 8, 2000
Even great wins lost in the
long shadow of Tiger
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — The finest of his 17
career victories was barely one hour old when Phil Mickelson stared
at the microphone inches from his chin, then glared at the person
asking the question.
How satisfying is it to beat Tiger Woods?
Mickelson rolled his eyes and turned up
his palms. “Do you want to rephrase that question?”
he shot back tersely.
Winning is not enough, even four times in
one year.
Mickelson's two-stroke victory over Woods
in the Tour Championship culminated his best year since turning
professional in 1992. He won four times, twice beating Woods down
the stretch. He earned over $4.7 million and locked up second
place on the money list.
He was by far the best player on the PGA
Tour this year, with one exception.
“I know that Tiger had a great year,”
he said. “But to have the best year other than his meant
a lot to me, too.”
That's what this year came down to —
Tiger, and everyone else.
The year is not over for Woods. He will
defend his title in the World Golf Championships at Valderrama
along the southern coast of Spain this week, a chance to become
only the fourth player in PGA Tour history to win at least 10
times in one season.
If he fails?
“If I don't accomplish the 10 wins,
then obviously that will be disappointing because I was close
to doing it,” said Woods, who has finished third and second
the past two weeks. “But the fact that I won three majors
in one year is not a bad thing, either.”
Nor is the fact Mickelson won “only”
four times.
Ernie Els became the first player to finish
runner-up in three consecutive majors, was twice a runner-up to
Woods in regular tour events and won the International. Hal Sutton
and Jesper Parnevik were two-time winners, despite fighting injuries
half the season.
David Duval wondered why the media spent
so much time knocking other players, “not based on poor play,
but based on the exceptional play from someone else.”
“That doesn't make a whole lot of sense
to me,” Duval said. “You should appreciate the talent
of everybody, and then marvel at the talents of Tiger.”
More than his four victories, Mickelson
likely will be remembered in 2000 for stopping two Woods streaks
— beating him in the Buick Invitational to end his string
of six straight victories, and beating him Sunday at East Lake
Golf Club to end a streak of 19 consecutive tournaments in which
Woods led after three rounds and went on to win.
He was happy to end the year on a positive
note, and it didn't get much better than the Tour Championship.
One behind to start the final round, he made the turn in 31 to
take a one-stroke lead and didn't flinch over the final four holes.
The decisive stroke was an 8-foot birdie
putt on the par-5 15th, a hole that Woods failed to birdie in
the group behind Mickelson.
“This gives me momentum and encouragement
to work hard and come back in 2001 and have another great year,”
he said.
Whether that's enough to cut into the enormous
gap Woods has established over the rest of the PGA Tour remains
to be seen. Mickelson said he never compares himself to Tiger,
and said it would take at least two years before anyone can challenge
his No. 1 ranking.
Does he think he's capable of winning 10
times a year?
“I certainly enjoy that challenge.
I'm going to challenge myself to do that, yes,” Mickelson
said. “I challenged myself this week to get ready and win
this tournament, and I was able to do that. The last four holes,
I played very well — well enough to win.
“But I've got to have that frame of
mind for 72 holes,” he said. “If I'm able to do that,
I don't feel like my physical skills are preventing me from winning
double-digits a year.”
That's where Woods has so clearly separated
himself.
Already, his nine victories are the most
in one season since Sam Snead won 11 times in 1950. He has won
as many tournaments the last two years — 17 — as Mickelson
has won in the last 10. Even when his swing is out of sync, he
is a factor on the weekend.
“He hits every shot like his life depends
on it,” Thomas Bjorn once said of Woods.
His record proves that. Woods needs only
to finish at 8-over 294 this week in the American Express Championship
to break the actual scoring average of 68.33 set by Byron Nelson
in 1945.
That shouldn't be such a difficult task,
considering Woods has had only four rounds over par this year
and none since the first week of May. His 69 on Sunday was his
11th consecutive round in the 60s, and 43rd straight at par or
better.
That's one streak on which Mickelson will
have no bearing.
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