Winning only reminds Phil
Mickelson how high the bar has been raised.
His come-from-behind victory
in the Colonial was his third of the year on the PGA Tour, the second time in
his young career he has won three times before the end of May. Only eight other
players since 1980 have done that.
What does that mean?
That he's tied with Tiger
Woods for most victories on tour, and still trailing Woods by more than $1 million
on the money list.
Mickelson thought he had
a banner season four years ago. He won four times and finished second on the
money list only when Tom Lehman surpassed him on the last week by claiming the
lucrative Tour Championship.
``It's amazing how in the
last year or two, it seems as if the standard has been raised,'' Mickelson said.
``At the time, four wins was a lot. Now, four wins is a nice year.''
David Duval knows the feeling.
Last year, he became the
first player since Johnny Miller in 1974 to win four times before the Masters.
By the end of the season, he was a forgotten man. Woods closed out the year with
four consecutive victories, giving him eight for the season.
Four victories is better
than just a ``nice year.'' But as Mickelson points out, ``It's nothing like what
we've seen last year.''
``I think the bars are raised
a little bit higher, and I think that's good,'' said Mickelson, who turns 30
next month during the U.S. Open. ``Whether it's a conscious effort or a subconscious
effort, guys are really trying to shoot lower scores and win more tournaments,
and not be satisfied with a good finish.''
Mickelson has never been
satisfied with second.
Along with winning the U.S.
Amateur and three NCAA titles, he became the first ``can't miss'' prospect of
the decade by winning the 1991 Tucson Open as a junior at Arizona State. Then,
he won at least once in every full season on the PGA Tour for six seasons.
Whether he has lived up
to his potential depends on the perspective.
Since the youth of Jack
Nicklaus, only three other players have won at least 16 tour events before their
30th birthday -- Tom Watson (16), Miller (17) and Woods (18 and counting). The
difference is that Miller, Watson and Woods could count major championships in
that mix.
Mickelson is 0-for-31 majors
heading into Pebble Beach.
When he won Tucson as an
amateur, he figured that 16 victories by the time he turned 30 was realistic.
Then again, he thought he would have won a major -- or more -- by now.
``Certainly, I'm pleased
with the career I've had,'' Mickelson said.
But while Woods has clearly
raised the level of performance, Mickelson has shown that he, too, is capable
of reaching higher.
His streak of six straight
years with at least one victory ended last year with only a few shining moments.
He was runner-up to Payne Stewart in the U.S. Open, and runner-up to Woods in
the NEC Invitational at Firestone after nearly making up a seven-stroke deficit
in the final round.
It was a difficult year
for Mickelson. The first half of the season, his mind was on his wife, Amy, who
had a difficult first pregnancy. The second half was an adjustment to fatherhood.
There was little time for the kind of work he usually devotes to his game.
``I analyzed my game and
what I needed to improve on,'' he said. ``I felt that from 150 yards in, I wasn't
getting the ball close enough. I wasn't making enough birdies.''
Mickelson worked hard in
the offseason, put his old Ping wedges back in the bag and started playing like
the old Phil.
He is second on tour in
putting, up from 20th a year ago. He leads in birdie conversion at 37 percent,
up from 33 percent last year, which Mickelson attributes to hitting it close
to the hole.
The best example of that
was in the Buick Invitational. His seven-stroke lead had evaporated against Woods
when Mickelson hit a 9-iron from 116 yards into 2 feet for a birdie that sent
him to his first victory in 18 months.
Four years ago, Mickelson
might have felt comfortable with himself, that it was only a matter of time before
a major championship followed.
Now, he is looking to take
his game up one more notch.
He is taking the next two
weeks off, sticking to his plan of playing the week before every major to stoke
his competitive spirit.
``I look at it as, 'Hey,
I've got some momentum,''' Mickelson said. ``Let's carry this through. Let's
continue to work hard and hit the shots I've been hitting, and bring this into
the majors.''
