Daly & Mickleson favourites in Las Vegas

John Daly needs to rebound while Phil Mickelson just needs a solid late-season finish. Daly and Mickelson begin play Thursday in the $4.0 million Michelin Championship.

Mickelson has done nothing of note since winning the PGA Championship two months ago, but he has rarely been a factor in late season events throughout his career.

Only one of his 27 PGA Tour victories has come after August. This season Mickelson has finished 51st, 28th and 29th in three events since his win at Baltusrol.

Daly was in the hunt for last week's American Express Championship lost in a playoff against Tiger Woods after missing a three-foot par putt at the second extra hole. It was the second time this season Daly has come up short in a playoff against one of the best as he lost the Houston Open to Vijay Singh in April.

Fred Couples, 2003 champion Stuart Appleby and three-time champion Jim Furyk join Daly and Mickelson in the field. Furyk has missed the cut here only once, and has finished no worse than 22nd in 11 previous appearances, including a tie for 11th last year.

A four-time All-American at UNLV and the 2005 college player of the year, Ryan Moore will definitely enjoy some local support as he looks to continue an impressive beginning to his professional career.

Moore finished tied for 13th at the Masters while still an amateur, and tied for second in the Canadian Open. He has earned $549,716 while playing just eight tournaments as a pro.

Defending champion Andre Stolz is not here due to a left-wrist injury and is not expected to play for the remainder of the season. He has not played an official round since missing the cut at the St. Jude Classic in May and with $104,775 in earnings he ranks 214th on the money list.

The tournament is being held at two courses, TPC at Summerlin and TPC at Canyons, with the final two rounds played at Summerlin. Stuart Appleby and Scott McCarron set the tournament record of 31-under-par 328 in 2003.

The course records are both 10-under 62 and held by a number of golfers. McCarron and Scott Verplank were the most recent players to do it at TPC at Summerlin (2003) while Jack Nicklaus (1963) is among five who have shot 62 at TPC at The Canyons.

October 13, 2005

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