Mickelson one behind Paulson

Just call him Phil the Thrill.

The ball was sitting on hard sand, 85 yards from an undulating green surround by thick rough and pot bunkers. A large oak tree 20 yards in front of him only made the shot that much more daring for Phil Mickelson.

``That's what I enjoy about the game,'' he said. ``That challenge.''

He opened the face of a wedge, then closed it on impact to create what Mickelson called ``side sauce.'' The ball swerved around the tree, landed on the right fringe and spun sideways 30 feet, rolling just over the cup and leaving him a tap-in birdie.

With flair, a few flops and a game plan for which he makes no apologies, Mickelson jumped right back into contention in The Players Championship.

He played 25 holes on Friday in even par, but don't get the idea it was a conservative, plodding style he finds so unacceptable. Mickelson's remarkable birdie finished off a first-round 64. He was 11 strokes higher in the second round.

When his long and exciting day ended, Mickelson was at 5-under 139, trailing clubhouse leader Carl Paulson by one shot when play was suspended by darkness.

``If I change the way I play golf, I won't enjoy the game as much and I won't play to the level I have been playing,'' Mickelson said. ``I won't ever change -- not tomorrow, not Sunday or at Augusta or the U.S. Open, or any tournament.

``I may never win a major that way, but it doesn't matter to me. That's how I play my best golf.''

Paulson had his second straight 69 and was at 138, unknown territory for a 31-year-old who has never won on the PGA Tour.

Craig Perks had a 68 and was at 139. Jeff Sluman also was at 5 under with two holes remaining when he returns Saturday -- starting with the terrorizing island-green 17th.

In whipping wind that began to dry out the greens and bring indecision into just about every shot, no one managed to runaway from the field -- 36 players were within five shots of the lead.

Tiger Woods was among them. Despite chopping out from thick rough and making bogey on the 18th hole, Woods had a 72 and was at 1-under 143.

``Anything under par, you're going to be moving up,'' Woods said.

The cut will not be made until Saturday, but even those who barely qualify for the final two rounds likely will be only eight strokes behind. That could set up a tight finish, perhaps a weekend of survival if the wind continues to howl.

Don't expect Mickelson to change his strategy.

He made three birdies when he returned Friday morning to finish his round, including a 7-iron to 6 inches on No. 7 and the improbably birdie on No. 9

There were four bogeys on his card the second round and one incredible par that saved his round -- a driver into the trees on No. 12 (most players hit iron from the tee), a pitch sideways into the fairway and a wedge to 2 feet for a tap-in.

``I think this is a tremendous golf course for players who are willing to get aggressive,'' Mickelson said. ``A lot of guys aren't.''

AP Photo

More Photos

No, there aren't many like Mickelson.

This go-for-broke style has brought him 20 victories on the PGA Tour, more than any other active player besides Woods, who has 30. Woods also leads Mickelson 6-0 in the major championships, the ultimate benchmark in golf.

Mickelson believes his time is coming, and was quick to point out that his aggressive game put him in contention in three of the four majors last year. One of those was the Masters, where he finished three strokes behind Woods.

Then again, Lefty has gotten the best of Woods on occasion.

He stopped stopped Woods' PGA Tour winning streak in the Buick Invitational two years ago, and who later that year beat Woods in the Tour Championship, the first player in 20 events to win when Woods had the 54-hole lead.

``I haven't seen anybody step up to the plate and challenge Tiger the way I have,'' Mickelson said. ``He's the best player in the game, and I am not going to back down from him. I see these other guys wilt and it's just unbelieveable to me that they haven't been able to play their best golf when he's in contention.''

Mickelson was one of those guys at the Bay Hill Invitational. He was only one stroke behind in the final round when he drove into the right trees. Figuring he had no chance to get into the firm fairway by pitching out, Mickelson tried to cut a 4-iron off the leaves, under branches and over the water to an elevated green.

He found the water and finished with three straight bogeys.

``I get criticized for it, but the fact is that I play my best when I play aggressive, when I attack, when I create shots,'' Mickelson said. ``That's what I enjoy about the game, that challenge.''

The challenge that awaits this weekend is to avoid trouble, and there is plenty of it at the Stadium Course on the TPC at Sawgrass.

David Duval birdied his last four holes to finish his first round at 68 and was moving up the leaderboard when he hit into the water off the tee at No. 5 and No. 7, then took double bogey on No. 17 by hitting an 8-iron over the island green.

``I think I'll slam a few clubs, have a hamburger and go home,'' Duval joked after finishing with a 75 that put him at 143.

Mickelson will come back Saturday and swing for the fences, if not the pins.

His heroes in golf were Arnold Palmer and Seve Ballesteros, two players who felt they could hit any shot from anywhere on the course. Jack Nicklaus took a more conservative approach to win 18 majors, often letting those around him make mistakes.

``I enjoy watching Jack Nicklaus play,'' Mickelson said. ``I just don't enjoy playing that way myself.''

Mickelson's way is to create shots, attack pins and live with the consequences.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page