Tiger and I will bring out the best in each other, says Mickelson
PHIL Mickelson is excited about the prospect of playing alongside Tiger Woods in the opening two rounds of the Players Championship and believes they will bring out the best in each other.
The long-time rivals have not been part of the same pairing at golf ’s unofficial fifth major since the third round in 2001, but they will be in action together tomorrow and Friday at TPC Sawgrass, with Rickie Fowler completing a top-class threeball.
“I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but I just know that we seem to be bringing out the best in each other,” said Mickelson.
“We’ve been playing some really good golf lately, and I’m hoping that we have a great week. I think that everybody here wants to see us play well. I think we are playing well.”
During the third round in 2001, Woods famously holed a winding, 60-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th green on his way to a 66 and a victory the following day.
It was during a time that Woods was at his dominant best — the 14-time major champion went on to capture the Masters two weeks later for his fourth consecutive major title.
“I don’t think anybody today who wasn’t there to witness it, and I don’t think anybody before, will ever see that level of play again,’’ Mickelson said.
“It was the most remarkable golf in the history of the game, and I think unrepeatable. I think it was that good. I look at 2000 as being kind of the benchmark at the US Open and being the greatest golf I’ve ever witnessed and I believe has ever been played.
“And it sucked to have to play against him. It really did. You look at it and say, ‘How am going to going to beat this?’
“The guys today look back and they say, ‘Come on, how much better could he have been?’ and so forth. And it goes to show you that they weren’t there to witness it.’’