A WINNING ARGUMENT
QUESTION: Which is the more remarkable potential achievement at this week’s U.S. Open — Tiger Woods winning again five years after his last win and 10 years after his last major, or Phil Mickelson completing the career Grand Slam at age 47?
“You’ re comparing Cadillacs there, you know?’’ Justin Thomas said Tuesday .“Both would be unbelievable achievements. It’s hard to compare and say one would be better than the other. I think you just would have to recognize greatness if either one of them happened.’’
Curtis Strange, the last player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens and a FOX Sports analyst who will be the on-course reporter for Woods’ group in Thursday’s opening round at Shinnecock Hills, was tongue-tied when presented the question.
“I like the question, but it’s a hard ques- tion,’’ he said. “Because how do you measure that? A comeback like that [by Woods] would be really, really special because comebacks are hard. And for Phil to do it at 47, to complete the slam, how do you measure the difference?’’
Former PGA Tour multiple winner Brad Faxon, who like Strange will be calling the U.S. Open this week for Fox, was much more definitive with his Tiger-or-Phil answer.
“One hundred percent Phil,’’ Faxon said. “Tiger’s already done that, win a slam. For Phil at his age, with his history at U.S. Opens, particularly in New York and most particularly here, I think it would be the most popular golf victory of all time.
“With Phil’s love affair with U.S. Opens, his history in New York, his expected Ryder Cup captaincy at Bethpage [in 2024] … I can’t imagine anything bigger. Phil completing a Grand Slam in New York, having finished second six times, I think would be the most compelling golf ever. And I hope he does it.’’
Most in the game do as well. Mickelson, after all, is considered the most popular player in the sport today.
But a Woods victory this week after everything that’s happened to him — the public implosion of his marriage and personal life, the countless injuries and surgeries that caused the career starts and stops — would blow up the internet and send the sport into a different stratosphere.
“I think the biggest story would probably be Tiger,’’ Jason Day said. “Not taking anything away from Phil because winning the career Grand Slam is absolutely huge, and I know that he’s been so close so many times now.
“But for what happened to Tiger — it’s been 10 years since he dominated — I think a lot of people are kind of champing at the bit for him to come back and do something
AN OPEN DEBATE: WHOSE VICTORY WOULD BE MORE IMPRESSIVE — TIGER OR PHIL?
special, seeing if he can get back to winning and beating Jack’s record. A lot of people will look at that more so than Phil’s [accomplishment].
“I know Phil’s had a lot of close [U.S. Open] finishes, but for Tiger to go through injuries, go through what happened in his personal life, and then come back, then go through what he did with the chipping and all that stuff. I think he’s hungry and he’s primed and ready for this week. So it would be pretty cool to see that.’’
Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, the 2015 U.S. Open champion, falls on the other side of Day’s opinion.
“I would probably consider Phil’s [pursuit of the Grand Slam] more impressive because that’s a significant career accomplishment, to win all four majors,’’ Spieth said. “If Tiger wins the U.S. Open, then all he’s going to be asked about is, ‘Is he going to get to 18?’ I think it makes a bigger difference for Phil than Tiger. I mean, Tiger’s got 14 [majors], and he’s won, what, three U.S. Opens? So I think there’s a different meaning to those two.’’
Woods even sounded bullish on Mickelson when asked about the lefty’s pursuit of the slam.
“Phil’s won umpteen tournaments all around the world, and he’s finished second in this event six times,’’ Woods said. “Of all the events, you would think that this would be the one that he would have the least chance to win because of the way he’s driven it for most of his career.
“But that short game of his is off the charts, and a U.S. Open is about wedging it. You can spray it a little bit here and there, but you’ve got to be able to get it up and down from 100 yards. We’re all going to face it [this week]. And he’s been one of the best of all time at doing that.
“For him to be able to somehow pull it off at his age and to complete the career Grand Slam would be an unbelievable task and unbelievable accomplishment.”