By Paul Mahoney
Contributor to Golf Magazine
Published: July 15, 2008

So what's the lowdown on the crazy Mickelson gameplan this week? First there was the two-driver strategy at the 2006 Masters, which he won. Then there was the no-driver strategy for the first two rounds of this year's U.S. Open, which some other dude won with a one-leg strategy. In between, Mickelson deployed the five-wedges strategy at Colonial, which he won.

"Phil has 19 clubs," said his short game coach, Dave Pelz, "and he'll decide what to put in and what to take out depending on the weather on Thursday. But he'll probably go with four wedges."

If it's windy, Mickelson said he would carry a 2-iron to keep the ball low. If it's calm, the hybrid comes off the bench. And, yes, there will be a driver in the bag, but just one. He flew into Royal Birkdale last week for the now traditional Team Mickelson spying mission. Accompanied by his caddie and Pelz, Mickelson got up close and personal with the first links he ever played, as an amateur, back in the day of Ian Baker-Finch's victory in 1991.

Mickelson's record in the British Open as a professional has been poor for a three-time major winner. He missed the cut last year and has only one top 10; he was third at Royal Troon in 2004, just one shot off the playoff won by Todd Hamilton. (Remember him? Ernie Els does.) But, crucially, that was the first full season of his partnership with Pelz, and Mickelson had already broken his major drought at the 2004 Masters.

"Troon was the first time I felt comfortable and confident playing links golf over here," Mickelson said. "I had been working with Pelz on taking some spin off my short irons to control my trajectory. I've always been a high spin player, so it's taken me a while to get the spin off. At a lot of courses we play, you fly it by the hole and the ball just sticks. Here, you've got to plan for 20 to 50 yards of roll."

The no-driver strategy at Torrey Pines was abandoned on the weekend, but by then it was too late for Lefty. "We've made little changes, trying to find the right balance because developing a plan of attack and knowing all the idiosyncrasies of the golf course takes energy," Mickelson. "We've been working hard to create more of a balance so that my game is sharp heading into Thursday."

So what makes Pelz confident that Mickelson is finally ready to break through at the British Open? "Phil Mickelson has the best short game I have ever seen," Pelz said. "No question. He is very creative and has no fear. The launch angles he gets are just absurd. Earlier this year he was not putting well because he had been working on his swing with Butch Harmon, but now it's the best I've ever seen. I think he's got a great chance at the British Open."

Mickelson had gone 0 and 43 in the majors before he sent out an SOS to Pelz. The stubborn star, who had refused to change his gambling style, was finally facing up to reality.

"Phil is a very smart guy," Pelz said. "But he's still as stubborn as a rock. Greg Norman was like Phil. He could do incredible things. But if you gave him 10 chances he'd only do them six times. And that makes a lot of double bogeys.

"I remember asking Phil how he prepares for the majors. He said, 'Well, I take Monday off, Tuesday I play the course. Wednesday, I play nine holes.' I asked him why he never went in early to a course. He said because he knew the courses. I said: 'Do me a favor. Come early with me.' But he kept making excuses. So I finally said: 'How many majors have you won? You won zero of 43 doing it your way. Let's try it my way once.' And he said, 'OK, I can't argue with that.'"

So they went to Augusta two weeks before the 2004 Masters. Mickelson won, and that's been the game plan ever since. "I never got him to change his game or his personality," Pelz said. "But he is now more aware of the percentage chances of succeeding."

With Tiger Woods missing from Birkdale, Mickelson is the No.1 player in a major for the first time. But he and Pelz were quick to deny that Tiger's absence will have any effect on their gameplan. "You don't ask who was sick or whose hand hurt when Ben Hogan won his majors; it's not the measure of a man's career who did and didn't play," Pelz said. "The day Phil Mickelson starts driving it in the fairway, he's going to be the best player in the world," Pelz added.

Are you listening, Tiger?

Mickelson was asked if the imagination required to play links golf gives him an added sense of relish. "You got me on relish," Mickelson said, laughing. "I'm thinking of pickles."

Extra-special enjoyment, came the rephrased question. "It's so different from what we play day-in, day-out in the States," Mickelson continued, "it is something that I ... relish."

By Damon Hack
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
Published: July 15, 2008

SOUTHPORT, England — Sleep didn't come easy on those first few nights, when Sergio Garcia's emotions were still raw, when he would replay the last minutes of the 136th British Open at Carnoustie for hours on end. He remembers walking down the 17th fairway, where he spotted Padraig Harrington walking the wrong way toward him from the 18th hole, and he remembers smiling and saying hello.

"What was I thinking?" Garcia says today. "I was thinking. 'Come on, let's get playing well, let's make par here and hopefully make par on the last and see if that's good enough. Don't get ahead of yourself.'"

Instead, Garcia bogeyed the last hole, missing a 10-foot putt for the championship, falling over on his belly putter and then falling to Harrington in a playoff.

Garcia, now 28, returns to the British Open at Royal Birkdale this week as a different person in many ways. He has ditched the long putter since last year's championship, opting for a shorter model he used earlier in his career. He won the Players Championship, the biggest non-major tournament in professional golf. And with Tiger Woods out for the year, Garcia will stand on Birkdale's first tee as a strong favorite to win his first major.

"With all due respect, the Open is bigger than any of us, even Tiger Woods," Garcia said when asked if winning the Claret Jug would be diminished without Woods in the field. "And if I happen to never play again or Tiger happens to never play golf again, the Open will still be played. If I manage to win this week, I'm not going to go, 'Oh, I won the British Open but Tiger wasn't there.' I still have the Claret Jug, which is the most important thing."

Even with the strong resumes of young players like Adam Scott and Anthony Kim, Garcia is most often identified as the best player in golf without a major title. It is a label that has been passed around through the years like a collection plate. Tom Kite had it forever before handing it to Corey Pavin who gave it to Phil Mickelson who handed it to Garcia. (Colin Montgomerie has also spent ample time with the dish in his lap.)

To carry that tag is to shoulder a heavy burden. At every major, the player is asked about his chances to win, why he hasn't and if he ever will. Mickelson would go from reflective to gloomy to defiant as the major championships flew by and he kept tallying second- and third-place finishes.

Garcia has had similar swings in emotion, most dramatically last year after Carnoustie when he blamed mystical forces, bunker rakers and bad bounces for keeping him from a major.

"Sunday night and Monday were a little big tough," Garcia said of his initial reaction to losing. "Other than that, you think about the week, you think about everything you did, and you realize that you did the best you could. I felt like I hit a great putt in regulation to win the Open. Unfortunately, it didn't go in."

Said Mickelson: "I think a major championship is very close in his realm, and the fact that he came close last year and didn't win, I don't think it's something to worry about too much. I think his major championship is coming very soon."

It nearly happened a year ago, and Garcia has been doing his best to hold onto the positives from Carnoustie and let go of the bad memories.

It has long been predicted that Garcia would follow in the footsteps of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal, two of Spain's greatest champions, whose shelves boast plenty of major championship trophies. It has already been a big sporting year for Spain, with victories in soccer's European Championship and Rafael Nadal's win at Wimbledon.

If Garcia wins the British Open, what would be the biggest sports story in Spain?

"Football," Garcia said. "In Spain, football is the biggest."

Between Nadal and Garcia, which victory would come in second place?

"Me," Garcia said.

This week, though, Garcia only cares about finishing first at Royal Birkdale.

Ernie Els has some advice for Tiger Woods: Take your time.

According to a report in the Sunday Mail (UK), Els said he believes he came back too soon from knee surgery in 2005, which caused his struggles, which he has only now finally put behind him. Els said that Woods, who recently underwent similar knee surgery, shouldn’t consider returning to play until at least March 2009.

Els said: "Tiger has a tough rehabilitation ahead and time is going to be the main battle for him. If he comes back too early it could have really serious consequences. I had the same operation and came back a little too early because I had a date in mind and was extremely stubborn. I was trying too hard to be back within five months.”

A fan favorite both in the U.S. and Europe, Els has emerged as one of the favorites in the Tiger-less British Open this week. No wonder, since he’s famously finished runner-up to Tiger Woods a record seven times. With a grin, he told reporters at Royal Birkdale that he was not “overly disappointed that [Woods] is not here. For the tournament itself, it’s a big blow. And for world golf, not to have the No. 1 player playing ... we’re definitely going to miss him. But as a player, like a lot of other players, it feels very different, to be honest.”

One way it’s different, Els said, is that players won’t have to worry about Tiger on Sunday -- though he stopped short of saying players choke when facing Tiger.

 “Choke is a strong word in golf, but I think the thought of him around is quite ominous, especially coming down the stretch. ... Yeah, there’s definitely a thought of him in your mind all the time,” Els said.

Not that Els is one to intimidate easily, especially in the locker room. Asked if the atmosphere in there was different without Tiger’s “presence,” Els laughed.

“That doesn’t bother me,” he said. "I don’t think he’s going to scare me away from the locker room or anything like that."

 Els also said that if the weather turns bad--showers are possible every day according to the latest weather reports--it will be good for him.

 “I’ve played in all kinds of weather conditions,” Els said. “I played this tournament for the first time in ’89, and since ’92 I’ve played every year. ... So I’d like to think experience might help, but you’ve got to hit the golf ball, whether you’re 22 or 38. You’ve got to hit the golf ball. But leaving yourself shots where you can score from is very important. I think experience might help.”

An Els victory would make for more drama than you might expect. The three-time major winner trails only Tiger and Phil Mickelson in star power on Tour. While those two get all the media attention, Els remains a rock star on the course, with shouts of “Big Easy!” greeting him at every tee box.

The fans still love Els, it’s just that he hasn’t been seen on the big stage in the last couple of years. If he can put it together this week in Birkdale, the game may have a Big Three again. Or at least it will when the Big One returns.

By Paul Mahoney
Contributor to Golf Magazine
Published: July 15, 2008

Southport, ENGLAND — Defending British Open champion Padraig Harrington is protecting an injured right wrist, which could force him to withdraw from the championship if it deteriorates during his practice rounds at Royal Birkdale.

He could only manage nine holes on Tuesday but was advised by his physical therapist, Dale Richards, not to hit any balls out of Birkdale's springy rough. Harrington walked the back nine but only hit chips and putts.

"If it was any other week, I would have withdrawn on Sunday night," Harrington said.

Richards added: "He obviously doesn't yet know how the wrist will react when he has to play out of the rough, but the wrist will be strong enough for Padraig to tee it up on Thursday."

He damaged the wrist while hitting an impact bag on Saturday night in his gym at home in Dublin and had not been able to grip a club until he teed off for his first practice round on Tuesday after his press conference.

"I've been having treatment, and I'm strongly hopeful I will be able to play," Harrington said. "The only issue would be if I re-injured it in the rough, and that's what is a little bit scary."

Before Harrington went out on the links to test his game and his wrist, he sounded poetic about ending his year as the British Open champion. As he handed his claret jug back to the R&A, he said, laughing: "Hopefully when I get it back on Sunday night, it'll be in a little tighter box so I can bring it with me everywhere on airplanes." He said "when," not "if."

But the deep-thinking Irishman then got to thinking "what if?" What if Sergio Garcia had made that putt on 18 at Carnoustie? What if his own calamitous hacking along the 72nd hole had meant spending the past 12 months being compared to Jean Van de Velde instead of being a hero? Naturally, Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" sprang to mind.

"I am aware of the twin impostors of success and failure," Harrington said. "There isn't much between winning and losing. Over the years I've done some great things and looked like I lost tournaments. And I've won tournaments where I've struggled home. When you win, you're put up on a pedestal. When you lose, it's easy to be cut down at the knees."

Harrington went on to analyze the weekly challenge on tour, where getting in contention enough times should lead to victories. He should know. In 13 years, he has 21 victories but has finished runner-up 30 times.

"What separates players that win and those that don't, is you've got to put your neck out there," Harrington said. "And if you do, it will get chopped off sometimes. Some players don't like that feeling. I couldn't have been the most enjoyable experience for Sergio last year, but I'm sure he'd be very happy to be in the same situation again this year and have another go at it. That's the difference between being a winner and forever not having a chance."

Harrington warmed up for the defense of his British Open title by doing exactly the same thing that he did before Carnoustie last year — by winning the Irish PGA Championship amid the wind and rain at the European Club south of Dublin. How's that for good karma?

"If I could, I'd wear the same socks as last year, too," he said laughing. "If somebody offered me this week that I would make a good title defense, I wouldn't take it. I'd rather try to win the 2008 Open."

That is, if his wrist holds up.

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — He hasn"t been back to survey the destruction, not that Zach Johnson really needs it.

He saw the videos and pictures.

He heard the horror stories from his relatives and friends back home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and he realizes just how fortunate they are.

The damage they suffered "relative to other people, it"s really minimal,"" he said.

For those not so fortunate, Johnson encouraged the PGA Tour to raise funds for flood victims. The PGA stepped up, and Johnson is relieved that his biggest problem heading into the John Deere Classic is getting his game on track.

Johnson is again one of the top attractions at the John Deere, which he considers his home event even though he can"t seem to settle in here. He has never finished higher than 20th and missed the cut last year, a few months after winning the Masters.

This time, he"s returning from left wrist tendinitis that kept him out for three weeks as he tries to conquer a course that has given him fits over the years. And he"ll be challenged by a relatively deep field for a tournament that the top players generally skip because of the British Open.

To combat that, organizers chartered a jet this year to fly participants from the Quad Cities to Manchester, England, meaning no more dashes to O"Hare for commercial flights. No more connections, either.

Last year, only eight participants went from the Deere to the British Open. This year, there are 22 on the passenger list, including two alternates and the highest finisher not already qualified for Royal Birkdale.

One player who won"t be on that plane is veteran Kenny Perry.

A two-time tour winner this year, he chose to skip the British Open and stick with his plan to play the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee next week.

"You know what, I"m an independent contractor,"" said Perry, ranked 20th in the world and fourth on the money list. "I can do whatever I want, and I like that.""

His focus is on helping the U.S. win the Ryder Cup at Valhalla in his home state, Kentucky. Winning a major?

"That is the ultimate,"" he said. "But at this stage of my career, I fought all that for 22 years. ... I want to play golf at the courses I enjoy playing at these last couple years, and I"m going to go out on my terms, not on their terms.""

Johnson was a surprise winner at Augusta in 2007, but he has struggled here for some reason.

He grew up just over an hour away in Cedar Rapids, serves on the tournament"s board and believes the course suits his game.

So why the problems?

"Maybe it"s just the added pressure on myself,"" he said. "I haven"t figured that part out yet. Maybe I"m just not clicking at the right time, either.""

Johnson seemed to be clicking entering last year"s tournament, when he was ranked 15th.

Now?

He"s down to 29th after missing three cuts and finishing in the top 10 just once in 15 starts this year, although he thinks he played better than the scores indicate. This will be Johnson"s first tournament since the U.S. Open when he was gone after the second round.

Tendinitis in the wrist surfaced the following Tuesday while preparing for the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. He iced it that night but couldn"t move it the next morning.

"What was frustrating was I get hurt and I thought it was a pretty big deal, but SportsCenter was Tiger and his injury; I got nothing,"" Johnson said in jest.

He started swinging again last week, but regaining his timing takes, well, time.

While he recovers, so does a region.

The Monday after the U.S. Open, Johnson suggested to commissioner Tim Finchem and several other officials that the tour raise money for the flood victims. A few days later, an unknowing Jerry Kelly did the same.

The fund started last week, and the total through the weekend was $12,975.

"To me, this is like a Midwest Katrina,"" said Kelly, a Wisconsin native who got a firsthand look at the damage in his home state when he caddied at the Women"s U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Erin Hills last month.

Johnson was in Cedar Rapids the week before the flood. His parents Dave and Julie left for the U.S. Open the day before it hit and were lucky to return to an intact house.

His mom"s downtown office was flooded, but she can work out of home or at a satellite office at a local high school. His dad"s chiropractic clinic escaped damage even though a nearby hospital and surrounding offices were devastated.

"I saw a lot of pictures and some kind of video (of the area) ... and I"m telling you it"s the luckiest thing,"" Johnson said. "His office is sitting right there and you can see about two or three yards. His office is two or three feet higher than all the other offices there. No damage whatsoever.""