Tiger and Mickelson top the bill
In the blue corner, weighing in at 185 pounds, with 68 wins in 241 fights, 11 of them majors, from Cypress, California, and living in Orlando, Florida, the Open champion Eldrick ‘Tiger’ Woods.
In the red corner, weighing 190 pounds, with 29 wins in 339 fights, three of them majors, from San Diego, California, and living in Rancho Sante Fe, California, the Masters champion and defending United States PGA champion Philip Alfred Mickelson.
And, in the middle, just so he’s not forgotten, US Open champ Geoff Ogilvy.
With all due respect to the Australian, what everybody is most looking for at the final major of the 2006 golf season is the 36-hole head-to-head – only the second in majors – between the world number one and world number two.
It has been given extra spice by the comments of Mickelson’s short-game coach Dave Pelz, who has said: “When Phil’s at his best I’m thinking nobody can beat him. His short game, I believe, is the best in the world. He doesn’t have a serious weakness inside 150 yards.
“I’m not saying Tiger’s short game is bad. He has a great short game. But I think Phil putts more consistently than Tiger does. He has more imagination and a few more shots around the green.”
Woods, whose only appearance since his Open triumph at Hoylake produced his 50th US Tour win, has not exactly slammed Pelz for what he said.
But he did state: “I think I’m pretty tough to beat when I’m playing well too.”
Asked whether it would motivate him when they tee off at Medinah in Chicago at 8.30am local time tomorrow Woods played a dead bat, merely commenting that he wanted to beat everybody and get more ‘Ws’ – wins.
And he added that the fact it is the opening two rounds, rather than the last day like their clash in the 2001 Masters which saw Woods complete his unprecedented clean sweep of the majors, had an impact on things too.
“It’s different in the sense that you’re not in contention to win yet. You’re trying to put yourself in position to win.
“When you’re playing against a Phil or Vijay or Ernie or Goosen in a major down the stretch on Sunday now you’ve got everything on the line.
“But on a Thursday and Friday you’re just getting started. Into the rhythm of the round and the rhythm of the tournament. Obviously I get along with some players better than others and that’s just the way it is. Sometimes I talk, sometimes I don’t.
“Sometimes I’m in the mood to talk, sometimes I’m not going to say a word even if my best friend is out there. We can always go out for a beer later, but I’m trying to handle my business out there.
“Phil and I are competitors. We’ve gotten to know each other over the years by being on teams – Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup – and we’re fine.”
They have even played table tennis together, but in a major Woods says he does not have the usual chat with caddie Steve Williams and when he partnered ‘buddy’ Mark O’Meara in a major he remembers he did not speak except to say: “Here’s your card”.
Mickelson was asked what he expected to be the difference between playing with Woods and playing with Fred Couples, as he did for the final round of his second Masters victory in April.
“Amount of conversation,” he replied.
Inevitably, Pelz’s words were put to him as well and, far from distancing himself from them, he joked to the world’s press: “My man. He’s enthusiastic. I’ve tried not to give you too much to run with and so I’m paying other people now to do it.”
The last Ryder Cup, of course, did nothing to end the talk of a frosty relationship between the two superstars.
“A very unique relationship” is how Mickelson terms it. “We get to compete against each other week-in, week-out and then we also get to team up together. It makes for a fun dynamic.
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to compete against him and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to play with him as a partner. The latter one probably being the better one.” Not in results, though.
Next month they will be team-mates again at the K Club, but this week it’s fierce competition between them, with everybody else in the field hoping, of course, that they can get in on the act.
More than 30 Europeans are among them, but not, of course, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.
Clarke’s wife Heather lost her struggle with cancer on Sunday and McGinley is attending tomorrow’s funeral.
