Sports

Lefty hopes to get it right again

• Two-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson is one of the primary contenders to push Tiger for a green jacket.

Scott Chancey

AUGUSTA — The pressing question for Phil Mickelson no longer centers on when he is finally going to win a major.

Having won the Masters twice, and the PGA Championship once during the past four years, he no longer is the majors’ most loveable loser.

These days, the ever-curious question is this — one driver or two drivers?

Mickelson, who won the 2006 Masters with two drivers, was not sure during his pre-tournament news conference.

“This year, I am experimenting,” Mickelson said. “I did have two drivers in the bag (Tuesday). The nice thing about that is I have been able to interchange shafts and put in a longer shaft in if I want more distance. I’m hoping I only need one driver because I want to put an extra wedge in. But if I feel like distance is going to be a bigger factor, I’ll stick a second driver in. I don’t know, it will be day-to-day. I have two or three different game plans.”

Decisions, decisions.

One thing is for sure, if the left-hander is in contention during Sunday’s final round, the patrons at Augusta National just might get that Mickelson-Tiger Woods showdown they had been hoping for. Woods, ranked No. 1 in the world, has won four Masters, and the second-ranked Mickelson occasionally shows flashes of brilliance along the fairways.

At other times, while taking one too many risks, Mickelson plays himself out of contention. He had the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot all but wrapped up, positioning himself halfway toward winning the single-year grand slam, but bogeyed the 16th and double-bogeyed the 18th.

Then, there are those times when Mickelson did not struggle at the end.

Ernie Els, who finished second to Mickelson in the 2004 Masters after Mickelson made a long birdie to win, saw that firsthand.

“You can't take anything away from him,” Els said about the 2004 Masters.

“He played an unbelievable back nine. What did he shoot, 30 or 31 or something? It went his way, it was his time, let’s put it that way. It was his first major and to win it in that fashion and that style was wonderful.

But I still have still wake up in a cold sweat every now and again because of that putt.”

It remains to be seen which Mickelson shows up this week.

“You know I’ve had some 20th-place finishes the last few weeks, and I actually feel good about my game because my ball-striking has been good to this point,” he said. “I feel good about the way I’m hitting it and the area I need to spend some time is chipping and putting and that’s an area I’ve never really been concerned with. I am excited heading into this tournament where I feel comfortable on and around the greens.”

Comfort will be vital to Mickelson. If he can pace himself, not trying to make too many risky shots, he stands as good a chance as any to top Woods.

And to do it again at Augusta National? There would be few sweeter victories.

“I love this golf course,” he said. “I love this tournament and I love when I get here, how you don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to hit everything perfect to be able to score well.”

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