Wachovia Championship: Mickelson taking a calculated approach

Golfer a changed man with 3 major titles

RON GREEN JR.
rgreenjr@charlotteobserver.com

In the sublime moment when Phil Mickelson picked the ball out of the cup on the 18th hole at Augusta National after winning his second Masters last month, instructor Dave Pelz saw something he hadn't seen before.

Mickelson taking a calculated approach "The look on his face wasn't `wow.' It was let's go get some more," said Pelz, part of Team Mickelson, which specializes in sharpening the left-hander's short game and strategy.

In the two years since Mickelson shattered the suspicion he might never win a major championship, he has transformed his game and his place in the game.

As Mickelson tees off today in the first round of the Wachovia Championship at the Quail Hollow Club, he has won consecutive major championships and clearly established himself as the chief challenger to Tiger Woods' perch atop the game.

The question now is how good can he be?

"I told the press (years ago), `Here's what's going to happen -- he's going to go from having not won a major then, the second he wins one, to being one of the best players ever. Hall of Fame career," said Paul Azinger, a player and TV analyst.

"The critics (were) hammering because he hadn't won a major. But the second he did -- superstar.

"Then he backed it up. And he's backed it up again."

Two years ago when Mickelson won the Masters, it took on the feel of a national celebration. He already possessed an adoring audience, but the burden of unfulfilled ambitions weighed heavily.

Few players seem to have enjoyed the moment as much as Mickelson did after winning his first Masters. He wore his new green jacket and bright white smile everywhere, reveling in the moment.

In the four weeks since he won his second Masters, Mickelson has taken a lower profile. He didn't blitz the television shows like he did the first time.

Mickelson acted like he'd been there before. Which he had.

He is back at Quail Hollow, where he has had two near-misses, tying for fifth and seventh, looming as the player to beat despite a lackluster performance at New Orleans last week.

Mickelson hadn't decided Wednesday whether he will employ the two-driver strategy here that worked so well in Atlanta, then a week later in Augusta, Ga.

Either way, the decision will be based on calculated reasoning. He is not the free-swinging player he used to be.

Asked Wednesday if winning three majors has made him a different player, Mickelson said the reverse happened. Becoming a different player led to his major wins.

"I look back on it now and think, `What was I thinking?' on certain shots or plans of attack," Mickelson said. "The preparation has allowed me to be more patient.

"Now I know when to hold back and when to put the throttle down. That had to evolve before I was able to win."

It's a process that is perpetually being refined. Rick Smith, who is Mickelson's swing coach, flew into town Tuesday and worked over at the TPC at Piper Glen with his student.

Mickelson's evolution into a more controlled player -- he can always rely on his cut shot off the tee -- came through meticulous evaluation with Smith and Pelz.

At Augusta last month, everyone else made mistakes while Mickelson hardly wavered.

"He's becoming a great player," Pelz said. "Even when he plays poorly, he's around the top. When he plays well, there aren't many who can beat him."

Watching Mickelson through the years, CBS golf analyst David Feherty, himself a former tour player, has seen a rare fire.

"Phil was enjoying it even when he kept losing. He loved it," Feherty said. "He wanted to be in that place where he knew he was going to be uncomfortable. That's what makes winners, whether it's in golf or in business or acting.

"The best people in that profession have to want to be in a place where they know they're going to be uncomfortable."

Mickelson said he "loves" the Wachovia Championship and sees it as a way to begin sharpening his game for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot next month in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He'll be chasing his third straight major championship.

"He's still trying to be the best player in the game." Pelz said. "He's No. 2 but that's not where he wants to be. He wants to be better than Tiger. ... He's moving in that direction."

Provider: Knight-Ridder / Tribune Business News / Charlotte Observer, The (NC)