Ryder Cup: Tiger, Phil big question marks for U.S.
This Nov. 8, 2009, file photo, shows Phil Mickelson, right, watching his tee shot in front of Tiger Woods on the fifth hole during the final round of the HSBC Champions golf tournament at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China. Credit: AP
The one absolute certainty about Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson heading into the Ryder Cup Friday is that they will not be playing together. When someone asked Mickelson about the potential pairing recently, he thought about giving an answer, then he just flashed his classic smile and said, "Come on."
Everything else about the world's two top-ranked golfers is totally unsettled. Woods has yet to overcome the tumult from his personal scandal and divorce, and has spoken of his swing changes as if he were learning to split the atom. Mickelson won the Masters in April, but has done almost nothing notable since then other than repeatedly falling short in trying to become world No. 1.
The last thing the U.S. team needs is a repeat of the 2004 debacle when U.S. captain Hal Sutton had the bright idea of teaming up America's two biggest stars. Woods and Mickelson meshed worse than oil and water, and got smoked by Europe's Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington. The American team was thrashed in the three-day event that is considered the most nerve-wracking weekend in professional golf.
Nerves will be wracked and knees will be knocking Friday at Celtic Manor in Wales because nearly half the field - 11 of 24 golfers - will be composed of Ryder Cup rookies. Those guys have no idea about the sort of pressure that makes it hard to place a ball on the tee because your hand is shaking. That actually happened once to Corey Pavin, the U.S. captain this year. Pavin's advice to the first timers? "Just breathe," he said.
And still, amid the cyclone of rookie jitters, the greatest question marks will be Phil and Tiger, with an emphasis on the latter.
Woods has been unable to win, or even mount a serious challenge, all season. Mickelson has seemingly been unable to get pumped for anything since he left Magnolia Lane in Augusta. "I wouldn't say that, but my performance certainly would lead you to believe it," he said the other day at the Tour Championship.
Given the way the season has gone, it is hard to imagine both Woods and Mickelson dominating in Wales. It also is hard to imagine the U.S. beating Europe if neither of them is very good.
"Hunter Mahan is 2-0-3, the rest of the guys, including Tiger, have played stinky in the Ryder Cup," said former U.S. Ryder Cupper Johnny Miller, who will analyze the matches for NBC. "They have terrible records. You can analyze it any way you want, they have just not played well."
The U.S. did win two years ago outside Louisville, while Woods (10-13-2 in the Ryder Cup) was out following knee surgery. But winning in Europe is a completely different story. Most everything in the Ryder Cup is a completely different story from normal tour golf: Match play instead of stroke play, team play instead of individual competition, there is no prize money, fans outwardly root against the opposition.
"Ryder Cuppers are a rare breed," Miller said, "There are guys who can win the Tour Championship, guys who can win the Quad Cities, guys who can win the John Deere Classic or whatever and then you've got Ryder Cuppers.''
As different as it might be, though, it has one major trait in common with everything else in golf: It will revolve around Woods. Golf observers believe Woods will be motivated at this Ryder Cup because he missed the last one, because he was a captain's pick rather than having made it by points, because he just needs something to turn his year and his life around.
"Being picked, you are not as much focused on yourself as on the team," said Harrington, who made the European team this year as one of captain Montgomerie's picks. "He is coming in thinking, 'I want to play well and make this a special year.' In many ways, the Ryder Cup can be the pinnacle of the year for him, like it could be for me. He will be in a fighting mood for the week."
This all makes sense, just as it did when people said the same things about him going into the U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship and the FedEx Cup Playoffs. It never happened. Will Wales be different? Who knows?
One thing Woods does have going for him: he is expected to be paired with Steve Stricker and not Mickelson.
