Mickelson looks to sharpen up

US Tour: Phil Mickelson will look to sharpen his competitive edge ahead of the year's final major when he returns to action for the first time since the British Open at The International, in Castle Rock, Colorado, today.

The 2004 Masters champion has undergone a form slump since May, with a tie for seventh at the Wachovia Championship his only top-10 finish in his last six starts. He has also had uninspiring 33rd and 60th place finishes at the US and British Opens and must quickly rediscover his form if he hopes to challenge Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh at the US PGA Championship at Baltusrol next week.

The world's top two players underlined their readiness to contend in Baltusrol at the Buick Open last week where Singh beat Woods in a high-energy clash before they headed off to put the finishing touches to their preparations.

Mickelson has not played competitively since returning from St Andrews and has only teamed up with Retief Goosen to play Woods and John Daly in a made for television event in California.Mickelson will try to bring his game into sharper focus at The International, which will provide some interesting challenges.

The tournament will be played at altitude under modified Stableford rules, which is a far from ideal tune-up for the year's final major that will be staged near sea-level. The format, however, is one at which Mickelson excels, having won the event twice and finished runner-up on two occasions, providing the world number four with an opportunity to gain a badly needed jolt of confidence heading to Baltusrol.

The only regular PGA Tour event that departs from stroke play, the tournament awards five points for eagles and two points for birdies while subtracting a single stroke for a bogey. The high altitude also makes most of the par-fives on the 7,619-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed layout reachable, with the par-five 17th often holding the key to victory.

BOYS AND GIRLS: Ireland's junior golfers lost in the Home Internationals at both boys and girls in England yesterday - and now face the possibility of returning home with the wooden spoons. In the boys' contest, at Woodhall Spa, they went down 8-7 to an inspired Welsh outfit while in the girls' championship at Worplesdon, they crashed to defeat by Scotland by six matches to two with one halved.

ULSTER YOUTHS: Michael Hutchinson, a two-handicapper from the Lisburn club, is the surprise early pacesetter in the Ulster Youths' Amateur Open Championship at Belvoir Park. Hutchinson defied the squally conditions to post a two-under-par 69, which included three birdies. He finished one stroke ahead of defending champion, Brendan McCarroll of Ballliffin, who shot a remarkable seven birdies.