PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP:GOLF'S RICHEST event has arrived with players and fans alike keen to know the answer to three questions.
Can Tiger Woods be as bad as he was last week? Can Rory McIlroy be as good as he was last week? Can Phil Mickelson finally make it to world number one?
The US Masters champion will take over at the top of the rankings if he wins the €7.3 million Players Championship at Sawgrass in Florida and Woods is outside the first five. Both look eminently possible. Mickelson was runner-up to the inspired McIlroy on Sunday, while Woods has now admitted that his personal troubles contributed to an error-ridden Friday 79 that sent him crashing out of the event by eight shots.
He has never missed two successive cuts. Despite putting five balls in water during nine holes of practice on Tuesday Woods made optimistic noises, but looked and sounded dreadfully affected by the fall-out from the revelation of his extra-marital affairs. Mickelson, though, would not be surprised if the man who has denied him the number one spot for 244 weeks in his career bounces straight back – and nor would Ian Poulter, who plays the first two rounds with Woods.
“I think everybody was a little shocked last week,” said England’s world number six, who correctly predicted a top-five finish for the American on his comeback at Augusta a month ago. “But you can never write the number one in the world off. The discussion four weeks ago would have been how poor a season Mickelson had had to that point, but he has turned his year around very quickly. He found something in his swing and goes out and wins the Masters. I would expect Tiger to be doing something very similar.”
McIlroy is a perfect example of that too. Down in the dumps after a second successive missed cut at Augusta the Northern Ireland youngster – who was 21 on Tuesday – talked of quitting the game for a while. But three weeks later there he was at Quail Hollow following a third round 66 with a course record 62 and beating a high-class field by four shots.
McIlroy’s confidence, after what was only his second professional win, has shot up as a result, but he issued a warning yesterday that it does not guarantee further and greater success instantly. “I don’t want to get myself too carried away,” he said the morning after a “birthday bash” organised by his caddie, JP Fitzgerald. “It was a great weekend. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to contend in the majors rightaway.
“I feel pretty comfortable in that sort of environment. If I can learn something every time I play a major, by the time I’m 23, 24, I should be in a good position to go after them.
“But knowing that I beat a great field on basically a major championship venue, especially with the likes of Phil and Angel (Cabrera) coming behind me, and play great golf like that down the stretch just gives me the belief that if I can do it there I can pretty much do it anywhere.”
McIlroy said he gained inspiration for his superb closing round at Quail Hollow from Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa, who won the Crowns tournament in Japan earlier in the day after shooting a magical 12-under-par 58.
“I turned on the PGA Tour website on Sunday morning and saw Ryo had shot 58 to win,” McIlroy added. “That drove me to say: ‘All right, I can go out and shoot a good score and try to win this golf tournament’.”
On his debut at Sawgrass last year McIlroy scored only 74 and 77 and missed the cut by seven. Now he is third favourite – Woods and Mickelson jointly top the betting.
The lowdown
Course: TPC at Sawgrass, Florida.
Length:7,215 yards. Par: 72.
Prizemoney: €7.3 million (€1.3m for the winner).
Layout:A tough challenge for all. The greens are well protected and there is water everywhere. It is a test of accuracy over length, and is famous for its island green at the 17th, which can ruin a good round, especially if it is windy.
Field: 145.
Defending champion: Henrik Stenson won by four shots from Ian Poulter.
On TV:Sky Sports, 5.30pm today.
Weather forecast: Cloudy with chance of rain and thunder.
Highs of 270C.
