Phil Mickelson has stolen Tiger Woods's thunder for a second time this season. While the world number one was making a vain attempt at retaining the Deutsche Bank Open title in Hamburg, Mickelson was recording his third win of the year in the Colonial Tournament in Fort Worth.
It will be recalled that when Woods was set on extending a sequence of six wins on the USPGA Tour at Torrey Pines in February, Mickelson scuppered his prospects by capturing the Buick Invitational. And the gifted left-hander beat Gary Nicklaus in a play-off for the BellSouth Classic a month later.
"I ended up making a few birdies," said Mickelson in something of an understatement after carding eight birdies while surging to the title with a final round of 63. Meanwhile Stewart Cink had reason to be bitterly disappointed after squandering the chance of victory on his birthday.
It is inevitable that where there are big rewards, there will also be big disappointments. And while Mickelson was collecting a top prize of $594,000 as the winner, Cink learned afterwards that a missed nine-foot par putt on the last had cost him $66,000 - the difference between second place on his own and sharing it with Davis Love.
As it happened, Cink took 33 putts in a disappointing final round of 71 which contained bogeys at the 15th, 17th and 18th and a par at the reachable, par-five 16th. It allowed Mickelson to come from six strokes back, which was the biggest comeback of the season so far.
Mickelson's latest success is certain to heighten the pressure on him to capture his first major championship this season. His next assignment will be the US Open at Pebble Beach where he will celebrate his 30th birthday on the Friday of the championship, June 16th.
As it happens, the US Open at Pebble Beach in 1992 marked his debut as a professional. But his memories of the event will be decidedly mixed, given that he shot an opening 68 which he followed with an 81 to miss the cut.
Since then, Mickelson has made six successive cuts in the US Open and had the distinction of being tied fourth to Corey Pavin at Shinnecock Hills in 1995 and runner-up to the late Payne Stewart at Pinehurst last year.
Last Sunday's victory lifted him to second in the US money list, but he remains a formidable $1,236,467 behind Woods. Still, his family will hardly need to concern themselves about their next meal, given that his career earnings have now moved past the $11 million mark.
