[Michael Christensen]

Even though it was a NT (No Tiger) event it still counts.  Way to put it away and you deserve a little more publicity about the money you gave Conrad Dobler for his daughter's college education.  That was a class act!

[Jim Sweeney]

Yes, it was a nice win for Phil. Nance and Faldo made a big deal about how he tied the tournament scoring record for both total score and margin.

Of course, they failed to emphasize that Phil enjoyed preferred lies, whereas the previous record holders did not.

I am ardently against using preferred lies at any time. However, in the interest of commerce, I'll accept preferred lies if the golf course is otherwise unplayable.

That was not the case this weekend in Pebble Beach. In fact, the announcers even pointed out how well the courses played despite the rains, since the area had gone through a rather protracted drought.

The tour's slaphappy use of preferred lies cheapens their product and is becoming annoying.

[Kalen Braley]

Phil was on his game this whole week, especially on Sunday.  What did he have 9 birds on Sunday.  Granted conditions were relatively benign, but great job.

And his working out appears to have paid off, his man boobs are almost gone now!!  

[Bill Gayne]

Congrats, he now has the qualifications it takes a player to get into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Thirty career wins, two majors, and ten years.

[JESII]

The tour's slaphappy use of preferred lies cheapens their product and is becoming annoying.

JS

I Monday qualified into the 2000 SEI event in Philadelphia and on Friday morning we played it up because rain was in the forecast...you can't make this stuff up...

JES

[Matt_Cohn]

Jim,

The tour had to enact preferred lies as a precaution. Because they're playing three different courses, if they were going to play preferred lies at any point in the first three days, then they had to do it from the beginning. Otherwise you could end up with one guy playing it down at Spyglass, for example, and another playing Spyglass with LC&P.

[James Bennett]

I thought the courses were fairly well presented.  Isn't the casual water relief sufficient?  That gives lift, clean and drop relief through the green in cases of wet conditions.

James B

[Matt_Cohn]

"So complete was his performance at Pebble that Mickelson was among the top five in driving accuracy, greens in regulation, putting and driving distance."

Whoa...

[Jim Nugent]

Some interesting stats about Phil...

*  He made 25 birdies and 1 eagle.  He was under par on 36% of all holes.  

*  He hit 81.8% of all fairways.  4th best in the entire field.  While I doubt conditions at AT&T were similar to WFW last June, this week seems like he solved those driving woes that cost him so dearly at the open.

*  He was also 4th in driving distance, at 285.1 yards.  The whole field was about 15 yards short of their average driving distance.  I didn't see the tournament.  Was this due to weather, course setups, something else?

* He not only hit 79.2% of all greens -- a spectacular number that tied him for 1st -- he took an average of 1.596 putts per GIR.  1st in the field.  No wonder he lapped everyone!  

* From PGATour.com: "at the fifth, playing 202 yards, he hit a "perfect" 6-iron. It's a club he flies 180 yards, so downwind he expected the ball to end up 30 feet short of the flagstick. Instead, it airmailed the green and landed in six-inch rough. About 30 people searched for the ball, including two marshals within five yards of where Mickelson thought it landed."  Phil managed to make bogey anyway, and then went on a tear, making birdie on 7 holes.  

In normal conditions, wouldn't Phil fly a 6-iron longer than 180 yards?  

One week doesn't tell much about the coming year, but it sure would be cool if Phil can get his game together again this year.  Might make for some fascinating majors in 2007.    

[James Bennett]

Jim Nugent

re average driving distance.

It looked pretty cool there - cooler than the average tour event.  That will cut the distance down somewhat.

James B

[Kevin_Reilly]

* From PGATour.com: "at the fifth, playing 202 yards, he hit a "perfect" 6-iron. It's a club he flies 180 yards, so downwind he expected the ball to end up 30 feet short of the flagstick. Instead, it airmailed the green and landed in six-inch rough. About 30 people searched for the ball, including two marshals within five yards of where Mickelson thought it landed."  Phil managed to make bogey anyway, and then went on a tear, making birdie on 7 holes.  

In normal conditions, wouldn't Phil fly a 6-iron longer than 180 yards?  

They got the part about him making a bogey wrong (he doubled) so it sure is possible they could make another mistake.

[Tim_Cronin]

Jim,

The tour had to enact preferred lies as a precaution. Because they're playing three different courses, if they were going to play preferred lies at any point in the first three days, then they had to do it from the beginning. Otherwise you could end up with one guy playing it down at Spyglass, for example, and another playing Spyglass with LC&P.

Matt, that explains the first three days, but not Sunday. One course, whole field there, and it looked sunny to me. What was the deal?

[Mark_F]

"So complete was his performance at Pebble that Mickelson was among the top five in driving accuracy, greens in regulation, putting and driving distance."
Whoa...

Nandralone will do that for you every time.

[Jim Nugent]

They got the part about him making a bogey wrong (he doubled) so it sure is possible they could make another mistake.

Kevin, I just checked PGATour.com again.  They corrected the article, to say double instead of bogey.

[Jim Sweeney]

Matt:

I watched some of the broadcast every day and most of it Friday and Saturday. Conditions certainly were tough, particularly on Friday, if I remember correctly.

I saw no reason on any day to use the local rule for preferred lies.

Golf is a game played outdoors, over uncertain ground and in uncertain conditions. They could have played the ball down every day. Sure, they would have gotten some mud on the ball, and there would have been some casual water, so what? Those situations are accounted for in the rules.

Here's the thing, really: if you can go out and play, you can play the ball down. It may not be pretty, you may feel you get a large share of bad luck, but it is not unfair. It is what it is. It's part of the game.

BTW, you are right- once they made the decision to invoke preferred lies, they had to do it on all the courses to be able to compare scores.

[Craig Sweet]

Prefered lies...a less than stellar field....pretty decent weather...so Phil wins. Big deal.

[Eric_Terhorst]

Craig--why denigrate the field?

Furyk, Donald, Singh, Love, and DiMarco might beg to differ

[JESII]

Eric,

those guys can differ all they want...if Tiger ain't in the field it's a les than stellar field...

[Kalen Braley]

Tiger won't be at the Nissan, but I would call that field a very stellar field at the very least.  8 of the top 10 in the world are scheduled to play.

Phil takes some shots on here, and I think its good to see him getting his props this week because he deserved it.  I've never seen Phil so accurate off the tee.  Then take into consideration that Poppy and Spyglass Hill have got to be two of the narrowest courses on tour, thats very impressive.

[David Stamm]

Eric,

those guys can differ all they want...if Tiger ain't in the field it's a les than stellar field...

I don't disagree Sully, but it makes me wonder if it's healthy for the game to have it's popularity and future hinging on one man. Tiger can't play them all, but if the general golf fans feel this way, that the tournament isn't that stellar because El Tigre isn't there, then the games future could have some problems if another player or players doesn't step forward to garner the fans affections like Tiger has.

[peter_p]

For a feel good story about Phil, go to today's Shackelford.

[Jonathan McCord]

Phil did hit 3 Wood off 18 on Sunday. Interesting!!!

[JESII]

The only two minutes of the entire tournament I saw were his second, third and fourth shots on 18. I thought hitting three wood on the second shot was a typical Phil Mik hot dog shot, but it's hard to argue with the result of that shot and the pitch. How 'bout backing up a 45 yard pitch like that...

[Michael Christensen]

bravo, bravo Mr Stamm.....I have been saying that for weeks and get hit over the head......it is not good for the tour to be reliant on one player.....ask Mr Vickers what his feelings are about being a non-Tiger event...an event that preceeded Mr Woods adn flourished....but he doesn't want to play there and the date move screwed them.  So, another great tournament and site bites the dust!

preferred lies are not what you want ever, but they seem to do it there more often than not...it absolutely effected Phil's play, but others got the same benefit and couldn't catch him...it doesn't erase Winged Foot as CBS/ESPN seem to think, but his game looks like it is getting in shape....

as far as a less than stellar field if Woods is not in the tourney, that is the perception by 99% of the golfing world, unfortunately he controls everything in the game

[Craig Sweet]

"Furyk, Donald, Singh, Love, and DiMarco might beg to differ"


The only one in that bunch that has played ANY decent golf in the last 18 months is Furyk.....

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