Phil Mickelson not yet ready to say that Tiger Woods is ‘back’
By Steve DelVecchio March 8, 2012 - Posted in Golf

Slowly but surely, Tiger Woods is rediscovering his stroke. Fortunately for Tiger, he was only in his mid-30s when his life came crashing down around him. In terms of golf, that is very young. His game has been in shambles for the past two years, but Tiger has recently started showing signs of his old self. He came in second at the Honda Classic last weekend after shooting a 62 on Sunday — the best single round of his career. Ernie Els declared that Tiger was “back” after the fantastic finish, but Phil Mickelson is not ready to make that declaration just yet.

“Yeah, obviously he (Els) was paying attention a couple of weeks ago, which is nice to see,” Mickelson said sarcastically when asked about Els’ comments, according to the NY Daily News.

“At least I thought it was funny,” he said after the reporters stopped laughing.

Mickelson was referring to his win at Pebble Beach a little over two weeks ago, when Woods was in the hunt on Sunday but Phil put together an amazing round and shot 11 strokes better than Tiger. That Tiger was the new Tiger — the one that folds under pressure. We saw the old Tiger on Sunday at the Honda Classic, but it might be safer to wait until the new Tiger sticks around for a while before declaring that he’s “back.”

As for why Phil felt the need to take a shot at Tiger, it may be because Woods reportedly stood him up earlier this week when the two were supposed to play a practice round together at Augusta.

“I guess it was the intimidation,” Mickelson joked according to Eye on Golf.

We’re glad Woods stood him up. Tiger and Phil as friends? What fun would that be?

H/T Game On!

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3 Comments
  • Gilbert Mad

    As with Phil or any other golfer, whether it is for being a close friend of Tiger, a so called media rival to Tiger, beating Tiger or almost beating Tiger, that particular person automatically becomes a focus themselves. Also coaches of Tiger becomes well known and well respected and I know two so far have taken advantage of this notoriety very well, thank you. In other words, these coaches would only be known within the inner circle of the golf world and not out of it if it wasn’t for Tiger. To sum it all up, Michelson and others, especially Michelson, would not even be half as famous and rich as they are if it wasn’t for Tiger. Michelson has express this himself in more ways than one many times before. Bottom line, Tiger is so famous, in what he has accomplished in golf, that he makes other people famous, in and out of the golf world.  No other golfer, except maybe Nicklaus if I am not mistaken, has won the award of athlete of the year, and has done it 3 to five times, again if I am not mistaken.

  • Gilbert Mad

    Tiger may become as good as he has been, but he will still be better then everybody else the majority of the time. For anybody else, especially Michelson, that is acceptable and pretty darn good. But for Tiger, it will be mediocre, unless he catches Jack’s 18 majors. Imagine what golf will be like when, or if ever Tiger reaches 17. It will be a media euphoria or frenzy, anticipating and pushing for Tiger to win his eighteenth and will continue until his last day on the PGA tour. Just wishful thinking of my part. Sorry

  • Mary Mote

    What everyone is missing is that Tiger and Phil are Americans, and Els is not, and he has dissed American golfers before, and I think Phil’s statement was meant to address that.  Phil and Tiger might be rivals on the golf course, but you better believe when Els is playing against them on any given day, they would be pulling for each other for sure. I want either one of them to be number 1 in the world. Go USA