Woods refuses to make predictions
Tiger Woods believes the Players Championship at Sawgrass will be wide open when the prestigious event gets underway on Thursday.
The World number one has a relatively mediocre record at the Players Championship, with just one victory in 10 starts. He also has once finished runner-up, but has not contended in his other eight starts, perhaps because the Sawgrass TPC does not necessarily favour the long hitters.
“Anyone can win here,” said Woods, who nonetheless is favourite.
“The beauty of this course is that we’re all playing (second shots) from about the same spot. There really is no advantage to taking out driver and bombing it down there, because of the trouble obviously, but also how everything pitches in.”
The course has been stretched by over 100 yards since last year, with six new tees, but that doesn’t mean Woods and the others will be firing away with their drivers any more often than in previous years.
For a start, the fairways, with a new drainage system, will be firm barring torrential rain, offering more roll than in most previous years. And many holes just are not suited to a driver.
Woods comes into the event on his usual roll, having won two of his past three starts, with a tie for second at the Masters wedged in between.
He dusted off the field by two strokes at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, even though, by his own admission, his long game was not sharp.
However, he got it done with the putter, a performance that both impressed and frightened his peers.
“Everyone on tour shakes their heads and says ’how does he win last week’,” said United States Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.
“He shows us you can win not hitting it your best. He hit it sideways and still won. And at Augusta he was playing really poorly and he nearly won. It’s inspirational to be around a guy who’s doing that.”
If Woods has a lame record here, what can you say about Phil Mickelson, who has just two top-10 finishes in 13 starts, no doubt because of his wayward driving.
Mickelson recently sacked long-time coach Rick Smith to work with Butch Harmon, specifically to become a more accurate driver.
The early signs have been good, with Mickelson finished third the past two weeks on the US. PGA Tour, although it will likely be some time before the jury rules on the success of the coaching switch.
One thing for sure is that Mickelson did not impress world Number Four Adam Scott when they played the first two rounds together at last month’s Masters.
“He really wasn’t driving it good,” Scott said. “I don’t think he knew where it was going, so he could be scary good if he gets that driver in the fairway. It’ll give him a lot of scoring opportunities.”
Mickelson is tight-lipped about the exact changes he is making with Harmon, but he does not expect an overnight miracle.
“There’s no little, quick fix to years or poor driving,” he said. “I think it will take some time to feel comfortable and confident with a couple of changes, but I’m starting to see the difference.
“Statistics don’t show much of a difference right now, but I’m starting to see it, the way the ball is coming off the face. I have a lot of work to get to where I want to be.”
Not that Mickelson has any realistic expectations of ever matching Woods’ record, which is 12 majors and counting.
“If I play another 10 years and I’m fortunate enough to win 20 (US Tour) events and seven more majors, which would be incredible, I would have 50 (US Tour) wins and 10 majors, and I still wouldn’t be where he’s at.
“It’s not that I’m trying to catch up to Tiger. I love that I get to play against probably the best player that ever lived and compete against him in his prime.
“When I do win majors, it adds more credibility to those majors.”
