Love, money, revenge and reward – just some of the biggest motivating factors in any victory.
But for Phil Mickelson it seems that when it comes to getting himself psyched up for run-of-the-mill PGA Tour events – none of the above can get his gearbox roaring.
Even the prospect of overtaking Tiger Woods at the top, finally reaching No.1 in the world – the best player in golf – was not enough to motivate Lefty to victory at a Tigerless Colonial.
So what does it for him? What does it take to inspire Mickelson to those jaw-dropping, fist pumping victories that see him pull off superman-style heroics from pine needles and drop eagles and birdies like there’s no tomorrow?
Read more…
His 87 years won’t stop Roberto de Vicenzo teeing it up in the Champions Challenge at this year’s Open Championship, while Seve Ballesteros has refused to allow multiple brain surgeries to scupper his chances of saying a fond farewell to his fans at St Andrews this year.
To describe Jack Nicklaus’ lack of commitment to the event scheduled for the eve of the 150th anniversary Open Championship as a disappointment is an understatement to say the least.
For a man who had his swansong at St Andrews in 2005, an all-singing, all-dancing affair with his face emblazoned on five pound notes and emotional scenes over the Swilken Bridge, not to take part in the commemorative tribute to both the Open and its champions is sad, but to claim he has ‘no real desire to go there’, as he did at the Masters in April, is downright disrespectful.
Read more…
So, the first major of 2010 has come and gone – and what an event it was. But who gets pass marks and who flunked badly at Augusta National…
Phil Mickelson: A+
A more worthy winner you’d have struggled to find. The emotional post-script notwithstanding, the left-hander played some utterly sublime golf at times and had a putter hotter than the surface of the sun. He’s now just three Green Jackets short of Jack Nicklaus’ record of six wins at Augusta and, with his unmatched local knowledge around Georgia’s most famous course, who’d bet against him matching or even passing that tally?
Tiger Woods, The Golfer: B
Twenty weeks and not a competitive ball struck in anger. Then he turns up at one of the world’s most notoriously unforgiving courses and still shoots 11-under-par. Yes, the putting was uncharacteristically inconsistent and, yes, some of shots were most un-Tiger-like. However, let’s not forget that up until he had a brain-fart over a four-footer on the back nine, he was still bang in contention. World No.1 or otherwise, that’s mighty impressive. Read more…
Actions, so goes the saying, speak louder than words. And nowhere does that proverb ring more true than in the realm of celebrity scandal.
That’s precisely why the way that Tiger Woods behaves on his return to golf this week and not his hand-on-heart apologies will tell us most about how much he genuinely, truly wants to repair his battered reputation.
In his few public appearances since the sleazy details of his multiple infidelities surfaced, the world No.1 has spoken of his willingness and desire to change his ways, on the course as well as off it.
And since the majority of us have no access to him as a person, we are going to have to judge him solely as a professional. Read more…
The public are getting sick of Tiger’s many mistresses wriggling their way out of the woodwork. The press are getting sick of hearing how the world No.1’s car crash and ‘transgressions’ are “a private matter”. And I’m darn sure that his wife Elin is pretty much sick of the sight of her super-successful husband.
But it seems that, while Woods’ golfing colleagues welcomed the news of his Masters return with open arms, they too are getting downright sick of being asked about how much they know, what they think and whether they’re happy at the 14-time major champion’s return.
And they’re quite entitled to be. After all, these guys are here to play golf – not to speculate or gossip about one of their colleagues (regardless of how interesting or scandalous it may be). Read more…