Highland king Mickelson the star turn at Scottish Open
A fine turnout of golf's more eminent personages have made the trip to Loch Lomond for the Barclays Scottish Open this week, but World No. 2 Phil Mickelson is surely the greatest draw - especially given the fact that a winning performance here will see his rise to No. 1.
While earlier this week Tiger Woods jetted in and out of Ireland - the 34-year-old competed, unconvincingly, at this week's JP McManus Pro-Am in County Limerick - Mickelson has decided to warm up for next week's Open by getting some first-hand experience of another Scottish course.
While fine-tuning his game for the major is surely foremost on the Californian's mind - as well as playing at Loch Lomond, Mickelson plans to stop by the Old Course at St Andrews for additional practice sessions - the thought must be lurking at the back of Mick's mind that success at this event will elicit another much desired triumph.
In fact, Mickelson doesn't even have to win this week; with Woods not taking part, a second-place finish in Scotland will be enough to see Mickelson officially ranked the best golfer on the planet. And of course, it would be nice just to pick up a win in Scotland, right Phil?
"Everything about the tournament, from the sponsors, to the golf course and the stunning setting at Loch Lomond is as good as it gets in golf," said the 40-year-old. "I would love to add The Barclays Scottish Open to my list of career wins: to be successful in Scotland, the home of golf, is something that every player would love to have on his resumé and I am no different."
Not that Mickelson can count on having everything his own way. The next highest-ranked competitor in the field, world No. 6 Ernie Els, has already won here twice in the past. Defending champion Martin Kaymer is also in action, and the German is keen to become the first player to bag back-to-back wins at the tournament.
Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez, a winner this weekend at the Alstom Open de France, is also in the field, while last month's US Open winner Graeme McDowell will be aiming to return to the serious business of winning again, having spent the last few weeks celebrating his victory at Pebble Beach.
In fact, this Scottish event has attracted interest from every corner of the globe, with Korea's YE Yang and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee lining up, as well as the 18-year-old prodigy Ryo Ishikawa, already a huge star in his native Japan.
South Africa's Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman are in town, as are Americans Lucas Glover and Tom Lehman - even the shambling, if these days more svelte form of John Daly is set to grace the contest with his presence.
Mickelson will partner Columbia's Camilo Villegas and Ishikawa in the opening rounds of the tournament - on paper, the clash between Ishikawa and Mickelson looks like a contest between brash youth and hard-won experience, but this is Mickelson we're talking about.
The man called Lefty still plays, brilliantly, like a man who can't comprehend the safe option. It may have seen him come unstuck in the past, but it's also provided us with some scintillating entertainment - see Mickelson's famous shot between the trees at the Masters earlier this year.
No. 1 or not, the American's policy of attempting thrilling, do-or-die golf rather than counting on those dreary old percentage shots surely make him the world's finest golfing showman. Now he just has to start winning away from his home turf.
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