Woods out, Mickelson in? Tour Championship can see change at the top
The PGA Tour reaches its climax this week with the Tour Championship, the final event of the season (at least until the Fall Series starts next week) - though it does so without its favourite son.
In keeping with Tiger Woods' mediocre season - (mediocre by normal standards, that is - judged against the golfer's own outstanding achievements, 2010 has been a disaster) Woods has failed to make the tour's showcase final.
In the three-year history of the competition he's won twice and is the current champion, but the 14-time major winner won't be clinching a third victory this year, having gone out at the last play-off stage at the BMW Championships two weeks ago.
So in his absence, who's going to step up? Whoever does so, there's no lack of cash incentive, that's for sure. This week's tournament at East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, also serves as the final of the FedEx Cup, and with a bonus prize of $10million up for grabs for the winner, players will surely be striving harder than ever to put in a good performance in Georgia this week.
Of an initial 125 players who took part in the Barclays four weeks ago, that number has been whittled down to just 30 - and the FedEx Cup points system means that even the player currently holding the lowest position could still win the trophy, were he to win this week's tournament - though he needs to rely on the current leader finishing badly.
The current standings see Phil Mickelson in 10th position, which means Mickelson should Lefty be able to recapture some of the season's earlier form - he won the Masters but has been largely disappointing since then - the world No. 2 can finish 2010 on an outstanding high.
Yes, as well as losing out on the chance to pocket some serious cash - and perhaps more importantly, secure a PGA Tour victory in 2010 - Woods could forfeit his position as world No. 1 this weekend, with Mickelson capable of toppling the 14-time major winner if he can win or finish in second place this week.
We've written variations on that sentence several times in the last six months, however, Mickelson appearing encumbered by doubts at just the time when his greatest rival is at his most vulnerable. The 40-year-old Mickelson has had his own problems in 2010, contracting a form of arthritis earlier this year, though Mickelson says the illness is under control. Maybe Mickelson has just been waiting because he wanted to dethrone Woods in style.
England's Paul Casey, left out of the European Ryder Cup team, is currently fifth in the FedEx Cup standings and will claim the cup and the $10m if he can win the Tour Championship, while other obvious dangers are Dustin Johnson, twice a major contender this year, Matt Kuchar, who won the Barclays, and Justin Rose, twice a winner on the PGA Tour in the space of three tournaments earlier this summer.
But it's Mickelson who would provide the real storybook ending by triumphing here. He wants to get his a**e in gear, too. World No. 3 Lee Westwood is on the mend and set to return to action at next week's Ryder Cup .
If Westwood can pick up where he left off before the injury that ruled him out of the PGA Championship, he may prove capable of leapfrogging both Woods and Mickelson in the coming weeks and months.
Tags: