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A Victory Would Help Define Mickelson's Career

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By MICK ELLIOTT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

SAN DIEGO - Phil Mickelson is this week's local hero.

He grew up in San Diego. His childhood golf memories are playing area public courses, including Torrey Pines, with his dad. He has since won the Buick Invitational three times as a PGA Tour player.

Add all that to the fact Mickelson has never won a U.S. Open, and it quickly becomes obvious that this week may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

"I've come close to winning this championship four times, I've had four second places," Mickelson said. "This is a tournament I know and believe I can win. I think that this golf course gives me the best opportunity available to do that.

"It's something that - winning this tournament would be something that would help define my career."

NEW HOPE: Sergio Garcia, you remember him.

After 10 years playing the PGA Tour, the excitable Spaniard is 28 and by all original expectations would be a multi-major championship winner by now.

He is still looking for the first.

Nevertheless, a win last month at the Players Championship that ended a three-season dry spell has Garcia reinvigorated.

"I think it's always important to win a big event," Garcia said. "They're all important to us, but of course the majors, the Players, they always come to mind. Anytime you win one of those it gives you a little bit of extra confidence.

"And the most important thing is when you're down the stretch, you know you've done it before in a big event."

COURSE SETUP: Torrey Pines' fairways will range in width from roughly 24 to 33 yards. On either side of the fairways, a 6-foot wide swath of intermediate rough running the length of each hole will be set to 13/4 inches. Next, a 15-foot band of primary rough will be grown to approximately 21/4 inches. The second cut of deepest rough left and right of the landing areas will be 31/2 inches.

Some spectator ropes again will be moved back to allow for this plan, where the "penalty fits the crime." The further off line a drive is, the tougher the recovery shot will be.

This is the third year of this USGA setup. The greens will be set to run at 13-131/2 feet on the Stimpmeter for the duration of the championship.

Based on the course setup for the championship, the Torrey Pines Course Rating is 79.7. Its Slope Rating is 153.

LOOKING BACK: This is not the USGA's first visit to Torrey Pines.

The 1998, the U.S. Amateur Public Links championship was played here. This year's Masters winner, Trevor Immelman, 18 at the time, won the title, defeating Jason Dufner in the 36-hole match-play final, 3 and 2.

Bubba Watson, also in this week's field, played in that APL championship. Watson lost in the first round of match play.

LAST-MINUTE SAVE: Last week's announcement that Transitions Lenses, Inc., has agreed to a four-year deal for title sponsorship of Tampa Bay's annual March PGA Tour event at Innisbrook Resort sounds like even bigger news now.

Tampa and Atlanta were two cities with tournaments that did not have sponsorships going into next year.

Tampa announced Transitions Lenses a week ago today.

On Monday, the PGA Tour announced Atlanta was being dropped from the schedule.

"We regret having to notify the Atlanta Classic Foundation of this decision, but the absence of a title sponsor at this point has necessitated the move in order to solidify the schedule for the future," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.

Mick Elliott

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