Will Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods rivalry finally emerge at The Memorial?

From WorldGolf.com News Services

With his swing changes still a work in progress, Phil Mickelson insists that one of the last things on his mind right now is chasing down Tiger Woods' No. 1 ranking.

"That hasn't been my focus," Mickelson told reporters Wednesday. "Look, I'm just trying to drive the golf ball better. I feel like if I can drive it better and get the ball in play, I have a chance to make birdies from the fairway. That's where I'm at.

"It'll take a while for me to get to where I feel comfortable with the changes and get them all implemented, and it'll certainly be a while before anybody has a realistic chance at taking on Tiger because of the success that he's had."

Mickelson, currently second to Woods on the PGA Tour in both earnings and FedEx Cup points, is among 26 of the FedEx Cup top 30 set to play The Memorial. The $6 million event hosted by Jack Nicklaus opens today at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Regardless of the state of Mickelson's game, fans and media alike continue to clamor for a full-fledged rivalry to develop between him and Woods. On Wednesday Mickelson again found himself answering questions about comparisons between him and Woods.

"It's flattering - to me, anyway," said Mickelson, who is making his first start since winning The Players Championship. "Probably not to him, but it's flattering to me."

Woods, who won The Memorial three consecutive times (1999-2001), should be accustomed to outsiders trying to manufacture rivals for his crown. Mickelson, David Duval, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen have all taken their turns in the role.

"Ever since I've been on tour they've been looking for a rivalry for me," Woods said at his pre-Memorial press conference. "There always seems to be some kind of rivalry going on."

With that in mind, Woods said, he's pushed himself hard to stay ahead of his challengers.

"You can't stay stagnant in any sport," he said. "You've always got to keep getting better because you know the guys are training harder, they're finding their game, they're in the gym [and] you're getting better athletes playing the game."

Mickelson is a prime example of a player who has worked hard to improve both his golf game and his overall fitness. Woods said Mickelson certainly appears to be playing better and more consistent golf this season.

"This year he's putting a little better too. That's something he probably didn't do towards the end of the year last year as well as he did at the beginning of the year," Woods said. "We all know he can hit it great all the time, but you have to make putts. If you do both, you're looking pretty good."

Progress with Butch Harmon

Mickelson estimates he's "probably halfway through" implementing the swing changes he is working on with noted instructor Butch Harmon, but he said it will take some time before he feels comfortable with his new stroke, especially in the heat of competition.

Maybe then Mickelson will feel ready to try cutting into Woods' sizeable lead in the world rankings.

"It's a tough feat," Mickelson said. "I mean, we're talking about probably the best player of all time."

May 31, 2007