Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson return to PGA Tour action in Buick Invitational

From WorldGolf.com News Services

Officially, it's week four of the professional golf season. But for all intents and purposes, the 2008 PGA Tour campaign truly gets underway Thursday when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson tee it up in the Buick Invitational.

Woods and Mickelson will be making their first starts of the season at Torrey Pines. That fact might almost be enough to get golf fans to focus on what's happening on the course, rather than the issues being discussed outside the ropes such as highly criticized new cut rules, drug testing and the controversy over Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman's "lynch" comment and the controversial Golfweek magazine cover that ensued.

On Thursday, all eyes will be on the start of what Woods seems to think will be a special season. He indicated as much on his Web site, writing that winning all four major titles this year was "easily within reason."

Woods stood by his comments on Wednesday.

"For most of my career, I've won more than four tournaments per year and all I have to do is win the right four, and I've done those a few times," Woods told reporters. "I think if you put it all together, have luck on your side, all the stars will line up, and it certainly is possible."

While Woods has already achieved the Tiger Slam, holding all four major tournament titles at one time, he admitted that it would be special to accomplish the feat in the span of one calendar year.

"It would be nice," said Woods, who is shooting for his fourth consecutive Buick Invitational title. "It would be doing it a different way than I had done before. Hopefully I get it done."

Mickelson said he admires Woods' self-assuredness.

"He's obviously a very confident player and he should be," Mickelson told reporters. "He's won countless events and double-digit majors (13) ... so he should be confident.

"I think that this year I should be able to put myself in contention, as well, and I look forward to the opportunity to compete against him."

Mickelson's status for the Buick Invitational appeared to be in question earlier in the week due to a respiratory illness. However, Mickelson announced on his Web site late Tuesday night that he planned to play in the San Diego-area event.

"I feel a lot better," said Mickelson, a three-time winner of the tournament in his hometown. "I've been struggling with my health here in the offseason with this respiratory thing, almost three months now. But I had some blood work and some lung X-rays and I think that it's just a case of bronchitis. I should be fine here shortly."

Of course, Woods was unable to avoid questions about Tilghman and her infamous "lynch" comment. While Woods reiterated that he considers Tilghman a friend and that the matter was put to rest, others have suggested that Woods should've voiced more outrage.

Woods disagreed.

"I know there are people who want me to be a champion of all causes, and I just can't do that," Woods said.

Woods said he thought "the incident" was pretty much over until Golfweek magazine came out with a cover depicting a noose, touting an article about Tilghman's comment. The matter will likely be discussed more on Thursday as Tilghman is scheduled to return TGC's broadcast after a two-week suspension.

"The Golfweek article, obviously the cover itself, just perpetuated it," Woods said. "It was over and handled between us, and we had moved on from it. But unfortunately, Golfweek did what they did and from there it created more of a firestorm."

The Buick Invitational was touched by tragedy early Wednesday as Steve Duplantis, who was going to caddie for Eric Axley, was killed in Del Mar after being struck by a taxi. The 35-year-old reportedly stepped off a center median into the path of the vehicle.

Buick Invitational

SITE: San Diego.
SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday.
COURSES: Torrey Pines, South Course (7,569 yards, par 72) and North Course (6,874 yards, par 72).
PURSE: $5.2 million (winner's share: $936,000).
FEDEX CUP POINTS: 25,000 (winner's share: 4,500).
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday, 3-6 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight EST; Friday, 1-4 a.m., 3-6 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight EST; Saturday, 3-6 a.m. EST) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EST).

January 24, 2008