Capelle On Golf

He’s back. No, not Tiger, his return is old news. I’m talking about Phil Mickelson, who returned to the winner’s circle at the Northern Trust Sunday for the first time since capturing the Crown Plaza nine months ago. And Phil did it with play that was reminiscent of Tiger at his best.

Round 1 – Mickelson putts on a putting clinic in shooting 63 with only 22 waves of the short stick to make an opening statement that this is his tournament – just like Tiger has on so many occasions.

Round 2 – He hit the ball reasonably well, but got nothing for it as his 14 GIR performance was ruined by 34 putts. Even Tiger has bad days on the greens in winning, as witnessed by his several three putts in the third round of the 2006 British Open.

Round 3 – Mickelson’s Masterpiece was a nine under 62 where he used only 36 shots (35 is regulation) to hit the greens. The round staked him to a four shot lead. Tiger has similarly positioned himself to win on numerous occasions with a strong third round on moving day. A big key was Butch Harmon’s tune up before the round, just like the good old days when he and Tiger were a team.

Round 4 – With everything to lose, Phil opened with this third straight eagle on #1, then went into a protect-his-lead mode over the next 13 holes. Defense is often a recipe for disaster and, sure enough, a spate of five bogeys left Lefty two back with four to play. Time to revert into his closer mode, just like Tiger at his very best. Check out this finish:

15 – Long and straight drive on one of the four hardest holes on the course leads to an easy par 4.
16 – Launches a 9-iron straight up and down to within 4.5 feet, then coolly drains the putt, a la Tiger. Birdie 2.
17 – Hits the day’s longest drive on 17 in the fairway, hits the green in two on this monster 5 par, then holes a tricky eight footer for a two-putt birdie. He’s now a shot in the lead.
18 – Mr. Course Management lays back with a 3-metal, as he did on several holes on Sunday. He then played to the front right edge of the green from 212 yards, a smart play that gave him the best chance to save par. The ice man then drained his six footer for the W and his 35th tour victory.

We’ve only got two days until the WGC Match Play to see if Phil’s found his phorm, and if Tiger will be terrific. But one thing is for sure –  with the return of the sport’s two biggest names, golf now seems a lot more fun to follow than it was a week ago.