3.28.2011
Phil Mickelson, the reigning Masters champion, heads
to Augusta National GC today for two days of intense
preparation for the year’s first major. Then he’ll tee it up
in the Shell Houston Open and attack redstone GC as
if he were still in Georgia. “It’s not going to be a course
where I’m going to play the most strategic and expect to
really score well,” Mickelson said. “I’m just not going to
hit 3-woods off the tee. … And when it gets windy and
I’m trying to hit high balls for Augusta and it requires a
low knock-down shot, it’s not going to work.” One might
wonder why Lefty doesn’t just skip Shell, but Mickelson has traditionally played the week before a major,
and there’s no substitute for hitting shots in the heat of
competition. Truth is, his approach is hardly novel. Jack
Nicklaus prepared for majors by visiting venues where
he’d likely encounter shots he’d have to play at the next
grand-slam event. He tried to win those tournaments
and manage his game accordingly, but only while adhering to the shot patterns he was grooving for Augusta or
Baltusrol or St. Andrews, regardless of conditions. Nicklaus made it work to the tune of 73 PGA Tour titles, 18 of
them majors. —Dave Shedloski
04phil’s;tune-up lans
J. D. CuBAN/GOLF DIGES T
COVEr // CON TEN TS // 10 things // PGA TOur // LPGA TOur // EurOPEAN TOur // EQuIPMEN T // TIM rOSAFOr TE
