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Nothing's changed With majors over, Mickelson still gunning for Woods
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Tiger Woods can have his four victories, including The Players Championship and his historic victory at the Masters. Phil Mickelson said Friday his consistency still makes him a threat to win PGA Tour player of the year. "I know that there's one player that's won more tournaments," Mickelson said. "But I don't know who has played better throughout the year." When Mickelson failed to win the PGA Championship, the final major of the season, he said it killed any chances he had of winning player of the year. After a 66 in the second round of the NEC Invitational on Friday left him tied with Woods and only two strokes behind Jim Furyk, he changed his mind. "If I can have a good finish this week and get to No. 1 on the money list, I think that I would have a shot," he said. The winner of the World Golf Championship event gets $1 million, and Mickelson is only $229,366 behind Woods on the money list. Then again, his victories came at the Buick Invitational in San Diego and at the Greater Hartford Open. He also has finished in the top three 10 times this year. Woods became the first player in history to sweep the four professional majors when he won the Masters. He also won The Players Championship, regarded as the fifth major, as well as Bay Hill and Memorial. Mickelson plans to play only one more tournament this year, the American Express Championship in St. Louis. He plans to skip the Tour Championship, where he is the defending champion, because his wife is expecting their second child. "I think it's going to be pretty close this year," Mickelson said of the player of the year, which is voted on by PGA Tour members. "I don't know who has played better. I really don't." Woods' four victories this year are twice as many as anyone else on tour. Mickelson, Joe Durant, Sergio Garcia and Scott Hoch have all won twice. Major championships tend to make a difference. Three years ago, David Duval won four tournaments, won the money list and had the lowest scoring average on tour. The award went to Mark O'Meara, whose only two victories were the Masters and British Open. "Those are the tournaments we all want to win," Woods said. "There are a lot of tour events, but there's only four majors. Those are the type of tournaments that will define your career, and I was fortunate enough to win one this year." Woods, who has played seven fewer tournaments than Mickelson, has eight top-10 finishes in 15 tournaments. He was in the top three in five events, four of them victories. He has finished out of the top 10 in his last five events, the longest stretch of his career. Mickelson has 12 top-10 finishes in 22 tournaments. "He definitely has had more top 10s than me," Woods said. "But I figure I've also had a decent year. I haven't played poorly."
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