Phil Mickelson's start to the 2008 season was in doubt Monday when his doctor directed him to stay in bed for two days for a respiratory problem.
Mickelson postponed a press conference Tuesday at the Buick Invitational, and his management company said his goal was to play in the pro-am Wednesday so that he could play in the tournament.
Mickelson has suffered from heavy congestion, shortness of breath and fatigue since October.
A Gaylord Sports spokesman said it was not clear whether his condition was caused by working in the smoky debris on his property in San Diego County following wildfires last fall, or by an illness he developed in Singapore in November. Mickelson won in China the following week, but his agency said he has not felt his best since then.
His condition worsened Monday morning, and doctors advised rest.
The PGA TOUR has a policy that anyone in the tournament must compete in the pro-am, although there are provisions for health problems, and Mickelson was allowed to skip a pro-am last year when weather delayed his flight to Dallas.
Mickelson postponed a press conference Tuesday at the Buick Invitational, and his management company said his goal was to play in the pro-am Wednesday so that he could play in the tournament.
Mickelson has suffered from heavy congestion, shortness of breath and fatigue since October.
A Gaylord Sports spokesman said it was not clear whether his condition was caused by working in the smoky debris on his property in San Diego County following wildfires last fall, or by an illness he developed in Singapore in November. Mickelson won in China the following week, but his agency said he has not felt his best since then.
His condition worsened Monday morning, and doctors advised rest.
The PGA TOUR has a policy that anyone in the tournament must compete in the pro-am, although there are provisions for health problems, and Mickelson was allowed to skip a pro-am last year when weather delayed his flight to Dallas.
LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The best thing that could happen to golf continues to come agonizingly close to fruition, only to have unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances intervene.
We are not here to say Phil Mickelson was -- or is -- on the verge of overtaking Tiger Woods. Not even close. But Mickelson has proved to be an excellent foil, the best player currently equipped to stop, or at least slow, Woods' inevitable run toward Jack Nicklaus' major championship record.
The golf world was just getting geared up for their first tussle of the 2008 season at this week's Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines when word came that Mickelson was in bed and under a doctor's orders to stay there due to a lingering respiratory ailment that has plagued him since October.
It looks as if Mickelson will be able to pull himself together in time to tee it up Thursday (he will compete in the tournament's pro-am Wednesday), but even if he does play, it would be difficult to expect him to be at his best.
And, unfortunately, that has been the case more often than not since he offered up the ultimate tease by winning the 2007 Players Championship just weeks after beginning work with Woods' old coach, Butch Harmon.
The entire scenario was rich with irony. Woods, at the time, was not at the level that saw him win four of the last five tournaments of 2007. In fact, he had his worst finish of the year at the Players, a tie for 37th. And there was Harmon -- the one who helped Woods win eight major championships -- suddenly helping Phil find the fairway.
"What's most exciting is I feel like we're just getting started," Mickelson said at the time. "This is only week No. 3. I feel like in three months, how much are we going to progress? In three years, where are we going to be?"
It was an exciting time. Mickelson was seemingly over his meltdown at Winged Foot, where he was on the verge of winning his third consecutive major title before blowing his final-hole tee shot left of left. Harmon was in the process of helping him corral his wayward driver. The outlook was bright.
Three months later, Mickelson was nursing a wrist injury that effectively killed all the momentum gained from the Players Championship victory. While practicing for the U.S. Open at Oakmont, Mickelson hurt his wrist trying to play from the heavy rough. It all but ruined his summer, and Mickelson missed the cut at the U.S. Open and the British Open.
Then came more reason for optimism. Because he had struggled so much during the summer, Mickelson was poised to recapture some glory during the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs. And he did just that, going head to head with Woods at the Deutsche Bank Championship and prevailing in a stirring back-nine deal.
It was a signal the rivalry was on again, but it was short-circuited only a few days later when Mickelson decided to skip the next playoff event, the BMW Championship, where he would have been paired with Woods during the first two rounds.
The following week, Mickelson never contended as Woods ran away with the Tour Championship and the first FedEx Cup title.
Except for the Presidents Cup in Canada, where they were teammates, the two have not been seen together since.
That's why this week offered so much hope.
Despite the respiratory issues that first surfaced in October, possibly due to the heavy smoke from Southern California wildfires, Mickelson won a European Tour event in China. It was his last tournament before the Buick.
On Jan. 14, in a conference call with reporters to promote the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he is the defending champion, Mickelson said he could not wait to get going.
"I'm so excited to play golf after having a break," he said. "I find that I'm practicing harder, I'm working harder and mentally I'm fresh."
Mickelson is scheduled to play five straight tournaments on the West Coast, where he traditionally has had the most success in his career. He has won three times at the Buick Invitational, including in 2000, when he stopped a Woods winning streak at six straight tournaments.
For all of his frustrations, Mickelson still is ranked No. 2 in the world. And in the past five years, he is the only player other than Woods to win multiple majors.
"I'm excited about the progress I made throughout the latter part of the year and into the offseason with Butch Harmon," he said. "And I believe he is going to help me have a wonderful year."
Unfortunately, the much-anticipated start might have to wait.
We are not here to say Phil Mickelson was -- or is -- on the verge of overtaking Tiger Woods. Not even close. But Mickelson has proved to be an excellent foil, the best player currently equipped to stop, or at least slow, Woods' inevitable run toward Jack Nicklaus' major championship record.
The golf world was just getting geared up for their first tussle of the 2008 season at this week's Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines when word came that Mickelson was in bed and under a doctor's orders to stay there due to a lingering respiratory ailment that has plagued him since October.
It looks as if Mickelson will be able to pull himself together in time to tee it up Thursday (he will compete in the tournament's pro-am Wednesday), but even if he does play, it would be difficult to expect him to be at his best.
And, unfortunately, that has been the case more often than not since he offered up the ultimate tease by winning the 2007 Players Championship just weeks after beginning work with Woods' old coach, Butch Harmon.
The entire scenario was rich with irony. Woods, at the time, was not at the level that saw him win four of the last five tournaments of 2007. In fact, he had his worst finish of the year at the Players, a tie for 37th. And there was Harmon -- the one who helped Woods win eight major championships -- suddenly helping Phil find the fairway.
"What's most exciting is I feel like we're just getting started," Mickelson said at the time. "This is only week No. 3. I feel like in three months, how much are we going to progress? In three years, where are we going to be?"
It was an exciting time. Mickelson was seemingly over his meltdown at Winged Foot, where he was on the verge of winning his third consecutive major title before blowing his final-hole tee shot left of left. Harmon was in the process of helping him corral his wayward driver. The outlook was bright.
Three months later, Mickelson was nursing a wrist injury that effectively killed all the momentum gained from the Players Championship victory. While practicing for the U.S. Open at Oakmont, Mickelson hurt his wrist trying to play from the heavy rough. It all but ruined his summer, and Mickelson missed the cut at the U.S. Open and the British Open.
Then came more reason for optimism. Because he had struggled so much during the summer, Mickelson was poised to recapture some glory during the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs. And he did just that, going head to head with Woods at the Deutsche Bank Championship and prevailing in a stirring back-nine deal.
It was a signal the rivalry was on again, but it was short-circuited only a few days later when Mickelson decided to skip the next playoff event, the BMW Championship, where he would have been paired with Woods during the first two rounds.
The following week, Mickelson never contended as Woods ran away with the Tour Championship and the first FedEx Cup title.
Except for the Presidents Cup in Canada, where they were teammates, the two have not been seen together since.
That's why this week offered so much hope.
Despite the respiratory issues that first surfaced in October, possibly due to the heavy smoke from Southern California wildfires, Mickelson won a European Tour event in China. It was his last tournament before the Buick.
On Jan. 14, in a conference call with reporters to promote the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he is the defending champion, Mickelson said he could not wait to get going.
"I'm so excited to play golf after having a break," he said. "I find that I'm practicing harder, I'm working harder and mentally I'm fresh."
Mickelson is scheduled to play five straight tournaments on the West Coast, where he traditionally has had the most success in his career. He has won three times at the Buick Invitational, including in 2000, when he stopped a Woods winning streak at six straight tournaments.
For all of his frustrations, Mickelson still is ranked No. 2 in the world. And in the past five years, he is the only player other than Woods to win multiple majors.
"I'm excited about the progress I made throughout the latter part of the year and into the offseason with Butch Harmon," he said. "And I believe he is going to help me have a wonderful year."
Unfortunately, the much-anticipated start might have to wait.
PGA Tour Notebook: Feeling better, Mickelson will play at Torrey Pines
- AP
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Buick Invitational will have the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world, after all.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><!-- START 'inlineAd' BRANDING: /.element/ssi/story/1.0/DEFAULT/inlineAd.html --><!-- FINISH 'inlineAd' BRANDING --><!--endclickprintexclude-->After three days of bed rest and antibiotics for respiratory problems, Phil Mickelson said Tuesday he was feeling better and will play in the pro-am Wednesday at the Buick Invitational, paving the way for him to make his 2008 debut at Torrey Pines. He also has a practice session planned with swing coach Butch Harmon.
"I'm feeling much, much better," Mickelson said. "I'm happy about that and looking forward to working with Butch to make sure everything is in order for this week."
Mickelson has not played since winning the HSBC Champions in China in November. He suspects the respiratory problems, which included shortness of breath, stemmed from either cleaning up debris outside his San Diego County home after the wildfires, or something he picked up in Asia during a two-week stint last fall.
Mickelson is a three-time winner of the Buick Invitational, ending Tiger Woods' six-tournament winning streak in 2000 and last winning in 2001 in a playoff.
Woods is the three-time defending champion.
- AP
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Buick Invitational will have the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world, after all.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><!-- START 'inlineAd' BRANDING: /.element/ssi/story/1.0/DEFAULT/inlineAd.html --><!-- FINISH 'inlineAd' BRANDING --><!--endclickprintexclude-->After three days of bed rest and antibiotics for respiratory problems, Phil Mickelson said Tuesday he was feeling better and will play in the pro-am Wednesday at the Buick Invitational, paving the way for him to make his 2008 debut at Torrey Pines. He also has a practice session planned with swing coach Butch Harmon.
"I'm feeling much, much better," Mickelson said. "I'm happy about that and looking forward to working with Butch to make sure everything is in order for this week."
Mickelson has not played since winning the HSBC Champions in China in November. He suspects the respiratory problems, which included shortness of breath, stemmed from either cleaning up debris outside his San Diego County home after the wildfires, or something he picked up in Asia during a two-week stint last fall.
Mickelson is a three-time winner of the Buick Invitational, ending Tiger Woods' six-tournament winning streak in 2000 and last winning in 2001 in a playoff.
Woods is the three-time defending champion.
