Phil Mickelson insists long-time rival Tiger Woods’ return next week to St. Andrews, and where he captured two Open Championship’s in dominating manner, could herald a return to form for the struggling former long-time World No. 1.
Woods is expected to arrive at St. Andrews over the weekend to begin preparations for next Thursday’s start to the 144thstaging of golf’s oldest Major.
Woods is a three-time former Open Champion winning first at St. Andrews by eight shots in 2000, and in what was the largest margin of victory in an Open since 1913, and also the third largest winning margin ever in the championship.
Woods then captured a second Claret Jug five years later with a five-shot triumph at the Home of Golf.
Next week will be Woods’ 20th Open appearance since making his debut at St. Andrews in 1995 however it will be a first where the near 40-year old is clearly not among the bookies favourites.
Long-time arch rival Phil Mickelson says Tiger Woods could regain form at next week’s Open Championship.
“I believe it’s much easier for Tiger to get back to a level of play that he has achieved in the past than to do it for a first time,” said Mickelson.
“The fact that Tiger has won twice at St. Andrews and he’s able to perform at that level, and knows what if feels like and knows what it should feel like, can only be a benefit to Tiger.
“So that will make it much easier for him to find that level of play because he’s done it before so I would never rule him out especially with his strength, and also the fact he’s healthy.
“When Tiger is healthy he’s always a force.”
However it has now been more than seven years since Woods won a 14th Major Championship and while Mickelson is not about to write him off next week, he was certain Woods could return to his dominating manner of the late 1990s and mid-2000s.
“I don’t know when Tiger will get back to the level he expects to, and I don’t know how long that will take, but I just know he will get eventually get there,” added Mickelson.
“He won five tournaments in a year just two years ago, so I just don’t think he’s that far removed from that.
Tiger Woods wins the 2000 Open by eight shots and the largest margin in golf’s oldest major since 1913. (Photo – afp)
“The biggest thing is healthy and is able to work on his game.”
Mickelson was commenting after adding a second round two under par 68 to move to three under par and only just make the halfway cut in the Scottish Open at Gullane.
Two years ago Mickelson completed a Scottish victory double capturing the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and then winning a first Open Championship at Muirfield that borders this week’s host venue to the east of Edinburgh.
“The tough thing for me is having to get used to playing a new course the last few years like last year at Royal Aberdeen where the ball was bouncing everywhere and the mounds any everything,” he said.
“You couldn’t hit it into a par three because there was big hills that would kick the ball to the side, so it’s hard to learn a new course every year.
“So I would rather they played two or three and just keep rotating between them.”
Little known England-born Daniel Brooks enjoys a three shot halfway lead in eagling his second hole and birding the closing two in a round of 68 to move to 11-under par.
Brooks is currently ranked 528th in the world and has missed the cut in 15 of 19 events this season including 13 in succession from the Malaysian Open to last fortnight’s event in Munich.
And the 28-year old Londoner is on target to secure one of three spots into next week’s Open Championship should he be among the leading three finishers inside the top-10 who are not already exempt.
“I just missed the cut in Germany, but played nice last week in France finishing 20th though there was still plenty of silly mistakes so it’s all about cutting out those mistakes,” he said to reporters.
Six players, including past Scottish Open and U.S. Open winners in Justin Rose (66) and Graeme McDowell (66), share second place on eight under par
