GOLF TOUR NEWS:PHIL MICKELSON may have abandoned the strict vegetarian diet he adopted to combat psoriatic arthritis during 2010 but the US Masters champion is hungry for success and is part of a stellar field – including all four major champions – gathered for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
The 40-year-old American is joined in the desert by his three fellow major champions; Graeme McDowell (US Open), Louis Oosthuizen (British Open) and Martin Kaymer (US PGA), who is also the defending champion.
“I was a strict vegetarian for five months and that went okay but, ultimately, it was doomed to fail,” said Mickelson on the eve of today’s first round. “I learned a lot from that as far as eating habits and diet so I’ve implemented a lot of the things from that.
“I continue to eat a lot more vegetables than I have in the past and I’m trying to have a better balance now instead of all protein. But as far as the arthritis, that’s something that will never go away but I was fortunate because I got on it right away before there was permanent damage to any joints.”
Mickelson, who makes his competitive debut in the Middle East, had an otherwise disappointing 2010 season despite winning the Masters and is hoping he can find some early season form.
Last season Mickelson was challenging Tiger Woods – who confirmed he will make his seasonal debut at the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego next week – when he was world number one, but the left-hander has dropped to fourth alongside McDowell in the latest rankings.
“My goal this year in 2011 is to have the year I expected 2010 to be,” added Mickelson. “With the exception of the Masters, it wasn’t the year I had hoped for. I have been working hard in the off-season to make 2011 the year I believe I can have and the one I had hoped for last year.”
The four-time major winner said he had struggled with his strength work in the gym.
“I had lost a lot of strength over the summer from the medication I took before I was really getting treatment.
“I was having difficulty getting that strength back, and had to add protein back into my diet. Since then I’ve been able to get back to lifting weights.”
Mickelson’s last event was in Singapore in mid-November, but he has not been idle.
“It was my turn to plan our anniversary trip last year and, knowing it’s been a dream of Amy’s to see the pyramids, we went to Egypt,” he said.
“We spent time in Cairo and Luxor, went to the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, saw the tombs of the nobles, the Cairo Museum and the Karnak Temple. We were home for a while and then took the whole family skiing in Montana.”
Mickelson has described it as “time to get back to work” and is thankful his “body feels great after being able to practice and work out”. However, the fact remains, he has only finished inside the top 10 once since the US Open at Pebble Beach last June where McDowell famously won his maiden major.
He and McDowell are paired together, alongside Retief Goosen, for the first two rounds in Abu Dhabi, as are the other major winners, Oosthuizen and Kaymer, who tee it up alongside Pádraig Harrington.
Kaymer, ranked third in the world, will also be trying to make it three wins in four years and close the gap on Lee Westwood, who is in his 12th week at the top since taking over from Woods, who is now in second.
Like Mickelson, Westwood is hoping to hit the ground running for he has only managed three tournaments in his time as world number one.
He was runner-up to Ryder Cup team-mate Francesco Molinari in Shanghai, third at the Dubai World Championship and then a runaway eight-stroke winner of the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
The 37-year-old has had six weeks off since then, but flew to the Middle East a week ago to “shake the rust off” and it will be something of a shock if there is a repeat of last year’s missed cut, his only one in the past 20 months.
“I’m just trying to continue where I left off last season,” said Westwood, whose last competitive shot saw him chip-in for birdie at Sun City. “I know it’s a new year, but you don’t really think about that as a golfer – they all blend into each other after a while. This is my 18th year on tour.
“There is a lot of focus on you when you are world number one; it’s quite intense and there’s a lot to do, and it was nice to get away, lock the clubs up for four or five weeks, not think about holing three or four-footers for par and get mentally fresh.
“I’ve got that feeling where it may be a good week, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself, I’m going out there with no expectations. I’ve got to try to get my preparation right for Augusta in April,” added Westwood in reference to the US Masters, the first major of the season.
There is a strong Irish contingent in Abu Dhabi as McDowell and Harrington are joined by Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie, Gareth Maybin, Damien McGrane, Michael Hoey and Paul McGinley.
The Lowdown
Course:Abu Dhabi Golf Course. Length: 7,152 yards. Par: 72.
Prizemoney: €2,030,000, €334,398 for the winner.
Field: 126.
Defending champion: Martin Kaymer.
First played: 2007.
Most wins:Kaymer, Paul Casey (twice).
On TV:Sky Sports.
Weather:Light showers last night and may bother early starters today. Clear conditions predicted for the rest of the week, with breezes only up to 12mph.
