USPGA TOUR:PHIL MICKELSON is viewing this week's Colonial Invitational in Fort Worth as the point where his US Open build-up begins in earnest.
The US Masters champion will go into the event at Colonial Country Club looking to fine-tune his game ahead of his pursuit of a fifth major title at Pebble Beach.
“The stretch to the Open starts this week,” he said. “Everything is in preparation for that, from the equipment in the bag to shot-making and strategy.
“With the wind here and at Pebble it’s a great opportunity to work on ball-striking into wind and across winds. I’ve also spent the last couple of weeks practising and getting my game sharp and ready for this stretch.”
Mickelson again has the opportunity to wrest the world number one spot from Tiger Woods should he become only the second man, after five-time champion Ben Hogan, to win this event more than twice.
Mickelson has yet to reach top spot in 18 years on the tour but, as he noted yesterday: “Thirteen of those were “Tiger years”, so it hasn’t been the easiest!
“It would be one of those things to look back on and be able to say you’ve accomplished, even if it’s just for a week. But I can’t focus on it, I just need to go out and play like the number one player in the world.”
Colonial will again stage a “Pink-out” in support of Mickelson’s wife, Amy, and mother, Mary, in their battle with breast cancer, with which Amy was diagnosed a week before last year’s event.
Players wore pink shirts while fund-raisers and giant banners were present, and Mickelson expressed his gratitude when he said: “They had no obligation to do anything like that – they went out of their way to show one of the nicest gestures I’ve seen, so there is an emotional loyalty on my part.
“Every year a couple of hundred thousand women are diagnosed and it helped them to feel some emotional support.”
He added: “Mentally, the challenge is wearing pink, because I know I don’t look good in pink!
“I’m just happy to be back and that we’re a year down the road, things are looking good and I’m able to come back and enjoy this event.”
A strong field sees 22 of the current top-30 in the FedEx Cup standings take to the first tee, looking to follow in the the footsteps of an illustrious list of winners which includes the likes of Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw – the last Texan to win the event in 1990.
Local member Jason Day, who captured his first PGA Tour title at last week’s Byron Nelson Championship, goes into the tournament looking to extend a four-tournament run of non-American winners – the longest since 2008 – and build on Australia’s first back-to-back wins since 2006 after Adam Scott won the previous week’s Texas Open.
