Phil Mickelson joins field at 2004 Bellsouth Classic

BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2004 BellSouth Classic | General | 26 Mar 2004

Phil Mickelson, the world’s eighth ranked golfer and the winner of 22 PGA TOUR events since joining the circuit a dozen years ago, will play in the 2004 BellSouth Classic, April 1 – 4 at TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth. He joins a star-packed field that already includes David Toms, Mike Weir, Shaun Micheel, Lee Janzen and defending champion Ben Crane. These players, along with 138 more of the world’s best players, will compete for a first prize check of US$810,000. Now in its 36th year, the 72-hole PGA TOUR event offers a total purse of US$4.5 million, a 12.5% increase from last year.

Here are some quick facts on Mickelson:

• “Lefty” is off to one of the best starts of his career. In six events, he collected five top 10’s (best on TOUR) and banked US$1,781,100. He captured the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in his first start of the year snapping a winless steak that dated back to the summer of 2002. He then tied for 7th at the FBR Open, finished solo 3rd at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, tied for 4th at the Buick Invitational in his native San Diego and collected a 5th place tie at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

• In the TOUR’s statistical categories this year, he ranks 1st in scoring average before the cut (67.69), 2nd in money and scoring average (69.01), 3rd in par breakers (29.6%), 3rd in birdie average (5.29) and 4th in birdie conversion percentage.

• Mickelson finished 38th on the 2003 earnings list, after three consecutive years finishing 2nd to Tiger Woods. He ranks 4th in career money with US$25,554,206. His best finishes last year were a 3rd at The Masters, a 4th place tie at the Buick Invitational, a tie for 6th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and The INTERNATIONAL, and 9th place ties at the Phoenix Open, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Las Vegas Invitational.

• Prior to 2000, he had never won professionally in Georgia. That year he captured both the BellSouth Classic and THE TOUR Championship that was played at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

• Mickelson won the 1991 Northern Telecom Open as an amateur. He was the first amateur since Scott Verplank in 1985 to win a TOUR event and is the last to do so.

• He is a native of California and went to college in Arizona. No less than 12 of his 22 career wins have taken place in those two states.

• Weir played on the Presidents Cup team in 2000 and is a three-time member of Canada’s World Cup team (2000, 2001, 2002).

• He won the 1990 US Amateur, becoming the only left-handed player ever to do so.

• Mickelson joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to ever win the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year. He is also is one of just four golfers to be named first team college All-American four consecutive years. Others were Gary Hallberg, David Duval and Bryce Molder.

• He has been a member of two Walker Cup teams, four Ryder Cup teams and five President’s Cup teams.
  Tournament Notes:

Former BellSouth Classic champions currently in the field include Mickelson (2000), Ben Crane (2003), Scott McCarron (1997 and 2001), Corey Pavin (1991), Scott Simpson (1989) and Bob Tway (1986).

Hank Kuehne, who finished tied for 3rd at last year’s BellSouth Classic playing on a sponsor’s exemption, will play this year as well. Kuehne led the PGA TOUR in driving distance last year with a record-setting mark of 321.4.

Source – BellSouth Classic