Can Mickelson back up at the Memorial?

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2008 the Memorial Tournament | Preview | 28 May 2008

The Memorial Tournament may be missing the game’s greatest current player, Tiger Woods, but the game’s other greatest player, Jack Nicklaus, will ensure fans and players at this week’s event in Columbus, Ohio, will get their chance to pay homage to at least one of the game’s truly iconic figures.

Just as the Bay Hill Invitational is synonymous with Arnold Palmer, the Colonial Invitational with Ben Hogan, the Byron Nelson Championship with Byron Nelson and the Greensboro Open with Sam Snead, the Memorial at Muirfield Village has the fingerprints of Jack Nicklaus stamped all over it.

Not only did tournament host, Nicklaus, co-design the golf course at Muirfield Village, his association with the event generally has seen it grow into one of the must play events on the PGA Tour. That it is being played in the perfect time slot for those keen to use it as their last warm up for the US Open just two weeks away doesn’t hurt either.

The field this week includes six of the top ten in the world. Of those in the top ten, Tiger Woods is still recovering from his knee surgery, Ernie Els is resting up in London, Adam Scott is out through illness and Vijay Singh is suffering from a rib injury.

With an inform Phil Mickelson in the field and plenty of others more than capable of presenting him with more than he can handle, the event promises to be something very special.

Mickelson did not play this event last year due to the wrist injury he was struggling with at the time but he was 4th behind Carl Pettersson in 2006. He has only played twice here in the past eight years but that was also the case at the Crowne Plaza Invitational last week where Mickelson won so it may not be a factor as he lines up this week. Backing up with consecutive victories has typically been the reserve of Tiger Woods but it would not surprise anyone if Mickelson did so this week.

The defending champion is K.J. K.J. Choi, who in addition to his win last year has also been inside the top ten twice in other years. K.J. Choi’s last round of 65 to win over Ryan Moore and Rod Pampling last year was a stunning round of golf although admittedly at a time when K.J. Choi was close to the peak of his game. He started the 2008 season well but the last few weeks have provided some cause for concern, missing the cut at the Players Championship and then again last week in Fort Worth. If he can recapture the form of a few weeks ago then he is right in this event once again.

Stewart Cink has not missed a cut in his last ten starts at this event. He finished 5th last year and in 2001 was 4th but in 2008 we have witnessed a very consistent performer in Cink. Cink certainly does not win out of turn, in fact it has been nearly four years since he last won, but he gives himself plenty of opportunities and he might do the same again this week.

Sergio Garcia has had his moments at the Memorial including when runner up to Woods in 2001. After his breathtaking victory at the Players two weeks ago, Garcia has freshened himself for the big weeks ahead by choosing not to play in either Europe or the US last week. He should do well again especially with the belief that his first win in nearly three years has given him.

Geoff Ogilvy appears to be closing in on some very good form and although he has yet to do anything special in this event, at his peak he could easily improve on his best finish of 9th here last year.

Jim Furyk missed the cut last week at the Colonial which was a bit of a surprise but he has played well on occasions at this venue including when winning in 2002.

Kenny Perry has not won for three years but has been in very solid form in recent months. He plays this golf course as well as anyone, winning the event on two occasions and being regularly inside the top ten. He finished third behind K.J. Choi last year and it would surprise if he was not somewhere in the mix on Sunday.

Rod Pampling blew a great chance to win this event last year, leading by three heading into the final day before being run down. He seems to have found form at present, his runner up finish last week in Texas clear evidence of that. He has played this event well on each of the last two times he has competed and could compensate for last week’s near miss.

Nick O’Hern and this golf course seem to get along just fine, the Australian finishing 6th on debut in 2005 then leading after round one last year before finishing 23rd. O’Hern seems to be improving in recent weeks after a rather slow start to the year and on the right type of golf course for him, which this appears to be, he could have a very good week.

Other Australians in the field include, Aaron Baddeley, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Richard Green, John Senden, Nathan Green, Mathew Goggin, Jason Day and Matt Jones along with New Zealander Tim Wilkinson.