Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Phil Mickelson

With the 73rd annual Master Tournament set to get underway in a weeks time it seems like the ideal period to look at the contenders for this years title, with the finish guaranteed to be one of the tightest in recent memory.

Over the next seven days leading up to the competition I will be evaluating the main competitors, and who could even be wearing the famous Green Jacket come Easter Sunday.

The first player that I’ll be looking at is Phil Mickelson, who is looking for his third Master title of the decade, and his forth career major.

Mickelson is currently the World Number two, but now the return of Tiger Woods is threatening to undo all the good work of the left-handed player, whose two titles this year already sees him as one of the form players going into the Championship.

Mickelson’s victories came fully ten months after his previous win in May of last year, and this return to form is part of the reason to take him very seriously in this years Masters.

Now why is the American worthy of being on of the favourites for the title?

Well his pedigree is one of the best in the field comes from his two previous wins at Augusta and his experience of nearly 16 years on the PGA tour.

The left-handed style is almost unique to the tour, but it could well be his rivalry with Tiger Woods that lights up this year’s tournament.

Maybe the biggest prize for Mickelson could be him claiming the world number one spot, something that could happen if he assures victory at Augusta.

Woods has held the number one ranking for a record 264 weeks, after last being usurped by Vijay Singh in 2005, preceding the Fijian’s USPGA victory the previous year.

So going into one of the most famous weeks in golf Mickelson has plenty to fight for, we all know his temperament can take the pressure, but can his status as one of the men to beat be his stepping stone to greatness in 2009.