The Loop

Tiger, Phil: A timely quip and a day to remember

March 23, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Who says Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are in matching slumps? Woods had the quip of the day on Wednesday at Bay Hill while Mickelson had maybe the best day of anyone on the property.

Woods, who will be paired in the opening two rounds with Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland, two of the Tour's longest drivers, was asked how it was going to feel being the popcorn hitter in the threesome. "I'll be the Corey Pavin of my group," said Woods. "Seriously. I'll just kind of put it out there in play and put it up on the green and try and make putts. Those guys will be bombing it way out there past me. It's a new game now."

Meanwhile, Mickelson finished his afternoon pro-am at around 5:55, signed his customary large volume of autographs and headed for a birthday celebration with his son, Evan, who turned eight on Wednesday. He was in town with Amy's dad, Gary McBride. "Our boys trip," as Mickelson calls it. "We're just going to hang out and have a little party. Tomorrow after the round we'll go to the fun parks and have it up." Eight years ago, Evan nearly didn't make it into the world and Phil's wife, Amy, nearly didn't survive the childbirth. That was four majors, a couple of cancers and an attack of arthritis ago but it still makes March 23rd a pretty good day in the Mickelson world.

-- Jim Moriarty