Mickelson back at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio — Four years have passed since Phil Mickelson last played in the Memorial Tournament.
He swears his absence has nothing to do with his lack of success.
"I've been trying to come back and I loved playing here," Mickelson said Wednesday on the eve of the opening round of the Memorial. "It's just that in between the Masters and the U.S. Open, there are eight really good tournaments and this has just been the one that has fallen out the last couple of years."
Mickelson brings star power to a field that includes eight of the top 10 players in the world rankings but is without tournament founder Jack Nicklaus for the first time and three-time champion Tiger Woods for the first time in a decade.
"We've got a great field," Nicklaus said. "It's probably as good as we've ever had."
Nicklaus had played in the first 30 Memorials on the course he designed and in the tournament he created, but is on a hiatus from competitive golf that may not end.
Woods hasn't played since the death of his father, Earl, on May 3.
Mickelson, who has won three of the last eight major championships including the Masters last month, is using the Memorial as part of his tuneup for the U.S. Open from June 15 to 18 at Winged Foot.
"It starts my stretch now, through the U.S. Open, and what a great place to start at Muirfield Village," Mickelson said.
Mickelson has played seven times at the Memorial and has never finished better than a tie for ninth in his last appearance here in 2002 — the year Woods' streak of three consecutive victories at Jack's place came to an end.
Defending champion Bart Bryant is back, but isn't in top form. In 12 starts so far this season, he has only one top-10 finish — and has missed the cut in four tournaments.
"I haven't played great this year," said Bryant, still recovering from knee surgery. "Things are starting to get back to normal and I feel like my game is coming around a little bit. I feel like if I can get my putter worked out and some other issues fixed that I might have a chance to recapture some of that magic I had last year."
Bryant hit a 14-foot putt for par on the final hole — after his tee shot left him with an unplayable lie — to clinch a one-shot victory over Fred Couples.
Couples, too, is back. Unlike Mickelson, he always seems to play well at Muirfield. He won the Memorial in 1998 and ended up second each of the last two years.
"It's one of my favorite tournaments," Couples said. "I just think it's a phenomenal course. The last couple of years I've played some really, really good golf. The one year I hung in there, but I couldn't catch Ernie (Els) and last year it was very exciting and Bart played well and ended up winning."
