Phil Mickelson works on his short game Tuesday during a practice round before today's first round of Accenture Match Play Championship.

MARANA, Ariz. — Steve Stricker was at the Presidents Cup last fall when he learned he had risen to No. 3 in the world ranking. Then came a message from his wife, which would not easily be mistaken for a call of congratulations.

"Overrated," she said.

Stricker still laughs about that. And yes, he's still part of the Big Three.

As far as he fell off the world ranking charts, he's not someone who is looking for respect. And it's not like he doesn't know what it's like to get little recognition for a major achievement.

The Accenture Match Play Championship begins today, and Stricker is one of five past champions at Dove Mountain.

You don't remember?

He was among two dozen players who only got into the 64-man field because it was held in Australia to start the 2001 season, and the stars — Americans and Europeans alike — didn't want to travel halfway around the world a few days after Christmas.

Stricker was No. 90 in the world ranking and got the No. 55 seed. It's not surprising that he didn't get much credit for winning against many perceived to be a watered-down field. Greg Kraft was the No. 64 seed that year but was No. 104 in the world ranking.

What gets forgotten is whom Stricker defeated.

He knocked off Padraig Harrington in the first round, then Scott Verplank in the second. Stricker holed two bunker shots and demoralized Justin Leonard in the third round, then beat Nick O'Hern in 20 holes to reach the semifinals.

The final two victims were Toru Taniguchi and Pierre Fulke.

"I shouldn't say I catch a lot of flak for winning that event," Stricker said. "But it's not looked at, I don't think, as favorably as winning with Tiger in the event, or Ernie there — well, Ernie was there."

Els lost in the semifinals that year to Fulke.

"I keep telling myself I beat a lot of good players to win that event," Stricker said.

And that's what he has to do on The Gallery Course at Dove Mountain, perched in the high desert above Tucson. It is a course that favors power hitters and discriminates against the paying customers, who can watch only one hole at a time from one side of the fairway on terrain that slopes away from the action. Call this the anti-stadium course.

First up for Stricker is Daniel Chopra. Stricker doesn't need to hear the tired old line that "anyone can beat anyone over 18 holes." It was only seven weeks ago that Chopra beat him in a four-hole playoff at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.