Mickelson unsure of where state of game is

AKRON, Ohio -- Since winning the Masters, Phil Mickelson has produced three top-5 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in June.

But he's also missed the cut at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, a course that's generally to his liking, and then was a non-factor at the British Open, an event that's generally not to his liking.

So when Mickelson tees off Thursday at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, his usual lofty expectations will be tempered by the fact that the condition of his game is a bit murky to read.

"I don't know exactly where my game is," Mickelson said this week. "I didn't play well in Europe. I had two weeks off. I haven't really played great golf in six or seven weeks.

"I've been working on it a little bit. I feel like it's pretty close, but I won't know till I get out there and play a championship golf course like we're going to play at Akron."

Firestone Country Club has not been kind to Mickelson in recent years. In his last 27 rounds in this event, just seven have been under par. And other than a tie for fourth in 2008, Mickelson has not finished inside the top 20 at Bridgestone in his last seven starts here.

That doesn't mean, though, that he won't be pushing hard this week. With a chance to overtake Tiger Woods as the world's top-ranked golfer, the No. 2-ranked Mickelson certainly has plenty of incentive to win his third World Golf Championships event in two years. Mickelson won the CA Championship and the HSBC Champions last year.

Mickelson has never won Player of the Year honors but he knows the next few weeks -- with a World Golf Championships event, the year's last major, then the four-tournament PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup -- could decide the winner.

"It would mean a lot to me," Mickelson said about being No. 1. "... These next two weeks, Akron and the PGA (Championship), before we get to The Barclays, are special events, not because it provides an opportunity to become No. 1. If I were able to come out and win the PGA, I would take a year that's been special and memorable and make it one of the best years in my career if I were able to do that."

And while Mickelson doesn't have to worry about his spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team -- he currently leads in points -- he does know that other top Americans must still scramble to secure one of the guaranteed spots. That includes Tiger Woods, who at No. 9 is on the outside looking in.

The next several weeks will be interesting from several perspectives.

"Coming down to the stretch, there's a lot of cool things that can happen," Mickelson said. "It's not just myself that has a chance to be No. 1; Lee Westwood does as well. We have a lot of guys that are fighting to get on the Ryder Cup, guys that have a possibility to be Player of the Year, guys that have won multiple times on the TOUR.

"It's been an interesting year in golf. It's going to come down to these last two months. I think it's going to be a lot of excitement."

But that's not to say the the last few weeks have lacked for excitement. The 59s shot by Paul Goydos and Stuart Appleby did not go unnoticed by Mickelson. He was glued to the TV as Appleby charged to The Greenbrier Classic title with a final-round 59 on Sunday.

"It's some amazing golf," he said. "I think the conditions lent itself to it in that we have a softer golf course that's in beautiful shape, par 70, so it was possible.

"But to shoot 11 under, to shoot 59, is incredible golf ... I don't think that it's equipment driven. If anything, we've had a roll back with some of the grooves. I don't think it's equipment driven as much as it is talent."

Mickelson certainly has the talent to go low this week. But who knows if he will.

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