Forethoughts
A Scratch Golfer Newsletter Exclusive

Tiger vs Tiger, Phil vs Phil

Tiger Woods returns to competition this week for the first time since his devoted father, Earl, passed away. He couldn't have picked a tougher week -- the tournament with the most intense pressure, the US Open, on one of the most severe tests of golf, played outside New York City with its raucous and sometimes tactless fans.

Will Tiger rise to the storybook drama by grinding through his emotional pain to win this one for dad on Father's Day? Or will the two-month competitive layoff since the Masters exacerbate his struggles with keeping the driver in the fairway and his repaired putter on line?

While Woods was away, Phil Mickelson seized the spotlight, the No. 2 world's ranking, and is now considered by some to be at least on par with Tiger. Lefty is the current holder of both the Wanamaker Trophy and the Masters green jacket, and has had an uncommon concentration on adding the third leg of the so-called "MickleSlam."

Be careful, boys. In their rivalry of a previous generation, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer admitted they sometimes focused so much on beating each other that they let other players sneak by them in the process.

The media and fans would love to see a tense, nail-gnawing, ratings-boosting Tiger against Phil duel right down to the final putt at Winged Foot ... maybe even a playoff between them. But don't be shocked if both players succumb to their personal battles this week, and one of the less heralded but highly talented Tour pros emerges from the shadows for a moment of glory.

-- Rick Adams

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