Phil Mickelson said something that rival Tiger Woods probably never would say about a chief competitor.
Phil misses Tiger's presence at the Masters.
According to the Seattle Times, Mickelson admitted sorrow in not being able to compete against the world's No. 1 player at the first major golf tournament of the 2014 season.
"It's a weird feeling not having him here, isn't it?" Mickelson said. "He's been such a mainstay in professional golf and the majors. It's awkward to not have him here. I hope he gets back soon. I mean, I hope he's back for the other majors, and as much as I want to win and I know how great he is and tough to beat it ... it also makes it special when he's in the field and you're able to win."
Woods was forced to skip the Masters to have surgery to repair a bulging disc in his back.
Woods' absence at Augusta gives Mickelson a little better chance at capturing his fourth green jacket, which would tie him with Woods and Arnold Palmer - two names with which any present-day golfer would love to be mentioned in the same sentence.
So while Lefty was asked about the possibility of tying Lee Trevino's six major victories and tracking down Palmer's seven major victories with a win this week, he instead focused on the Masters titles and who's ahead of him there.
"Not really," Mickelson said when asked whether he thinks about passing Trevino and Palmer. "But I do know that Arnold and Tiger have four jackets and I have three. I know Jack has six, but nothing I can do about that right now. I'm just trying to get back to where the two ahead of me are."
Mickelson, however, has his own ailments to curtail, having strained an oblique muscle that caused him to withdraw from the Texas Open two weekends ago. He hasn't had a top-10 finish this season, which he admits has opened the possibility to some doubt "because I always like coming into this week with a win. ... being in contention a few times and having that confidence and experience to build on."
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