Mickelson Hottest Player at Wrong Time

Although golf season never truly sleeps, the completion of Sunday's WGC-HSBC Championship in Shanghai, China, does, for all meaningful purposes, give fans the OK to nod off until at least January when the PGA Tour starts all over again.

With the exception of this week's final tour stop at Disney World, where the story is a scramble for a spot among the season's top 125 money winners and exempt playing status for next season, nothing remains on the calendar that could significantly alter the memory of 2009.

That means two interesting and late-developing trends will carry over to 2010, providing golf an unaccustomed offseason water-cooler subject to debate.

Trend One: When Phil Mickelson shot a final-round 69 Sunday in Shanghai to pull out a one-shot win over Ernie Els, it confirmed him as the game's hottest player.

Lefty ended this season by breaking out of a slump to win the Tour Championship, than added a quality 4-0-1 performance during the United States' Presidents Cup win, and on Sunday finished a 17-under performance to win in China.

Unfortunately, what good is it to be the hottest player when you are sitting at home in the offseason? "I won't play again until the end of January in the U.S.," Mickelson said. What a time for the season to end. If it was the summer and Mickelson was playing like this, golf would be talking about the possibility of a new world No. 1.

Trend Two: Tiger Woods, who was 14 for 14 in major championships when leading after 54 holes before losing the PGA Championship to Y.E. Yang in August, again played in the final group and failed to win.

Paired with Mickelson on Sunday, Woods posted an uninspiring even-par 72, falling six shots back on the front nine, and finally finishing tied for sixth, five shots back.

"Just one of those days," Woods said.

Does this all work to suggest 2010 is waiting for Mickelson to make it his? Can he pick back up next year as he finished this one?

"Well, I'm excited about 2010 because I'm starting to play the best golf of my career," Mickelson said. "And everything is starting to kind of come together as far as my driving. Since starting to work with Butch Harmon, my ball striking has been much better. My short game is better than it's ever been. Going into 2010, not only am I excited about it, but I have very high expectations."

No less a golf authority than NBC's Johnny Miller has gone on record proclaiming Mickelson the top player of the year candidate for 2010.

The only trouble with that is next season is two months away.

That's potential for a lot of In And Out burgers.

It is inspiring to see Mickelson playing well. Golf, now more than ever, needs him to step into the role of fulltime rival for Woods -- not just an occasional foil.

But the idea that Mickelson is suddenly golf's new gold standard, is a reach because there's too many variables.

Back home wife Amy continues a fight with breast cancer.

Almost immediately after walking off the course Sunday, Mickelson called home to California.

"It's late over there," he said. "And I'll give her a call again shortly. It's midnight, 12:30 there. But she was able to watch at home in the States. She said she was so nervous that she was cleaning out cupboards and stuff -- which caught me off guard."

If Mickelson shows up to start next season without having hit a ball, it would be totally understandable.

Right now he's totally shutting down. When and how he gets back into action is anyone guess.

"It's been a fun way for us to end the year and she's doing much better," Mickelson said in China. "We are looking forward to the next eight to 10 weeks off where we can spend some time together, and we have a few family trips lined up, too."

In the meantime, sleep well.