Mickelson Still Own Worst Enemy; Harrington Green With Envy

Notes, quotes and a week of golf gossip ...

Far too often Phil Mickelson seems to outsmart himself.

He showed up last week at Doral with two drivers in the bag -- one to hit high and far, one to keep low to the ground to combat gusting winds.

The idea was better in theory than reality.

When the week was over, Mickelson had hit 20 of 56 fairways -- ranking dead last in the field of 68 players.

The result was a tie for 14th, the fourth time in five events this year Mickelson has finished outside the top 10. A disappointing trend for the player who was supposed to benefit most from Tiger Woods' absence.

"I'm doing the best I can," Mickelson said. "It just is not quite clicking on the course yet. But I don't feel far off. I feel like there's just one key area that needs to get improved upon, and that's on the greens."

Padraig a Pip

A strange exchange took place last week at Doral, and reflects why Irishman Padraig Harrington is being honored at next month Golf Writers Association awards dinner with its Jim Murray Award, which basically goes to an extra-cooperative good guy.

He would have been excused for going off on the chowder head, but instead, simply made his point.

Q: If you should win here, would that be a triumph for Ireland or for the British people?

Harrington: "You know, obviously by asking that question, you haven't shown very much insight into anything, so I'll let you go do the homework on it.

"That would be like if a Canadian won here, would it be a triumph for the Americans or the Canadians. If a South American won here, would it be a triumph -- it would be the same thing.

"I'm not from Britain. I'm Irish. It's never been -- I think you want to talk that to maybe one of the guys from Northern Ireland. I'm from the other side of the Republic: Green, white and orange."

This Week in Tampa

This week's PGA Tour stop in the Transitions Championship played at Innisbrook Resort just outside Tampa, Fla.

The Copperhead course, with rolling hills and pine-tree lined fairways, is a total break from the typical Florida track and has the level of difficulty to prove it.

Only three players have shot all four rounds in the 60s in the event's 10-year history: K.J. Choi/2002/won, Vijay Singh/2004/won, and Jesper Parnevik/2004/T2).

The course's final three holes, dubbed "The Snake Pit," played a total of .0634 over par last year, making it the fifth-most difficult closing three-hole stretch on tour.

Green on Course

Ken Green, who hopes to return to Champions Tour competition despite last year losing a leg in a RV accident, played well enough in a senior mini-tour event at Fort Myers, Fla., last weekend to convince him to keep plugging.

Green is planning to team with Mike Reid in the Champions Tour Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in late April in Savannah, Ga.

"I've hit enough quality shots that I'm definitely going to play with him," said Green, after a final-round 77 left him 8-over for the two-day event and tied for 39th in the field of 47 players. "The putter is still with me. I haven't lost that. The big guy was kind enough to leave that for me."

Trump Moves Forward

Despite the lingering financial downturn that is stymieing construction projects around the world American billionaire Donald Trump says he remains committed to building what he has dubbed the "world's greatest golf course" in Scotland.

Trump's proposal includes 950 holiday homes, a hotel, an equestrian center, tennis courts and a residential village, on top of the championship golf course.

With latest official statistics showing unemployment in Scotland has risen to 7.6 percent, the move has been welcomed by the country's government, which is anxious to bring investment to the area.
In contrast, the $1 billion "Tiger Woods Dubai" resort originally planned for September 2009 has been delayed indefinitely with only eight holes built so far.

Noteworthy

Scotsman Colin Montgomerie has committed to next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, only his second U.S. tournament appearance since being named captain of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team ... Rookie Derek Lamely finished at 19-under to on Monday win the rain-delayed Puerto Rico Open, his first career victory and first tournament win by a rookie since Marc Tumesa claimed the 2008 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open ... John Daly tied for 24th in Puerto Rico, his first top-25 finish since the 2007 Buick Open.