E-Notes: Mickelson leaves the field in the dust

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• Phil Mickelson is the reigning "King of the Desert". He's won seven PGA TOUR events played in the deserts in the western USA. He has three wins in the old Tucson event and two each at the FBR Open and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. No one else has more than three wins in the desert.

Phil Mickelson

• More on Mickelson: He has eight Top-10 finishes at TPC Scottsdale, including four in the last five seasons. Over the last five years at the FBR Open, Mickelson has 14 rounds in the 60s (out of 18) and is a collective 60-under par.

• At least one rookie has won a tournament in the past nine years and 19 of the last 20. The only year in the last 20 in which no rookie was able to win was 1998. Two rookies won last year?Brandt Snedeker and George McNeill.

• It's important for rookies to get off to a good start in order to maintain or improve their eligibility status. Four rookies are already among the Top 50 on the FedExCup points list?Dustin Johnson (21st), Chez Reavie (25th), Matt Jones (39th) and Brett Rumford (43rd ).

Fred Couples

• When Fred Couples finished in a tie for eighth last week at the Buick Invitational, it marked his first Top-10 finish since he tied for third at the 2006 Masters. Mark O'Meara spends most of his time now on the Champions Tour, but last week, the 51-year old made the cut at the Buick Invitational before finishing 66th.

• Look for someone with Phoenix-area ties to contend this week at the FBR Open. Players with ties to the area have won seven of the last 12 FBR Opens including last year, when local resident Aaron Baddeley won.

• Ryuji Imada is not known as a big hitter. In fact, he was 148th on TOUR in Driving Distance last year. Last week, though, he nailed the longest drive of the young season at the Buick Invitational. His final-round blast on the 14th hole hit a cart path before going 414 yards.