Stricker playing the best golf; Mickelson's woes; Mailbag

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My colleague, Helen Ross, wrote a piece on whether Steve Stricker is now the best player never to have won a major. I'll take it a step further and say that he's the best player in golf right now.

The emphasis, of course, is on right now with Tiger Woods still on an indefinite leave of absence and Phil Mickelson, the man Stricker supplanted as the No. 2 player in the Official World Golf Rankings, struggling with his driving or putting or both. Before you call me crazy, just look at what Sticker has done the last 12 months.

Since finishing second at the 2009 Northern Trust Open, Stricker has 12 top-10s in 22 starts, including four wins. Now, Lee Westwood has 15 top-10s in his last 22 events, but half as many wins with two. Mickelson, meanwhile, hasn't had a top-10 this year and had seven all of 2009 to go with three wins (more on Mickelson's struggles in Stock Down and Back Nine).

As for Woods? We have no idea when he's coming back or what type of shape his game will be in. But we saw last year what Stricker can do playing in the Woods vortex and this year that seems to have made him a better player, one much more comfortable with the spotlight and in the heat of competition coming down the stretch.

Champion's Replay

Want to hear what Steve Stricker said about his win at the Farmers Insurance Open? Click here Shot Tracker Replay Stricker's final round MORE PLAYERS • Final-round highlights • Shot of the Day • Final wrap-up • Complete tourney coverage

"I learned a lot from last year," Stricker said Sunday night. "I think it is helping me today and allowed me to do what I did out there coming in."

Specifically, Stricker knew he had to improve his focus in these situations and there's no better way to do that than to play against and with Woods. Last year, Stricker was paired with Woods seven times during the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup and the two formed an unbeatable duo at The Presidents Cup.

Still, Stricker isn't letting the win at Riviera go to his head.

"We all know who the best player in the world is," Stricker said. "I tried to compare my game to his back in '96 or '97, I guess, and there was no comparison for my game to his back then."

There is now.

Stock up

Dustin Johnson: Johnson, who will defend this week at Pebble Beach, could have disappeared after a third-round 74. Instead, he shot 66 to tie for third, giving him three top-16 finishes in four events this year. FedExCup rank: 14 (35 last week) Ernie Els: Another week, another finish in the top 12. Els has yet to shoot an over-par round this year and he ranks third on TOUR in scoring average at 68.81. FedExCup rank: 18 (20 last week) Luke Donald: It wasn't a great start to the year for Donald with four of six rounds in the 70s, but that was a pretty good turn around at Riviera, where he made one bogey over his last 36 holes an shot 66-66 to finish second. FedExCup rank: 10 (119 last week)

Stock down

Phil Mickelson: What happened to the momentum Mickelson had at the end of last year and the feeling of being better prepared for a season this year more than any other? Twenty-three bogeys over his last eight rounds, including 14 at Riviera. It's been the driver, the putter or both. FedExCup rank: 74 (83 last week) Vijay Singh: Father Time was going to catch up with Singh at some point and so have a bunch of nagging little injuries, apparently. The soon-to-be 47-year-old is a collective 3 over this year in two events, which includes a missed cut in L.A. FedExCup rank: 139 (126 last week) Padraig Harrington: Harrington is a notoriously slow starter and it appears he might be on that track again with rounds of 72-73 and a missed cut in his first start on TOUR this season. FedExCup rank: N/A

THE BACK NINE: 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. Phil Mickelson has had spots of trouble with the putter this year, yes, but the most troubling thing to me is that he's hitting just 48 percent of his fairways. When he drives it like that, he has almost no shot.

2. One of two scenarios will happen re: the grooves controversy. John Solheim will essentially waive his right to the rule allowing pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedges to be played, or the independent committee, actually formed in 1994, will make an evaluation.

3. The speedier of the two resolutions on the Ping Eye 2 wedges, obviously, would be Solheim simply allowing them to be taken out of play. That may not happen, though. On a side note, Hunter Mahan and Fred Couples used the wedges in L.A.

4. Tom Watson never ceases to amaze. Seven months after his near-win at the British Open, the 60-year-old keeps on ticking, finishing in a tie for eighth in Dubai. He should go down as one of the 10 best golfers of all-time.

5. How good is Dan Quinn's life? Quinn, you might recall spent 14 years in the NHL, mostly with the Pittsburgh Penguins. When he retired, he started making hay on the Celebrity Golf Tour. Now, he's on Ernie Els' bag (more about that in Ernie's blog). Nice work, if you can find it.

6. Paul Goydos might be "astonished" by his selection as an assistant captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he shouldn't be. He is one of the nicest and funniest guys on TOUR. That will go a long way in the team room.

7. Jerry West's involvement in the Northern Trust Open, and Kobe Bryant recently becoming the Los Angeles Lakers' all-time leading scorer, sparked a little debate last week as to who is the best all-time Laker. West deferred, of course. But consider this: When talking Lakers guards, West, Bryant or Magic Johnson would be coming off the bench.

8. Bubba Watson admitted he was nervous (and it showed) when appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show last week. But Watson did donate $15,000 of his own money to relief efforts for Haiti as part of it and that's what mattered. Anthony Kim also hit the talk show circuit, making an appearance on the Jay Leno Show.

9. Speaking of Kim, he has slimmed down his entourage and will travel with just his caddie, agent and assistant this year. Will it pay off? We'll find out -- remember, he's still just 24 years old -- but one member of Kim's camp told me he's been hitting balls and working out like never before.

FROM THE MAILBAG

"In your mind, do you think Riviera is a better U.S. Open course than Torrey Pines?" -- Matt Gulbransen

Well, they've both hosted U.S. Opens -- Torrey Pines in 2008 and Riviera in 1948 when Ben Hogan won. As for which is better, that's like choosing between the Caribbean and Hawaii for your honeymoon. You really can't go wrong with either. But to answer your question, I'd go with Torrey because I like U.S. Opens on public golf courses.

"Why give John Daly his own documentary/show? Why not focus on a guy who cares about his career and wants to make a living playing golf?" -- Tom Lins

The first part of your question I'll answer by saying because Daly is still one of the most popular players on TOUR. His personality transcends the sport and he's proven to be wildly entertaining on and off the golf course. As for your second question, Daly isn't retiring, as he put it last week, so he'll continue to try to make a living playing golf -- he's in the field at Pebble Beach this week.

(To submit your question for the mailbag, click here.)

Last week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-10, 315-yard 10th at Riviera Country Club THE LEADERS: Tim Clark holed out from 67 yards to score the lone Kodak Challenge eagle on Sunday's final round at the Northern Trust Open. Clark's remarkable eagle moved him into a tie for first in the 2010 Kodak Challenge. Clark joined Matt Kuchar, Brenden Pappas and Bo Van Pelt in a four-way tie for the lead at 3 under. Click here for results

The Forward Spin

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am will wrap up a three-week stint in California, but more importantly it will provide our first look at the course that will host the U.S. Open later this year. The latter is part of the reason why guys who normally don't play the event -- Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott -- are this year. Also, there's a new/old course in the rotation with Monterey Peninsula CC replacing Poppy Hills. MPCC was one of the original courses in this event when Bing Crosby brought the tournament to the Monterey Peninsula, but it hasn't been in play for this event since 1977.