Mickelson focused on victory, not No. 1

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- It's tradition.

Phil Mickelson gets together with family and friends each New Year's and they all write down what they want to accomplish in the next 12 months. Then they drop their lists into a jar that won't be opened for 365 days.

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CAN WESTWOOD DO IT?: We've heard it before. Lee Westwood is on the verge of a breakthrough victory. Will it happen this time? Column PHIL'S FOCUS: Phil Mickelson heads into the final round thinking about winning rather than the spoils that come with it. Column MOTHER'S DAY MOTIVATION: Heath Slocum's wife won't be in Ponte Vedra Beach to see the final round, but she'll be on his mind. Story FIRST-TIMER: An unheralded first-time PLAYERS participant is lighting up the Stadium Course. Story NO. 17 ... EASY?: A surprising stat reveals that the 17th hole isn't as daunting as in years' past. Story DON'T COUNT 'EM OUT: If TPC Sawgrass or history has a say, plenty of players still have a shot at the title. Story CONTENDERS CHART: We break down every player within earshot of the lead going into the deciding day. Chart

Mum's the word, too, once the jar is sealed. So we don't know whether that third Green Jacket he won last month was on Mickelson's list -- and he's made it clear this week that he's avoiding the burgeoning world-No. 1 talk.

So don't even ask.

"One of our things is we don't tell anybody what the goals are," Mickelson said with one of his most cat-caught-the-canary grins.

The fact is, though, should Mickelson win THE PLAYERS Championship for the second time on Sunday and Tiger Woods finish outside the top five, the two would swap places in the Official World Golf Ranking.

And given what happened on Saturday at TPC Sawgrass, such a scenario is not outside the realm of possibility, either. Mickelson and Woods went out early but Lefty is the one who prospered with a 66 while the world No. 1 shot 71.

Mickelson, who has finished first and second in his last two starts, will begin the final round within range of the leaders at 9 under. Woods, on the other hand, is a distant five strokes behind him.

So the No. 1 question had to be broached -- even if Mickelson, who has never held down the top spot in a 38-win career, steadfastly declined to ponder the possibilities.

"I don't know why you keep asking about that," he said. "We're right in the middle of a tournament here. That's the last thing on my mind right now. I'm trying to get ready for tomorrow's round and again, get in striking distance, and you keep changing the subject."

Mickelson's 66 on Saturday was his 12th straight sub-par round. He only had one bogey in the third round and that came at the 18th hole where his 4-iron flew into the back fringe and he ended up missing a 12-footer for par.

"From my point of view, double digits under par looks a lot better than single, and so that bogey on the last stings," Mickelson said. "But nothing I can do about it now. I just have to go out tomorrow and shoot a low round. I just, again, hope I'm within striking distance."

And Mickelson isn't as concerned by how many strokes he has to make up as he is the people he'll need to overtake. In the 28 previous PLAYERS contested on the Stadium Course, the winner has come from behind 17 times -- including in 2007 when Mickelson trailed by one.

"We've seen for multiple years now leaders fall back," he said. "But if there's 12, 13 guys I've got to pass, that's a different story. But if there's only three or four that could be more strokes and still be doable."

Mickelson said he feels like he's "not far off" from the way he played at Augusta National last month. In fact, he and his caddy Jim "Bones" Mackay were reminiscing about the Masters as they drove to the course on Saturday morning.

"It was such a fun week," Mickelson said. "I could look at that tournament and that round, that final round, and get momentum from it. And it helped me here, helped me this week.

"It was the first thing that Bones and I talked about in the car today. ... So even though I wasn't looking good (starting the day at 3 under) it just gives me a little bit of momentum and positive thoughts thinking about it."

Mickelson likely won't find Pete Dye's signature creation as generous on Sunday afternoon as he did the previous morning. Winds in the 10-20 mph-range will further complicate the issue, but Mickelson feels he is close.

"I felt like things started to click a little bit today, and I think I've got one more low round in me," Mickelson said. "I just hope that it will be enough, that I'll be within striking distance."