Second round on Friday, holes 13-18
This had to be demoralizing for Phil Mickelson. His grand plan failed in his marquee pairing over the first two rounds of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

As bright as Mickelson is, he surely got the lesson Tiger Woods taught him Friday: One hot putter trumps five wedges.

Over the final six holes, Woods put the finishing touch on a second-round 68. He made five back-nine birdies. Mickelson made bogeys at three of the final six holes and shot 75.

Woods, limping much of the back nine, went from mediocre in this tournament to great. He did it despite limping on that surgically repaired left knee. The little twist of his knee with the swing off the cart path at the 10th hole hurt him. He limped slightly through most of the back nine.

Woods, maybe the greatest putter who ever lived, rolled in birdies at his 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 18th holes to pull away from Mickelson and leap into great position to win his 14th major.

When Woods had made that 8-foot putt at the closing hole, he secured a back nine 30, one shot off the U.S. Open record for nine holes.

Mickelson's plan to play without a driver backfired because he missed so many fairways with his 3-wood. Short and crooked doesn't win the U.S. Open. He needed the fifth wedge he put in his bag to scramble from all those tough spots he put himself into. Mickelson hit just six fairways again in the second round. Woods,  playing with a driver, hit nine fairways.

Second round on Friday, holes 7-12
So that's why Phil Mickelson is carrying five wedges in his bag. Now there's genius.

Mickelson's up and down at the bottom of what must have felt like a cliff at his 12th hole was a magnificent testament to just how clever he can be with a wedge in his hand.

Mickelson hit his tee shot at the 195-yard par 3 over the green, a terrible mistake because there's a severe drop off down a steep hill. His ball nestled in some wild, scruffy grass, probably 20 feet below the green. He swatted one of his five wedges masterfully. His shot looked like it was going to nestle a foot from the hole, but it unfairly drifted down a slope 25 feet away. Still, Mickelson made the putt for an unforgettable par save.

Even Tiger Woods had to be impressed. Mickelson had another great par save at his 10th hole.

Through 12 holes, Woods is at 1-over for the championship, a shot ahead of Mickelson.

This isn't pretty golf, though. The world's No. 1 and 2 players are missing a lot of fairways and greens but scrambling marvelously to stay in the hunt.

Woods grimaced in pain again at his 10th hole, where after hitting an approach shot with his feet on a cart path, his surgically repaired left knee appeared to twist. He limped noticeably back into the fairway but was walking normally again at the green. He made back-to-back birdies at his 10th and 11th holes to move ahead of Mickelson.

This isn't pretty golf, but Woods and Mickelson are actually watching the leaders slip back to them.

Second round on Friday, holes 1-6
Tiger Woods would probably relish showing once more that he isn't just a better player than Phil Mickelson, but he's smarter, too.

There's something of a battle of wits going on out there in the second round today at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

It was evident at the fourth hole, which was actually No. 13 because they started on the back nine.

Mickelson, of course, isn't playing with a driver this week. He took great delight explaining that yesterday. He likes to talk about how clever he is. He likes that he won The Masters with two drivers in his bag and that he won Colonial last month with five wedges in his bag. He's really being extra clever today. He didn't just keep the driver out of his bag, he tossed out his 3-iron, too. He added a fifth wedge.

But back to their fourth hole today.

It's a 614-yard par 5, and Mickelson couldn't reach the green in two because he doesn't have driver and is teeing off with that 3-wood. He had to lay up. Woods bombed a driver 39 yards past Mickelson there, then dropped a 5-wood 10 feet from the hole. Woods made his eagle putt, igniting the crowd and helping him get back the two shots he dropped with bogeys at his first and third holes.

After laying up, Mickelson couldn't make birdie. He missed his 8-footer for birdie there.

Having a driver helped Woods gain two shots on Mickelson at that hole. Through six holes today, Woods is 1-over for the championship, a shot better than Mickelson, who started a shot ahead of Woods today.

But you know what? Maybe Mickelson is a genius. His club tinkering has worked at that Masters and at Colonial. There's a lot of golf to play. So we'll see if Mickelson's outsmarting himself. He's done that in the past. His words after he lost the U.S. Open at Winged Foot two years ago still ring out.

"I'm such an idiot."

That's what Mickelson said after he bounced his final tee shot off a hospitality tent, then ricocheted his recovery off a tree trying to carve a shot around it instead of punching out to the fairway.

Mickelson's no idiot, but he might be too clever for his own good.

A lot's been made about Woods and Mickelson and their relationship. While they're civil, they'll probably never be chums. Mickelson's cleverness may have something to do with that.

This is an old story, but it is still the most public explanation of why Mickelson may rub Tiger the wrong way. Mark Calcavecchia knows them both well. Back in 2002, here's what he told Golf Digest about Mickelson and Woods. Given how clever Mickelson's trying to go be this week, it's relevant.

Calcavecchia: "(Phil) reads a lot, he knows a lot about investments and money - maybe that's why he's got so much of it. On the other hand, half of what Phil says is complete b.s. Overall though, the guy is a great player, he's flying around in a G-IV, and he's got a great family, so he must be doing something right.

"I think some of the things Phil says might rub Tiger a little the wrong way - Tiger might think he's a know-it-all and cocky. It doesn't bother me at all. I watch Phil, I laugh at him. He's kind of a big goof."

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