Woods-Mickelson rivalry is back, just in time

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Both will play one more tournament before then — Woods at Bay Hill, Mickelson at Houston — and no telling who will be atop the world rankings when they sit down for the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night at Augusta National.

What excites Mickelson are tee shots that are going longer — and straighter — than he can remember, and producing a short-game DVD that forced him to keep it simple for the consumers. It allowed him to go back to the basics, and his short game was superb at Doral.

Plus, he said he has finished making changes with swing coach Butch Harmon, and now is simply fine-tuning everything.

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“I’m playing some of my best golf,” said Mickelson, whose 36 career victories include three majors.

This could get good over the next few months.

For all the talk over emerging young players like Anthony Kim and Rory McIlroy, and despite Padraig Harrington going for a third straight major at the Masters, these are the two names that drive golf.

Woods transcends the sport. That much was clear by the size of his gallery, even when he was never in weekend contention. But every star needs a foil, and no one plays that role like Mickelson.

Mickelson had history in his grasp three years ago at Winged Foot, when Woods’ father died and he sat out two months, returning at the U.S. Open only to miss the cut for the first time in a major. Mickelson had a chance to win his third straight major until throwing it away with a double bogey on the last hole. He has not contended for a major since.

Woods is on the rebound again, this time for health reasons.

Mickelson is hitting his stride.

Golf was without its biggest star for eight months. Now it has two of them back.

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