2010 British Open: Phil Mickelson Plays Possum

Phil Mickelson has won one major and finished fourth in another so far this year.

He's played so well that he would have taken over the world's top spot had he just simply closed with a quadruple bogey last weekend at the Scottish Open. BUT —he didn't. His quintuple bogey on the 18th hole last Friday meant Lefty missed the cut by one stroke.

Now, I'm not going to say Phil threw the last hole. I don't believe that he did. But I am quite sure he didn't mind leaving the rainy weather and getting ready for this week's British Open at St. Andrews.

I'm also sure that Phil is very happy playing the underdog this week. Especially considering that everyone is making Tiger Woods the favorite, despite everything that's happened to him in the last nine months.

Imagine that.

I'm not sure if Lefty is an idiot savant, or just a a happy idiot. What I do know is that the man who really should be the No. 1 golfer in the world, the player who has the best record in this year's first two majors, passed the frontrunner torch onto Tiger Woods.

Tiger, a golfer who has struggled through most of his rounds this year. A man who is finalizing a messy divorce. And a player who will have to deal with unfriendly galleries off and on all weekend.

Now add the pressure of being named the frontrunner by almost every commentator who has made a prediction. In the U.S. and Europe.

Well played, Lefty. You couldn't have done better if you tried.

Or did you try?