Masters 2011: Focus and Family Key Ingredients for Woods and Mickelson This Year

Phil Mickelson won the 2011 Shell Houston Open, where Tiger Woods did not play, by posting a tournament-record score of 20-under par. Tiger Woods lost the Farmers Insurance Open by 15 strokes, placing 44th. Mickelson placed second. Both normally played this course well, although at one time Woods seemed to own it.

At the end of the Houston Open, the two players were interviewed about the upcoming Masters. Their responses were demonstrative of their personalities.

Mickelson did not dare predict a win. "I don't know," a typical Mickelson response. If anything, Mickelson's lack of a screaming ego has hurt him in the tight stretches of major tournaments.

Come on Phil. A little confidence?

On the other hand, Tiger gave a brave outlook when recently asked if he would ever reach the now apparently unreachable Jack Nicklaus record of 18 career major championships. Of course, Tiger said "sure" and we saw his trademark huge smile. And later he said he was ready to win the Masters.

Not one of the huge number of writings on this subject has done any favors for Mickelson over the years. Doubters persist despite his three green jackets and clear ability to win his fourth at Augusta. And no doubt, some of this comes from holding back on pronouncements and retaining doubt, something that is anathema to any player in any sport.

Tiger Woods is another story entirely. In fact, he is an entirely normal type of modern athlete in any sport other than golf. Bold, brash and wholly unlike the mainstays in golf tradition.

If anything, Americans are always bolder and brasher in anything they do. Leave it to Martin Kaymer to up the ante for this year's Masters recently by throwing the limelight on Tiger and away from himself, practically predicting a Woods win. Good psychology for anyone from Europe in almost any sport.

Yet, the key to this Masters as with any other in its long history is focus.

When asked whether he was ready to win the 2011 Masters, Mickelson pinpointed the biggest current difference between these two players.

On the one hand, you have Mickelson who said he lost focus twice during the final round of the 2011 Houston Open.

On the other, you have Tiger Woods whose legendary focus has continued to fail him since the hideous disclosures and events of November 27, 2009, and the subsequent disclosures of rampant infidelities.

You can point to the injuries of 2008 to make an excuse for Tiger's bad play after he finally returned to golf at the 2010 Masters. And you can also point to his new coach and third major swing change of his career. Many have done so.

Yet, many say it is the putter that has failed him, including Tiger himself. And the putter is pure focus.

There are three times when focus is essential on a golf course. During any use of the driver. During the approach to the green. And during any putt. All other times a loose shot may be recoverable.

Yet at Augusta, focus is the most important aspect of the game for every shot. It is hard to recover any loose shot.

As Mickelson intimated, even the loss of focus twice can cost a player very dearly at any tournament. Especially at the Masters.

Tiger Woods has not proven he can maintain focus on any given green, much less for every stroke.

At the end of 2009, I predicted that Tiger Woods would never win another major. Few agreed. Now, well over a year later, there is no evidence that he will.

Yet, there are many who believe in Tiger Woods. Why?

The reasons are simple. They like the bold differences of Woods and are willing to believe that Woods can still focus.

No one can focus when the past is still dogging them. And Tiger's past will always dog him. Not the great intimidation any more. But the great infidelity.

The historic burden Tiger has placed on himself and the game of golf will never be forgotten. His lascivious life against his family, his unmitigated shame to this day, will burden his play forever.

And it should.

For those who root for Tiger Woods, for those who divorce sports from life and its consequences, there is only one thing to say. Find another sport. This one does not countenance much. And certainly, of all sports, this is by far the most moral.

The contrasts between Mickelson and Tiger are all the more telling on the family front.

Mickelson became the face of golf when Tiger became a miscreant and his life contrasted with Mickelson's so dramatically. There is no taint on Mickelson.

Tiger's family is in tatters, and his life still in disarray despite the commentary on how great he is with his children these days. His life still makes for good tabloids, but bad publicity for golf.

And it is certainly something Tiger Woods cannot hide from on or off the course.

Tiger Woods, with his 44th place in one of the tournaments he played this year, and Mickelson are finally in different places for the first time in more than a decade. Mickelson is now ranked ahead of Tiger.

This makes Mickelson surely the favorite at Augusta.

Yet it is too bold a prediction for me to say Mickelson will win. He is 40 years old, and not getting any younger.

For Tiger, the telling round will be the first. It is without a doubt focus that will betray him. By the end of that round, he could be well down on the leaderboard.

For Mickelson, as usual, the key round is the last. Will there be another collapse?

He is the lefty who many said could not win a Masters because he was left-handed and has already won a green jacket again and again. Can he overcome the loss of focus in the final round to join Tiger with four green jackets?

We will see.