AUGUSTA, Ga. (PA) -- The last time the world's greatest golfers gathered for a major, Tiger Woods paid Phil Mickelson a huge compliment.
Not by anything he said, but in something he did.
The world No. 1's decision to fly home from the PGA Championship last August when he still had a chance to be in a playoff the following morning simply amazed people.
But it did reveal that whatever he thinks of Mickelson as a person -- they have never been close and didn't the last Ryder Cup show that -- he holds him in the highest regard as a player.
The left-hander led when rain halted the final round at Baltusrol on Sunday evening and, while he still had some tough holes to go on Monday morning, Woods, in the clubhouse two behind, conceded defeat and departed.
Now the time has come for the next major -- the Masters starting at Augusta National on Thursday -- and the two Americans very much hold center stage.
One is the defending champion, a man going for a fifth victory in the event that would leave him just one behind Jack Nicklaus' record. And he is still only 30.
The other is going for his second major in a row -- halfway toward emulating Woods' unique 2000/2001 feat of holding all four at the same time. And he has just posted the third-biggest margin of victory on the PGA Tour in more than 50 years.
A month ago, everything pointed to there being one overwhelming favorite for Augusta.
Woods had won three of his first five tournaments of the year while the other members of golf's "Big Five" -- Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Mickelson -- had not been able to muster a single victory between them.
But Woods' finishes of 20th and 22nd in his last two starts and his skipping practice at The Players Championship to visit his gravely ill father has made some wonder if the Masters has just come at the wrong time this year.
They may care to be reminded, however, that in the same two events last year he was 23rd and 53rd, and that did not prevent him adding to a major haul that with the British Open at St. Andrews as well now stands at 10.
But such was the majesty of Mickelson's 13-shot win in Atlanta on Sunday -- plus the fact he has had seven successive top-10 finishes at the Masters, including his victory two years ago -- that he is now a clear second favorite. That seems like the best anybody can usually hope for in this "Age of the Tiger."
"It certainly gives him a shot of confidence, there's no doubt about that," said Woods. "Any time you get a win before Augusta you're going to feel pretty good. This is a nice time to feel good about your game."
Mickelson insists he has no concerns about having peaked a week early.
"The way I look at it is I was trying to get my game sharp for this week, and I think it's fairly sharp now," commented the 35-year-old, whose decision to have one driver for fades and another for draws was Wednesday hailed by Nicklaus as "a pretty darned good move."
So now the golf world waits to see whose week it is going to be. Who can produce the moments of magic that come on this course more than any other.
A year ago, of course, there was Woods' incredible chip in at the short 16th, a shot that will live long in the memory. And, looking further back, every five years something truly special does seem to happen.
In 2001 it was the "Tiger Slam," in 1996 Greg Norman's collapse and Nick Faldo's charge to victory. In 1991 Ian Woosnam making it four British winners in a row, and in 1986 was Nicklaus' 18th, last and most thrilling major triumph.
Copyright 2006 PA Sport. All rights reserved.
