Mickelson Comes Back at Pebble Beach

The American left-hander had looked rusty in his first two appearances of the year, missing the cut at the Phoenix Open and finishing 42nd at last week's Buick Invitational.

Usually a strong performer on the West Coast swing at the beginning of the PGA Tour season, world number five  Mickelson  accepts  his  overall game needed to improve for this program celebrity event on the picturesque Monterey Peninsula.

"I expected more," he said of his form at the Buick Invitational where he faded after carding a two-under-par 70 in the opening round.  "I thought that I was starting to get it turned around.

"I had a good first round and then the last three I didn't play well. But I can certainly feel some rust. I didn't play  for  over  two  months  and  my game's rusty” I  spent  seven,  eight  days  before  this  season getting  ready and  I thought  that  it was coming  together but  it  hasn't  quite  yet.  Pretty much all areas of my game could use some work."

Pebble  Beach  and  the  Northern Trust Open  in Los Angeles,  should give Californian Mickelson a special boost  given  that  he  has  triumphed at  both  venues  in  the  past.  "I love playing the West Coast,” the three-time major champion told reporters. "I've grown up watching these tournaments and I’ve grown up playing these.

STRONG FIELD

Champion  at  Pebble  Beach  in 1998,  2005  and  2007, Mickelson faced a strong field of 180 including five  other  members  of  the  world's top 20.

Also competing were third-ranked Irishman  Padraig  Harrington,  Fijian Vijay Singh (fourth), Americans Kenny  Perry  (10th)  and  Jim  Furyk (14th)  and  South  Korea's  KJ  Choi (20th).

Singh,  who  won  the  2004  title, returns  to  the  PGA  Tour  after  a four-week break. The  former world number  one  has  not  played  since the  season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship,  having  had  arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

"I don't consider this a big setback or anything," said the smooth-swinging  Fijian,  who  tore  his  meniscus before  winning  the  Tiger  Woods hosted Chevron World Challenge  in December.

"I  think  the  knee  will  be  much stronger in the long run and it is certainly  better  that  it  happened  now compared  to  the middle  of  the  season.

"As usual, the Pebble Beach golf classic event will be played on three courses -- the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links and its sister venues Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills.

American Steve Lowery defends the title he won last year in a playoff with Singh.