Mickelson to carry extra driver at Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- All eyes will be on Phil Mickelson's bag this week.
Mickelson will carry two drivers, one to play draws and the other to hit cut shots, as he attempts to win his second Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Mickelson played with two drivers last week and won the BellSouth Classic by 13 strokes. He used the additional driver -- which is one-inch longer than his other driver and weighted internally to produce a draw -- to drive the No. 13 green at the Tournament Players Club at Sugarloaf.
The par-4 hole measures 310 yards.
"This thing goes; it really goes," Mickelson said. "I hit it 315 yards uphill. I have not ever been able to fly it on that surface."
Mickelson was just as efficient with the other clubs in his bag last week. He hit 64 of 72 greens -- the most of his career -- at Sugarloaf and was on average 10 feet closer to the hole than the other golfers in the field.
Consequently, he made nearly as many birdies, 31, as pars, 33.
"I think he's feeling pretty comfortable about his swing," said two-time Masters champ Jose Maria Olazabal. "Obviously, the way he's scoring lately he must by playing really great golf and putting well."
The focus, though, remains on his lumber. He hasn't named his drivers and doesn't have special head covers on them. He simply wrote "DRAW" on one and "FADE" on the other.
While unorthodox, the results are all that matters, competitors said.
"If it works, it works. Use it," Tiger Woods said. "I wouldn't change anything."
Mickelson will next week. He said his two-drivers system is tailored specifically to Augusta and he doesn't anticipate using both of them regularly on the PGA Tour.
"Length is usually not as big a factor on any other golf course like it is in Augusta," Mickelson said. "To have a driver that gives me an extra 25 yards pop if I can keep it in play, it's going to be a club that's a real asset on this golf course."

