He’s becoming too mechanical . . . He’s playing golf swing instead of golf . . . He has to rebuild his confidence . . . He’s flummoxed by trouble on the right . . . He’s standing too far away from the ball . . . His putting nerves are shot . . . His brain is addled.

The scrutiny of Woods’ swing changes comes like gusts, intermittently blowing into his world.

It isn’t exactly coming from a bunch of schmoes, either. The analyses above have come in the last month from Lee Trevino, Butch Harmon, Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo, Brandel Chamblee and Peter Alliss.

Video: Woods' news conference at The Players

The winds are up again this week as Woods prepares for Thursday’s start of The Players Championship. Since his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he has struggled at the Masters and missed that cut last week at the Wells Fargo Championship. It has refueled the sharp-edged analysis.

In an NBC/Golf Channel conference call Tuesday, Faldo reiterated his belief that Woods’ bid to return to his best form is more a mental than physical challenge.

“The real bottom line is he just doesn't have the self-belief, the self-confidence that he obviously had, the Tiger of old, simple as that,” Faldo said.

Faldo saw Woods hooking shots at Augusta National and Quail Hollow when trouble loomed to the right.

“The practice swings are so contrived, and so exaggerated, so he's just making life hard work for himself,” Faldo said. “He's fighting to find a feel.”

Miller sees confidence won at Bay Hill lost.

“He won at Bay Hill, and everyone, including myself, thought, `Wow, he's back,’ and all of a sudden, at the Masters, his nerves just went off the red line, and he basically succumbed to the pressure of the Masters,” Miller said. “I think that really affected him. I think that was a shock to him that he went from the top of his game to, just like that, `What the heck is going on?” And it really made him very human. That was very difficult for him psychologically, I think. The Masters really hurt him, especially after you saw what he did at Bay Hill.

“It's a piece‑by‑piece thing. He has to rebuild the confidence that he had at Bay Hill and see if he can start building back up again.”

Chamblee, speaking on Woods’ work with Foley, bluntly offered up his fix.

“Simply, he needs to fire Sean (Foley), call Butch (Harmon),” Chamblee said. “I think that would get it done right there. I know he'll never do that, because he's letting his ego get in the way of common sense. He wants to prove to people he's right. He would rather prove to people he's right than be right.”

Before his Hall of Fame induction, Peter Alliss said he believed Woods’ golfing brain was “completely addled.”

Taken cumulatively, the scrutiny feels like a formidable force working against Woods. In days of old, he would use it all as motivation, as fuel feeding his fire. He made critics pay. He did it winning. In Tuesday's news conference, he was undaunted.

What’s he think of speculation his self-belief is dented?

“I always find it interesting since they’re not in my head,” Woods said. “They must have some kind of superpower I don’t know about.”

Woods showed the patience Tuesday he would like the rest of us to have with his swing changes.

“What I had done at Bay Hill, no doubt, I had been creeping up towards that,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, the last two tournaments I played in weren’t that great. So, no big deal. We’ll just continue working and try and put it together this week.”

Woods acknowledged it’s a possibility he might be too mechanical right now.

“Well, certainly it is, when you’re making swing changes,” Woods said. “Guys, I’ve done this before. I’ve been through this.”

Woods has been through swing changes before, but the mounting analysis, the skepticism and doubt he’ll master the changes are more formidable than he endured making his first two swing changes. Foley sensed as much last month, asking critics to back off and drop the daily referendums.

“It takes a little bit of time, and I keep building and eventually things come around to where they feel natural and efficient,” Woods said.

In the meantime, Woods will have to make his swing changes with a wind that feels as if it’s always blowing in his face.

GolfChannel.com senior writers Jason Sobel and Randall Mell weigh in. (Click here for Round 1 tee times)

By JASON SOBEL

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – They call this place TPC Sawgrass – or the Stadium Course – but it might as well be given the moniker The Great Equalizer.

The best thing about The Players Championship isn’t the PGA Tour marketing division-driven “fifth major” status or the devious don’t-call-it-an-island peninsula green at the 17^th hole. It’s the fact that this venue doesn’t play to the strength of any one type of player. We’ve seen big bombers and short knockers, great ball-strikers and precision putters all find success – and failure – on this course.

The past three editions of this event have seen the eclectic mix of Henrik Stenson, Tim Clark and K.J. Choi win the crystal; though, it’s not like superstars haven’t had their turn atop the final leaderboard, with Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson among the past champions.

Another A-lister finally comes through again this week. In a season dominated by parity – only Hunter Mahan owns multiple PGA Tour titles so far – it may not make sense to bank on a big-timer, but some of ‘em are playing too well to ignore.

Luke Donald has a nice record on this course; Steve Stricker is a proven candidate; and Phil Mickelson would love to follow up his World Golf Hall of Fame induction with 42nd-career victory. I’ll put my not-very-hard-earned quid on any of ‘em, but the final pick is Rory McIlroy, despite missing the cut in his previous two appearances here and skipping this tournament last year.

This course has been The Great Equalizer more often than not. It’s time for an elite player to win and equal things out once again.

By RANDALL MELL

I will take a player with holy water, a crucifix and a wooden stake in his bag over a player with an abundance of skill this week.

You don’t need a caddie to unlock the secrets on the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course. You need a priest or a rabbi or a witch doctor. You need heavenly help or powerful magic.

That’s outrageous hyperbole, but Pete Dye confounds and confuses the best players in the world more than any other architect on the planet. You can’t handicap the field in this championship. You're better off picking a name out of a hat. Form and track records can make little sense this week.

K.J. Choi never finished better than a tie for 16^th in nine tries at The Players before winning last year. Tim Clark rode into this week after a missed cut at the Masters and a tie for 63^rd at the RBC Heritage and won two years ago. Craig Perks, Stephen Ames and Fred Funk are among the unexpected winners over the last decade.

A top-10 player may win, but it’s a good week to bet against it.   

McIlroy will tee it up with newly inducted World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker. They start from the first tee at 1:49 p.m. on Thursday. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, Nos. 2 and 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking, respectively, will tee off with Bill Haas 10 minutes before the Mickelson trio at 1:39 p.m.

Complete first-round tee times for The Players Championship

Three of the last four winners of The Players Championship are grouped together for the first two days, as well. K.J. Choi, Tim Clark and Sergio Garcia will start at the Stadium Course's 10th tee at 8:18 a.m. on Thursday.

Two consecutive groups will feature six winners this season on the PGA Tour. The back-to-back trios will start on the 10th tee on Thursday afternoon at 1:39 p.m. Kyle Stanley, Ben Curtis and newlywed Jason Dufner will go first, followed 10 minutes later by John Huh, Mark Wilson and Johnson Wagner.

As a journalist, the role is often to bridge the gap between those who are universally known and those who universally want to know more. And so we try to provide a sliver of inference and observation that can be cataloged and ingested by the masses, leaving the consumer with a better understanding of the person than was previously available.

I’m certainly not complaining about the structure of the profession, but providing perspective about story subjects isn’t the simplest task.

To wit: Covering professional golf, I’ve written dozens of columns about Phil Mickelson. About courageous 6-irons threaded through thick tree branches and sliced drives that ping the roofs of corporate hospitality tents. About golf bags transporting five wedges or a belly putter or two drivers or no drivers. About playing golf while worrying about the health of his wife and mother; about deciding not to play golf for the very same reason.

I have spent countless hours watching him in the act of competition. I have asked him questions in press conferences and outside scoring trailers, in locker rooms and in parking lots of tournament venues.

And yet, as he is inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and I pause to reflect on Mickelson as a person, it strikes me that I don’t know him much better than the fan who’s received a smile and an autograph or one whose acknowledgement was rebuffed in a crowded elevator.

The truth is, I know him about as well as you know the guy in your office who sits three cubicles down. Seems like a nice fellow in the workplace, but without much interaction with him outside of that arena, you can only ascertain that it also extends into his non-business persona.

I do know that Phil has always signed autographs until his hand cramps, win or lose. I know that he smiles and high-fives and pounds knuckles with his legions of fans. I know that he rewards beaned spectators with signed golf gloves containing cash prizes and annually leads the PGA Tour in presenting used golf balls to small children.

I also know that amongst some circles within the game, he’s earned the boastful nickname FIGJAM, of which the final five letters stand for, “I’m Good, Just Ask Me.” I know that his thoughts and opinions are sometimes infiltrated by an agenda, whether the given topic is clubhead grooves or golf course design.

But of course, like any celebrity there is more to Mickelson than meets the public eye. And so when we judge him as a person, when we look at his body of work that represents more than what’s witnessed inside the ropes and tallied on the scorecard, we must attempt to see that which isn’t so visible.

There’s the story about Phil paying college tuition for the daughter of former NFL lineman Conrad Dobler, whose family was financially strapped – not because there was a preexisting relationship, but only, as Dobler once called it, “a random act of kindness.”

There’s the “Start Smart” initiative that he and wife Amy founded years ago, annually inviting some 1,500 underprivileged schoolchildren into a Wal-mart store, buying them clothing and school supplies that they otherwise couldn’t have afforded.

There’s the “Birdies for the Brave” program that Mickelson kick-started with a goal of supporting troops injured during combat by raising money with each under-par score posted in competition – a concept since joined by many of his PGA Tour brethren.

There are undoubtedly many other stories, too, more “random acts of kindness” that will never be reported publicly but have no less of an impact on others.

This isn’t to suggest that Phil Mickelson is a better person or more giving than any of his peers. It’s not a competition. It does, however, help us glean some insight into what one of the newest members of the Hall of Fame is really like off the course, opening that narrow window into his celebrity ever so slightly.

Just last month, Mickelson showed up to the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club more than six hours before his opening-round afternoon tee time. He was the only competitor present to watch golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player hit the ceremonial first tee shots, later justifying his actions by explaining, “They are the Big Three and they have brought the game to where it is.”

It is occasions such as these on which debates are waged in 19th holes and on Internet message boards around the world. Is Phil really this sentimental and considerate? Or is it all just part of an act, his public image the main priority behind his volunteerism?

As a golfer, I know him as a Hall of Fame talent. Off the course, I don’t know him any more than anyone else. What I do know is that nobody consistently interacts with fans and donates to charity and unexpectedly shows up to honor his heroes based on phony premises. Anybody can fake his way through a day or a week or a month, but nobody fakes his way through a lifetime of generosity and conscientiousness.

It’s the biggest reason why everything that I do know about Phil Mickelson leads me to believe he’s not just a Hall of Fame golfer, but also a Hall of Fame person.

For the 318,000-plus Twitter followers, countless little Rickies and thousands more adoring fans, Sunday’s Wells Fargo finale was Orange Dreamsicle sweet.

It’s taken Fowler three years since turning professional to notch his first PGA Tour victory, but with all the cynics and the critics, you’d think it had been an eternity.

Fowler finally “shut (critics) up a little bit” with his playoff win over Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points, solidifying the street cred so many failed to give him.

Hoggard: Tour brethren celebrate Fowler's win

Sunday at Quail Hollow it was two 23-year-olds who took center stage – with apologies to 35-year-old Points – and it was exactly the type of pedal-to-the-metal finish we would expect out of Fowler.

The emotions that flooded Fowler were as varied and as vibrant as ROYGBIV when he squared off against McIlroy, five months his junior in age yet already his senior in accomplishments. But Fowler kept his composure, knocked his approach to 4 feet at the first extra hole and when he rolled in the birdie, his hard work culminated, his dreams materialized.

After witnessing Rickie’s reign at Quail Hollow, it’s tempting to paint the PGA Tour with ‘new era in golf’ storylines and undertones, to preach about how great the future will be.

Truth is, the present is pretty remarkable.

A wide spectrum of storylines has fueled the season, from the redemption of Kyle Stanley to the romanticism of Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson’s conviction to Tiger Woods’ conundrum, the fortitude of Jason Dufner to the fickleness of the world’s top ranking.

That No. 1 spot is currently held by McIlroy, a consolation prize to his playoff loss.

While Fowler is definitely the flavor of the moment, McIlroy has established himself – regardless of what the Official World Golf Ranking says on a weekly basis – as the game’s best player.

McIlroy’s runner-up showing at Wells Fargo was his fourth top-3 finish in five PGA Tour starts this season, which includes a victory at the Honda Classic. His game and mentality are maturing and he’s settling into a rhythmic pace.

He now heads to TPC Sawgrass, where he opted out a year ago, citing scheduling conflicts and his limited number of starts as a non-member of the Tour.

This year, he enters the Tour’s flagship event not only as a card-carrier, but a new man in many respects and, essentially, the Tour’s next golden boy.

Meanwhile, Woods, the man who once was – or still is, depending on your point of view – the Tour’s golden boy comes into the week looking anything but polished. His year has included a win at Bay Hill, his worst finish at the Masters as a professional and a missed cut at Wells Fargo.

No, GolfChannel.com writers aren’t contractually obligated to mention Woods in every column. His inclusion in this piece is further highlight the Tour’s health. With or without Woods, at his best or a struggling mess, the Tour has thrived in 2012.

Now, as we come off our orange rush and look ahead to The Players, we cannot ignore that one question: Is this a new era in golf?

Is this the beginning of an era in which Woods and Mickelson should no longer be considered the weekly favorites? Or have we already embarked on that journey and we’re just now starting to realize where we are?

It may be time to steer our faith and following in a different direction. In the past we’ve bet the house on Sunday red. Are we now putting it all on orange?

That’s not to suggest that with one Tour victory, Rickie is suddenly the new Tiger. That would be like comparing apples to, well, oranges. The suggestion is that times are changing and the change is good.

The PGA Tour’s present is a vibrant as Fowler’s wears. To continue down this pleasant path in the long term, there must be youthful leaders, those with talent, charisma and victories.

Two such men were on display Sunday. One was declared No. 1, the other crowned champion.

Jenkins wondered aloud about Woods’ heart.

Alliss wondered about his brain, and other parts of his body.

They didn’t spare their acerbic wit doing so.

Allis said he was perplexed by Woods making his third swing change as a pro.

“I do not understand the thinking of Tiger Woods,” Alliss said. “I think his golfing brain, for some reason or other, is completely addled.

“Perhaps the good part of his brain for a period drained from here, down to here,” Alliss said, motioning from his head to his groin. “And that caused him great distress, probably a modicum of enjoyment at the time. But he’s gone.”

Alliss didn’t spare the competition Woods faced winning 14 majors.

“He was Gulliver in the land of Lilliputians,” Alliss said.

Alliss, the popular English BBC commentator who played in eight Ryder Cups, is the son of an accomplished player and teacher.

“I’m not saying I’m a great teaching guru, but I’d love to have about a half an hour [with Woods]. If he couldn’t be put right in an hour, I’d go home and stick my head in a bucket of ice water, because it’s so simple. You stand and you swing.”

Allis said he was standing with Arnold Palmer at Augusta National’s practice range last year when he was astounded by what he saw Woods working on.

“There, 50 yards away,” Allis said, “is Tiger Woods being shown how to chip. `You must do it this way, this way.’ And I said to Arnold, are we seeing, are we going [crazy]? He was the greatest chipper in the world for a period, and this guy is teaching, `No, don’t do it that way.’

“It’s like Pavarotti saying `I’m fed up being a tenor; I think I’m going to sing as a baritone.’ Land sake. That’s as stupid as that in my opinion.”

Jenkins, the long-time Sports Illustrated and then Golf Digest writer, said he believed it would be a great story if Woods won another major, his 15th.

“Because he’ll be the first guy that ever did it with three swings,” Jenkins said.

Asked if he believed Woods will win another five majors and pass Nicklaus’ record, Jenkins didn’t hesitate.

“No,” he said. “Next question.”

Asked to compare the nature of champions from different eras, Jenkins said: “I believe the athletic heart can transfer eras, it can move from one decade to the other. Lee Trevino said this better than anybody: `You never know what’s in a guy’s heart.’ How big a winner is he going to be? I don’t know, because I don’t know what’s in his heart.

“If you’re a competitor, if you’re a great athlete, you can move from one era to another because you’re still people.

“The thing I always thought, and I don’t know if it’s true or not, but everybody wants to win and everyone says they want to win, but the great champions absolutely despised the idea of losing. I think that’s what Ben Hogan had, what Arnold [Palmer] had, Jack [Nicklaus] certainly had it. I frankly don’t know whether Tiger Woods has it or not because he has never had to come from behind. Every major he won he was in front and everyone, most of them, dropped dead.”

Of course, that means we could be headed for a major pileup at the turn.

Each contender has certain keys to winning the green jacket on Sunday; conversely, they all have things that need to be avoided here, as well.

What are they? Let’s break 'em down:

Peter Hanson: 9-under 207

Needs to … keep hitting fairways. Through three rounds, Hanson ranks T-7 in driving accuracy, finding at least 11 of 14 fairways every day. A guy who hits the ball dead straight off the tee, you’ll know early if nerves are affecting him because his sightlines are set by now. Avoiding mistakes will be a major key to holding onto his lead – and that starts, of course, with keeping it in the short stuff.

Needs to avoid … getting caught up in the moment. At first glance, it may seem unfortunate that he’ll be paired with fan favorite Phil Mickelson in the final twosome, but that should remove the spotlight from the 54-hole leader – which just may be what he needs. His playing partner is known to make birdies in bunches – especially on this course – but Hanson will benefit from his own brand of steady play rather than trying to match Mickelson shot for shot. Having been paired with him in the first two rounds should help for familiarity’s sake.

Phil Mickelson: 8-under 208

Needs to … put together one of his celebrated Augusta rallies. We’ve seen it so often from Phil in the past: He plods along for a while, only to get white hot in a hurry and flip on the electricity amongst his adoring galleries. It happened again on Saturday. Nine pars to open on the front side, then he played the back in 6-under 30 to make a huge jump on the leaderboard. One more streak like that and he could have a fourth green jacket.

Needs to avoid … the letdown after such a rally. The birdies are going to happen. You know it, I know it and – most importantly – Phil knows it. What takes place after the rally, though, is up for debate. In the third round, there was no letdown. But in the past, he’s often parlayed rampant success into over-aggressiveness, notably in 2009, when he posted an opening-nine 30, only to hit his tee shot on 12 into the creek. Knowing when to step on the gas pedal is only important if he also knows when to slow down.

Louis Oosthuizen: 7-under 209

Needs to … play the par-5 holes better. Usually, the four par-5s are where players can pick up their birdies – if not eagles – but

Oosthuizen has played them 12 times and remains at even-par so far. That’s not good enough. With a few big hitters also in contention, he’ll need to take better advantage of these holes if he is to keep pace with others on the leaderboard.

Needs to avoid … Bubba-mania. Paired in the penultimate tee time with Bubba Watson, Oosthuizen may be outdriven by 50 yards on some holes. Don’t expect it to affect him much – this is a major champion, after all – but watching a guy swing that hard at the ball can hurt your rhythm. Throw in the fact that Bubba gets a bit fidgety out there and he may be best served not paying any attention to his playing partner at all.

Bubba Watson: 6-under 210

Needs to … continue attacking the golf course. Watson only knows one way to play and that’s with long-bombing drives and the biggest draws and fades in the game. He does that in practice rounds, he does that in regular season PGA Tour events -- and now he needs to stick with what got him here. Some players may have a tendency to play a bit tight when such a lofty title is on the line. Bubba’s game is always loose. He needs to play like it’s a fun round on a Tuesday morning instead of Sunday afternoon at Augusta National.

Needs to avoid … nerves. By his own admission, Bubba has self-diagnosed ADD and tends to lack focus at times on the course. One instance of that on Sunday could spell doom on a course that could very well toughen up during the afternoon.

Matt Kuchar: 5-under 211

Needs to … keep hitting fairways and greens. For the week, Kuchar ranks fourth in driving accuracy and second in GIR. That’s not unusual for one of the game’s steadier players, but if Sunday’s festivities turn into that aforementioned pileup, then continuing to keep things simple will be of the utmost priority.

Needs to avoid … another “good” round. Kuchar has reached fifth place on the leaderboard thanks to consistent scores of 71-70-70. With four very solid, experienced players ahead of him, he’ll need something that’s more great than good in order to make a serious run at the green jacket. That could include a target score of something in the 66-67 range, while hoping the guys above him struggle.

The rest of the field: 4-under 212 or below

Need to … post a number, get in the clubhouse and hope Mother Nature starts blowing some wind at the leaders down the stretch. With a group that includes Hunter Mahan, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood at 4-under, there’s definitely some talent that’s worthy of claiming the victory. Other players have come back from bigger Sunday morning deficits already this year, which should buoy their hopes.

Need to avoid … firing at every flagstick, hitting aggressive putts at every hole. It may be tempting considering there’s ground to make up, but these players still need to use a little patience and caution, too.

For a long stretch, he was boring. Painstakingly boring.

Lefty butchered both par 5s on the National’s front nine – the second from the left junk off the tee and the eighth from a mud-ball that ended up in the ninth fairway. He played away from hole locations and landed most approaches into the most conservative portions of the greens, making birdies scarce. He parred nine consecutive holes.

Then Mickelson realized where he was and knew he needed to make some noise. Pronto.

Hanson the surprise 54-hole leader at Augusta

Photos: Masters Saturday

Mickelson, 41, found himself on the back nine and responded with a 6-under-par 30 that included an eagle and four birdies to shoot 66. He made birdie on the 18th hole for the third consecutive day and stands in second place at 8 under, one behind leader Peter Hanson.

“I just want to be in position,” Mickelson said. “There's nothing more exciting than being in the final group on Sunday at the Masters because you have a chance, and that's what we all want is that opportunity.”

These hallowed grounds have turned into Mickelson’s personal playground over the past eight years, even more so than his longtime nemesis Tiger Woods.

Now, Mickelson is 18 solid holes away from having as many green jackets as Woods.

Think about that for a moment. When we arrived at Augusta National in 2004, the Masters’ tally was Woods 3, Mickelson 0. Lefty got off the major schneid later that week, then followed it with victories in 2006 and 2010. Woods won his last Masters in 2005.

Mickelson was asked earlier in the week what it’d mean to win four green jackets and tie Woods and Arnold Palmer.

“A lot,” he said. After being asked to elaborate he followed, as only Mickelson can, by speaking slowly, saying, “It would mean an awful lot.”

It’s no secret that there are Mickelson lovers and there are Mickelson detractors; it’s black and white when it comes to Lefty. Rarely is there a gray area.

Those who love him think he’s genuine, love that he smiles, makes eye contact and signs autographs until his hand is numb. Others believe the act is more of a shtick, that he’s a different man behind closed doors.

Doesn’t matter. Everyone loves Mickelson at the Masters. There are no haters. There is nothing to dislike.

“I don't know if there's a player on Tour who loves Augusta more than Phil,” said Hunter Mahan, who is tied for sixth place. “He loves everything about it. You can tell: he puts his coat on when he gets here. He gets off the plane and the coat is on and he comes through the gates here.”

The back-nine run was vintage Phil and resembled Saturday in 2010. He made birdie on Nos. 10 and 12, which gave him momentum heading into the closing stretch. An eagle putt of 25 feet on the par-5 13th caused Mickelson to double fist-pump and sent the proper Augusta patrons into a minor frenzy.

Another impressive display came on the par-5 15th when Mickelson hit a lob shot from behind the green to 5 feet and converted the birdie. He finished with birdie on No. 18 to close out the round and set up a head-to-head Sunday showdown with Hanson.

“It was awesome,” Mickelson said of the back-nine 30.

“I’m not surprised by his ability to pull off shots with great creativity,” said Jim “Bones” Mackay, Mickelson’s longtime caddie. “He’s inspired by this place. He has great mojo here.”

It’s a side note, but knowing Mickelson’s competitive side you can bet he gained motivation from playing alongside Vijay Singh, whom he got into a dustup with in 2005 when Singh confronted him in the locker room and told Masters rules officials that metal cleats in Lefty’s shoes were too long. Singh shot 76 Saturday and struggled with his putter all day.

And then there’s Woods who has played poorly for three consecutive days at the Masters and is at 3 over par. Mickelson loved beating Woods head-to-head Sunday at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February (Mickelson shot 64, Woods 75) and beating the man once thought invincible by 11 shots at Augusta National is an added bonus.

But that’s putting the cart before the horse. If Mickelson doesn’t win Sunday, nothing else will matter. It won’t matter how well he played Saturday, it won’t matter that the Augusta faithful love him so much and it won’t matter that he finished ahead of Singh and Woods. He must deliver the goods.

“I love it here and I love nothing more than being in the last group on Sunday at the Masters,” Mickelson said. “It's the greatest thing in professional golf.”

You oughta know:

• That leader Peter Hanson’s best finish in a major was a tie for seventh last year at the U.S. Open and that he’s never led after any round on the PGA Tour.

• That Phil Mickelson, in search of his fourth green jacket, will be paired with Hanson on Sunday and that the winner has come from the last group in 19 of the last 21 Masters.

• That Tiger Woods, who struggled to an even-par 72, will begin the day 12 strokes back. The largest comeback in Masters history was eight strokes by Jackie Burke in 1956.

• That Mickelson scorched Hanson in Sunday singles at the 2010 Ryder Cup, 3 and 2. “That was tough,” the Swede recalled.

• That with a victory on Sunday, Mickelson can move to second on the all-time Masters champions list with four, tying Woods and Arnold Palmer. Jack Nicklaus holds the record with six.

• That for the second consecutive day, Woods failed to birdie or eagle a par 5. It’s just the fourth time in his career at Augusta National that he’s failed to do so.

• That Mickelson is the first player since 1999 to birdie No. 18 all three days. Matt Kuchar also accomplished the same feat this week.

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