This Week at WorldGolf.com: April 5, 2005:

Even now that Phil Mickelson's closet has held a green jacket for almost a year, people have trouble seeing the real Lefty. Instead of recognizing that Mickelson's had his one shinning moment, a once-in-a-lifetime experience when everything came together for a good guy who deserved it, they project future majors dominance.

Two different Las Vegas bartenders proudly told me how they bet Mickelson to repeat in this week's Masters. Each of these guys laid down over $700 at 6-1 odds and felt like they were pulling one over on the casinos.

Mickelson will forever be the romantic pick and seldom the realistic one. Phil repeating at Augusta? That would be the equivalent of the Red Sox winning the World Series again this year (even Stephen King would laugh at that one) or Villanova toppling that Patrick Ewing Georgetown team on back-to-back nights. Lightning just doesn't strike twice in the same spot.

Mickelson's game isn't fluky, but the resolve he showed on the back nine of that championship Sunday was. Anyone who thinks he can pull that off again just hasn't been watching closely since last April. Mickelson's settled back into his familiar routine: dominant in the run-of-the-mill tournaments, literally coming up short when faced with magnified pressure (see Shinnecock, that Tiger matchup at Doral, etc...).

Further compounding Mickelson's mental strain this week is the fact he spent what turned into a five-day weekend sloshing through the BellSouth Classic. While Tiger Woods practiced at his own pace and even Vijay Singh took time off from ridiculing caddies, Mickelson was still taking his swings on the TPC at Sugarloaf late Monday afternoon.

A second green jacket fitting for Phil? Only in a bartender's dreams.

Heck, I'd wager having to watch the Champions Tour on that proposition. (Any of my loyal readers, and I believe there's one of you out there, knows what a sacrifice that would represent.) If Lefty wins, this lefty will watch the next thrilling (OK, any - thrilling is way to easy a loophole) grand geezers event with some WorldGolf.com posters. I'll even supply the bartender (anyone betting on Phil will need the extra work).

I hear the beer truck driver is gearing up for a showdown with an ice cream truck professional.

As always your comments are welcome on any topic, including Phil's folly and my employment status (what kind of fool hired me anyway?).

Machrihanish and Machrie:
Scotland's Faraway Links

"Enchanted" describes just a smattering of courses around the globe. But if ramble down to the far tip of Scotland's remote Mull of Kintyre peninsula, you'll find a course that fits that description: Machrihanish Golf Links. A rather ancient route by the great Tom Morris Sr., Machrihanish is generally not included in the diets of most links lovers - it's simply too difficult to get to. But those who make the effort get rewarded. Big time.
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Cash in your chips at these
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Thanks to a course-building boom of the '90s, Atlantic City is now known to golfers up and down the Eastern seaboard for more than just gambling. It's become a bonified golf destination with a dozen resort and public tracks worth checking out. Four-star ratings abound, and even during the high season, few rounds will run you more than $125. Try finding those rates in Vegas, baby!
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U.S. Virgin Islands: an American
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The U.S. Virgin Islands are the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean, drawing more than 2 million visitors per year. While not a hotbed of golf, the three courses in the islands can be the icing on the cake of a memorable Caribbean vacation. Dale Leatherman takes a look at Buccaneer Hotel and Golf Course and Carambola Villa Golf and Beach Resort on St. Croix, and Mahogany Run Golf Club on St. Thomas.
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