World's top two find it's not always easy

By JOE JULIANO Philadelphia Inquirer

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – It was supposed to be a week for the ages at the PGA Championship with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson dueling to win the Wanamaker Trophy in their first showdown as the world's No. 1 and No. 2 players in a few years.

Instead, the two superstars have been relegated to also-ran status at Oak Hill Country Club midway through the year's final major.

Woods struggled with his putting all day Friday, posting four birdies and four bogeys in a round of 70 that left him at 1-over-par 141 and 10 shots off the lead held by Jason Dufner. Mickelson missed some makeable birdie putts and shot his second straight 71 for a 142 total.

Woods, whose victory at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was his fifth of the year, thought the golf course was "definitely gettable" after rain on Thursday night and Friday morning. But he couldn't make it happen.

Two particularly galling holes for Woods came at 14, where he drove the green at the short par-4 but three-putted, and at 16, where he took three putts again, this time for bogey.

"I made my share and missed my share, just the way it goes," he said. "Obviously, I need to hit the ball better than I have."

"It's just a little bit off," Mickelson said. "I feel like I can turn it around in a second. I struggled on the greens. I was over-reading almost every putt. I really struggled fading the ball."

Unless something dramatic happens Saturday and Sunday, Woods will extend a winless streak in majors that dates back to June 2008.

"Obviously, I'm going to have to put together a really good weekend," he said before he went to the driving range for some evening practice with his swing instructor, Sean Foley.

He was particularly disappointed with himself for having driven the green on the par-4 14th hole, then taking three putts. He also three-putted the 16th hole for a bogey 5 and finished with a bogey on 18.

"It's just the way it goes. Obviously, I need to hit it better than I have," he said. "I'm going to have to do my job and shoot a good round. Then again, I'm so far back that if the leaders go ahead and run off with it and shoot a low one tomorrow, I'm going to be pretty far behind."

Mickelson stayed on the practice range until sunset Thursday working with coach Butch Harmon.

He hit his opening tee shot into deep rough on the left. His next tee shot went into a bunker right of the flag.

Making it look worse was playing alongside the other two major champions this year — Masters champ Adam Scott, who had a 68, and U.S. Open champ Justin Rose. Mickelson blamed — or praised — the course conditions.