Sometimes The Magic Works, Sometimes It Doesn’t

Scatter shooting a bit about Steve Lowery, Phil Mickelson and Pat Perez vs. Tiger Woods. Let’s start with kudos for Steve Lowery for his win at Pebble Beach. At 48 years old and a hefty 225 pounds, this Alabama boy has a total of three wins on Tour, interestingly all by playoff. How’s that for magic? Forget about those wags that say Vijay Singh gave it away. Look at Steve’s birdie on the first playoff hole and consider that anyone who can do that in the face of all that pressure deserves to win.

An old football coach had some wisdom on “should have, could have” season records. “You are what you are,” he said. Golf is the same way. It doesn’t matter that you got a bad break, or on any other day you might beat the @#@* out of your challenger. The game is all about the here and now. And this here and now belonged to Steve Lowery. To hell with the Atkins diet, pass the mashed potatoes and hold my chocolate malt while I give Steve a standing ovation.

One of the other highlights, or perhaps lowlights of the AT& T was Phil Mickelson’s 11 on the par 5 fourteenth hole in the 3rd round. I mention this only to encourage the rest of us when we card that 8 on our own par 5 nightmares. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I want to celebrate Phil’s misfortune, but it’s nice to know that most of us could have kicked his butt on that hole. Of course we would have pressed the bet and lost our shirt on the next hole, but that’s another story.

Next week is the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and as of this moment Pat Perez has the final 64th spot in the tournament. This is a good news, bad news, good news story. The good news is Pat is in the tournament and therefore gets to strut around the locker room with the big boys. The bad news is that number 64 has to play number 1 and the last time I looked that was a guy named Tiger. However, the final good news is that last place pays $40,000.

I’m not suggesting that Pat has no chance. However, I am suggesting that Pat may need a little mojo to advance.

Mojo aside, this past week was the final week to become eligible for the 64-man field, and Pat shot a 72 to tie for 24th, and unbeknown to him earn just enough ranking points to improve one spot to No. 65. And, since Ernie Els has said he would not play, tag, you’re it, Mr. Perez.

Although the final, final field is not set until 5:00 p.m. Monday of the tournament, Pat’s opponent seems assured. If anyone withdraws after that, his opponent gets a pass to the second round.

And as if he didn’t already have enough pressure, Pat has never played in the World Golf Championship, and he hasn’t competed in match play since he was a junior at Arizona State. Even when told by friend and foe alike that anything can happen over 18 holes that didn't seem to brighten his optimism all that much. "If I'm playing Tiger, anything would need to happen," Perez said. "I don't think he's going to be too worried about anybody he plays."

Without question Pat has a major hill to climb, but all is not lost. After all, Woods has only won the Accenture Match Play twice, and was eliminated in the third round last year.

Frankly, I like Pat’s approach. "It’s a free show for me, watching him play," he said. "Unbelievable, this guy. I can't lose either way. If I beat him, I'm a hero. If I don't, I'm not supposed to win. If I beat him, I may quit, just pack in it. If anybody asks, 'When was the last time you played? Aw, I beat Tiger. I'm done.'"

Stay tuned because sometime the magic does work, just ask Steve Lowery.