Mickelson Caught at Flashpoint

LA JOLLA -- The anticipation for the final-group pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson created quite a buzz at Torrey Pines Golf Course, but it also caused a scare for Mickelson on the fifth hole. As Mickelson strolled near the gallery, a fan ran toward him with a camera, and the flash went off close to the player’s face.

“You don’t know what to expect,” Mickelson said. “You keep thinking about that Monica Seles deal.” Seles was stabbed at a tennis tournament in 1993.

Brad Faxon, who played with Woods and Mickelson and had predicted a wild scene, was in awe of the atmosphere, but wasn’t surprised by the Mickelson incident.

“It’s amazing that there are so many people new to golf,” he said.

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Large crowds lined each fairway well ahead of the final group’s arrival. Fans shouted to the players as they walked by, mostly rooting on their favorite.

On the sixth hole, a mother yelled “Go Phil!” and her young son countered with “Go Tiger!” The son drew a playful elbow in the chest from his mother.

Faxon got lost in the shuffle for the most part, but on the sixth got some cheers.

“I had a blast,” Faxon said. “There were people rooting for Tiger and for Phil and there were even a few Brad cheers.”

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Arron Oberholser didn’t know it, but he needed a top-10 finish Sunday to qualify for the Nissan Open this week at Riviera. Oberholser, the first-round leader here, shot 71 and tied for fourth, earning the spot.

“I looked on the Internet and I was 144th out of 144,” Oberholser said. “As far as I knew, I was in.”

But Tom Byrum was a late entry into the Nissan Open and bumped Oberholser out of the field, rendering the Internet listing incorrect.

“It wouldn’t have made a difference,” Oberholser said. “I was trying to shoot the lowest score I could.”

Carl Pettersson, who finished second at Torrey Pines, and Marco Dawson, who tied for seventh, also used top-10 finishes to gain entry at Riviera.

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Count Dennis Paulson among those scratching their heads about Annika Sorenstam’s desire to play a PGA Tour event. Sorenstam accepted a sponsor invitation to play the Bank of America Colonial in May.

“There is no plus for the PGA Tour so I don’t know why they would let her play,” Paulson said. “And if she goes out there and shoots 80-80, that’s bad for the LPGA Tour too.”

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Woods shot 66, 68 and 68 in three rounds on the South Course at Torrey Pines and shot 70 on the easier, shorter North Course. The field averaged 73.227 on the South, making it the second-toughest course on tour this season. The North course average was 69.935.

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Think Woods is used to winning? When he entered the interview room after his round Sunday, Woods began the session as reporters filed into the room. He imitated the moderator, then imitated a reporter asking the first question. The first question was exactly as Woods had anticipated.

“I just answered that,” he joked.

“I don’t think everyone was in here for that one,” said the actual moderator.