Mickelson Still Says He’s Right

You already know all the players, but here’s the latest update in the never-ending equipment/branding/endorsement saga involving Tiger Woods-Nike-Buick versus Phil Mickelson-Titleist-Ford.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday about the upcoming Ford Championship, Mickelson (who represents Ford), said he has paid the price for critiquing the equipment Woods uses (Nike), but blames the media for not backing up his side of the story (Titleist).

Mickelson said Woods makes the most of “inferior” equipment in a recent interview with Golf magazine.

“I certainly should not have gone in that direction,” Mickelson said during the conference call. “And I certainly paid the price, tenfold. What kills me is that all of you guys who printed it and found it easy to lay into me, none of you have admitted the accuracy of that statement.

“When I try to be honest up front and give a little insight, I get reamed for it. I don’t know what else to say other than the only guy to win [this year] with something other than the ProV1x is Tiger.”

Mickelson plays the ProV1x prototype ball (Titleist) and Woods plays the Tour Accuracy TW (Nike). Woods (Buick) won the Buick Invitational last week at Torrey Pines. Mickelson (Ford) is not playing the Nissan Open this week, but Woods (Buick) is.

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Uh, inferior what? It’s all a matter of timing.

Woods rolled in the last putt in his victory at Torrey Pines a little after 3 p.m. Sunday and about 5 1/2 hours later, Nike issued a press release with this headline: “Nike Golf Tour Staff Proves Superior at Buick.”

Speaking of the ProV1x balls, they’re not available for purchase until April 1, but on eBay last week, four boxes went for more than $200 apiece -- one for $265. A sleeve of three balls went for $115.

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In other endorsement news, Aaron Baddeley signed his first club deal with MacGregor and is playing the irons. He’s also wearing a MacGregor logo cap. Baddeley plans to test MacGregor’s wedges and drivers. Also, Nick Price switched to Precept U-Tri Extra Spin golf balls from the Tour Premium LS.

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Jerry Kelly, who was an all-city hockey player at Madison, Wis., has a club head cover with a goalie’s mask stitched on it. Kelly’s gallery in Wednesday’s pro-am included Milwaukee Buck buddies Ray Allen and Toni Kukoc.

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Hoping to make a big splash this week is Colin Montgomerie, who is playing his first PGA Tour event this year.

Montgomerie has kept busy, swimming 100 laps a day for the last eight weeks in the pool at his home in Esher, England, about 10 miles from London. Montgomerie said swimming is far from boring.

“Not when you have the stereo system in the ceiling playing your favorite music,” he said.

Montgomerie also said his long-troublesome back is sound. When he played Tuesday at Riviera, he said it was the first time in two years that he had gone to the first tee without first seeing a physical therapist.

Montgomerie, who switched to Hogan clubs, said he is using forged irons for the first time since he was a teen.

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If Wednesday’s practice round scores are any indication, expect Riviera to give up low numbers. Woods shot a four-under-par 67, including a monster second shot on the par-five, 576-yard 17th. From 265 yards out, Woods hit a three-wood and landed the ball 12 feet from the hole.

Best practice round of the day belonged to Charles Howell, who shot a seven-under 64.