Mickelson Hopes to Play at Scottsdale


Phil Mickelson has visited a specialist in Georgia to discover the source of the lower back pain that caused him to withdraw after 36 holes in last week's Farmers Insurance Open.

Mickelson met with Tom Boers, who came up with a diagnosis that Mickelson's facet joints had locked up. "Tom restored my mobility, but I still have inflammation that will take a week or two to subside," Mickelson said in a statement.

Mickelson first felt soreness in his back while in Abu Dhabi for a European Tour event in mid-January. He withdrew after last Friday's second round so as to not make matters worse by compensating for the pain.

Mickelson is the defending champion in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The $6.2 million PGA Tour event starts Thursday at TPC Scottsdale. Last year he opened with a 60 and stormed to a four-stroke victory over Brandt Snedeker.

He plans to fly to Arizona on Wednesday to see how the treatment has worked; he's motivated to play in the Phoenix Open. "If it was any other tournament I'd skip it," Mickelson said. "But I'm defending, it's my second hometown and I love the event. I'll have a light practice session and if it goes well, I may try to play."

Mickelson is also scheduled to play in next week's Tour stop at Pebble Beach, where he's a five-time champion. He's enjoyed considerable success over the years on the West Coast, where he's garnered 19 of his 42 victories.

"I'm itching to play," he said. "But I have to look at the big picture. I have a number of tournaments I want to play and play well this year, including the majors, so I have to be realistic about how I feel in the short term."