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 Phil Mickelson played in two Southern California PGA Tour stops and didn't contend for the title either time (PHOTO: Mark Susson). That wasn’t the case in 2010, as most local players looking for fast starts came up empty. Among Tour members with Southland ties, there were more losers than winners at the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego and Northern Trust Open in Pacific Palisades. But there also were some who did well for themselves with solid finishes. Here’s a look at 10 golfers with Southern California ties. LOSER: Phil Mickelson. A torrid end to 2009, the indefinite hiatus of Tiger Woods and a start in Southern California were three reasons why San Diego’s Mickelson seemed poised to kick off 2010 with a bang. Instead, he became embroiled in a controversy surrounding old Ping-Eye 2 wedges and failed to contend at either Torrey Pines or Riviera — certainly not what Lefty was looking for. LOSER: Anthony Kim. Prior to the groove controversy erupting with Mickelson and others at the Farmers Insurance Open, an issue was made regarding conflicting event releases granted to players like Kim, who skipped the local Bob Hope Classic in favor of the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship. The only event the Los Angeles played in was the Northern Trust Open, where he closed with a horrid 78 en route to a tie for 52nd. WINNER: Rickie Fowler. How is a golfer who made only one of the three cuts considered a winner? Because Fowler’s lone conversion was a tie for fifth at Farmers, where the 21-year-old rookie shook off a disappointing performance in the Hope and contended for the title. The Murrieta native gets a pass on the missed cut at Riviera, a track that almost always requires significant experience in order to be successful. LOSER: Charley Hoffman. Prior to the start of the 2010 season, the Poway native said the new groove rule wouldn’t have any effect on his game. It’s unclear if that has been a miscalculation, but the stats certainly suggests something’s not right in Hoffman’s game — he made only one cut at the three Southland tournaments, a tie for 37th at the Northern Trust, and ranks outside the top 100 in almost every major category, including putting average, greens in regulation and total driving.  WINNER: Kevin Na. The former Diamond Bar resident (pictured) has got to be pleased with the way he’s begun his 2010 season, rebounding from a mediocre tie for 52nd in the Sony Open with top-10 finishes at both the Bob Hope Classic and Northern Trust Open. It’s very early, but already in ’10 Na has hit almost 68 percent of greens in regulation, up almost four percent from a year ago. And the 26-year-old remains one of the best putters in the world — as long as he keeps giving himself birdie chances, he will keep racking up six-figure prize checks. LOSER: Hunter Mahan. As in Mickelson’s case, bestowing this tag upon the Orange native is certainly a result of lofty expectations. Mahan has only competed in two events, missing the Northern Trust cut and finishing tied for 27th in the Farmers thanks to a 5-under-par 67 on the North course and a trio of ho-hum 72s on the South. Not a terrible start, but not the start a talented upstart like Mahan needed to begin the year. WINNER: Paul Goydos. The current campaign has oscillated like the needle on a Richter scale for the Long Beach native. Goydos opened the Bob Hope Classic with four sub-70 rounds before closing with an 80 and a 74th-place finish, missed the cut at Torrey Pines, then fired a final-round 65 at Riviera en route to a tie for fifth. It hasn’t been pretty, but the 45-year-old has racked up more than $250,000 in earnings to start ’10. WINNER: Kevin Stadler. It was painful watching the former USC men’s golf standout miss that near-gimme and make double bogey on the 72nd hole at Riviera Sunday. However, his performance there — a tie for 10th — still made for a nice birthday present of $147,200 (Stadler turned 30 on February 5). Coupled with nearly $60,000 from a tie for 18th at the Hope and the portly son of the Walrus is well on his way to a solid campaign. LOSER: Scott McCarron. One of the nicest guys on the PGA Tour, the La Quinta resident and Player Advisory Council member can’t be faulted for speaking his mind about competitors using old Ping-Eye 2 wedges to skirt the new groove rule and Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem’s leniency in granting conflicting event releases. But McCarron’s performance on the course (missed cuts in all three Southern California stops) didn’t make anybody forget why he made headlines in the first place. LOSER: John Mallinger. Whatever’s up with the Escondido native’s game, I’m sure he’s working on it. In missing his first three cuts of the year — all in the Southland — Mallinger has only broken 70 once. Local Focus is an online-only weekly analysis of the PGA Tour and other national circuits from a Southern California perspective. OTHER LOCAL FOCUS FEATURES: Mickelson goes for unprecedented three-peat at Northern Trust Open ALSO SEE: Final round photos from Northern Trust Open Steady Stricker wins Northern Trust Open Crane hangs on to win Farmers Insurance Open |
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