Waste Management Phoenix Open: Power ranking the top 10

Phil Mickelson made some news by missing his first Farmers Insurance Open in nearly three decades at his old stomping grounds in San Diego last week. He won’t do that this week near his alma mater of Arizona State.

Lefty’s played at TPC Scottsdale every year since 1991. In 28 starts, he’s won three times including his last in 2013 when he set the 72-hole record of 256 (28-under). That was when he opened on Thursday with a 60. His birdie putt for 59 looked like it was in until the last second.

Counting the three wins, Mickelson has 11 top-10s (and one 11th) and has missed the cut just five times at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He finished T15 in 2018.

Speaking of 60, Mickelson fired that at the La Quinta course at the Desert Classic a couple weeks ago. That nearly propelled the 48-year-old to the win as he fired 25-under to finish T2.

This will be Mickelson’s second event of 2018. Prior to the Desert Classic, his last start was at the Safeway Open in October.

He’s going to be fired up to get back in the winner’s circle this week.

“I don’t know what the exact word is,” Mickelson said in 2016. “I guess it’s to be better focused and to hit better shots coming down the stretch, that feeling of having an opportunity in front of these people, in front of this community that’s meant so much to me, it means a lot to me to play well here.”

Mickelson is in the positive in all the main strokes gained categories this season, picking up right where he left off last year. He was 13th in Strokes Gained approaching the green last season and was 17th in par-5 scoring.