Fighting spirit spills over in US camp

PHIL MICKELSON may be the Masters champion and one of the most talented golfers of all time - but he still can't beat his wife Amy at Ping-Pong!

The gifted left-hander was talking about how competitive the American wives are, on the Ping-Pong table or playing board or card games.

"They are just funny girls and it's a fun atmosphere. They are competitive in whatever sport we play. These are the weeks we as players and wives cherish and they seem to last a lifetime."

The same applies to the friendships the players on both sides make. They sat down to dinner together on Tuesday night and Mickelson enthused about how "we had a great time. I got to sit with captains Langer and Sutton as well as Paul McGinley, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie. I enjoy talking to these guys. They are intelligent and have a lot of neat things to say. Their interests are amazing. Lee Westwood is very knowledgeable in horse racing and Paul McGinley is very close to Italy, where Amy and I love to go, so we heard about great places over there. Colin is one of the guys I enjoy joking around with more than just about anybody. He's got a great sense of humour. So we had a very fun evening."

So far so good then, for the man sensationally beaten 3 and 2 by Phillip Price at The Belfry two years ago. Mickelson is said to have blanked Price since, although pettiness doesn't seem to fit this pleasant individual.

He claims results like that "happen in matches. When Costantino Rocca beat Tiger we were all shocked. Price played a great match, I didn't and he ended up beating me."

Nor was he having any of the talk of the Europeans being underdogs this week, arguing that "they bring their best game out. They have guys who are winning, Luke Donald has won twice on the European Tour, Miguel-Angel Jimenez four times. Not to mention players who are repeatedly in contention in majors, like Sergio Garcia, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington. Their team is extremely sharp. We are going to have our hands full. It's a pretty evenly matched Ryder Cup, even though I fancy our chances."

Mickelson is confident a new Callaway driver (the Great Big Bertha 11) will improve his game further. The technicians gave him a club that looked the same as the one he had used all along - until he teed it up.

"It went a few miles an hour further and the little cut shot I've been hitting all year was easy to hit."

Well, if he can't beat tiny Amy on the Ping-Pong table, maybe he should introduce her to Big Bertha on the golf course.