Mickelson in hunt for the millions at Mount Juliet

US MASTERS Champion and the world’s fourth-ranked player, Phil Mickelson, has confirmed his participation in the World Golf Championships/American Express Championship in less than four weeks time, when the world’s top golfers will take to the fairways at Mount Juliet from September 30 to October 3 to compete for their share of the $7 million purse.

Mickelson has had an extremely successful season to date, finishing in the top ten in all four Major Championships.

In April he won the US Masters at Augusta National when he finished one shot ahead of South African Ernie Els to take the green jacket and claim the first Major title of his career.

The American looked set to win the second Major Championship of the year, the US Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills, only to finish in second place behind South African Retief Goosen, where they were the only two players to break par for 72 holes.

At the 133rd Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club, the third Major of the season, Mickelson finished third, missing out by one stroke on a place in the play-off between Els and eventual winner Todd Hamilton.

Most recently at Whistling Straits, venue for the final Major this year, Mickelson finished on six under par to tie for sixth place, recording his fourth top ten in the 2004 Majors.

Mickelson’s entry at Mount Juliet means that nine of the top ten golfers in the world have now officially confirmed for the World Golf Championships/American Express Championship, including three of this year’s Major winners.

Already confirmed are new world number one Vijay Singh and top ten players Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Retief Goosen, Mike Weir, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk.

Further commitments will be announced in the coming days.

The world’s top 50 players are automatically eligible to compete for a prize fund of $7 million with a record first prize fund of $1.2 million for the Champion.

The prize fund has grown by $1.5 million since the World Golf Championships/American Express Championship in 2002, when World Number One Tiger Woods captured the title and a winner’s cheque of $1 million.

Tickets for the Mount Juliet event are available on line at: www.ticketmaster.ie or by calling Ticketmaster, Republic of Ireland: 0818-719377.

Single day tickets for the practice days on the Tuesday and Wednesday are €27.

A single day ticket for Thursday or Friday is €42 and a single day ticket for Saturday or Sunday is €47. Two day tickets for Thurs. & Fri. will cost €68, while two-day tickets for Sat. & Sun. will cost €78. A season ticket will cost €120.