Mickelson fails to catch Woods on way home

PHIL MICKELSON must be beginning to think that he is cursed in his bid to overtake Tiger Woods in the world rankings for the first time since April 1997.

The left-hander has had umpteen opportunities to trump his great rival over the past year but has failed every time. He blew another chance last night in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Ranked sixth in the world after going winless since last year’s Masters victory, Mickelson only had to finish ahead of fifth-ranked Woods on the leaderboard to edge ahead of his great rival for the first time in 14 years.

But while Woods bogeyed the 17th and then double-bogeyed the last for a level-par 72 that left him on one-under for the tournament, Mickelson slipped back into a tie with Woods after a 73 that featured bogeys at the 14th, 15th and 17th.

At the top of the leaderboard, American Steve Marino, at nine under par, had a two-stroke lead over struggling overnight leader Martin Laird with six holes to play.

With the course set-up causing problems, Scotland’s Laird made three early bogeys and then double-bogeyed the 11th before closing the gap with his first birdie of the day at the par-five 12th.

England’s Justin Rose holed a 30-footer for birdie at the last for a 68, coming home in five-under 31 to set a stiff clubhouse target at six under par.

If Laird comes through at Bay Hill it would set up a notable double for Scottish golf as compatriot Paul Lawrie achieved his first European Tour win for nine years yesterday.

The 42-year-old former Open champion took the Andalucian Open in Malaga by one shot from Swede Johan Edfors.

With six runners-up finishes since his last victory, Lawrie must have feared it was going to be another near miss when, from one ahead overnight, he bogeyed the first two holes and England’s Mark Foster birdied them.

But, in a repeat of what happened at last year’s Spanish Open, Foster could not hold on to a three-shot lead.

Lawrie, despite dropping another stroke at the fifth, turned things round by starting the back nine with four birdies in five holes.

And the Aberdeen golfer, whose world ranking has dropped from 29th in 2000 to 272nd, could even afford a closing bogey to win with a level-par 70 and 12-under total of 268.

“It’s been a long time — 2002 seems a hell of a time ago,” he said. “I’ve had a few second places in there, but all of a sudden we’re there again. It was going pear-shaped a little bit, but you’ve just got to keep going — that’s all you can do.

“I played lovely and the putter behaved better.”