Injury worry for Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from the Memorial Tournament in Ohio because of injury – just two weeks before the US Open.

’Lefty’ pulled out after just 11 holes of Thursday’s opening round in Dublin because of problems with his left wrist.

The American was two over par at the time, having suffered a double bogey at the par-three eighth hole and a bogey at the par-five 11th.

Mickelson was playing the Jack Nicklaus-hosted tournament for the first time since 2002 – as was Tiger Woods.

But the anticipated showdown between the duo will not materialise, a disappointment to fans and media alike.

American golf fans have long craved a legitimate rivalry between Woods and anyone else.

For a while, it looked one was starting as Mickelson won the 2005 PGA Championship and 2006 Masters.

But Mickelson had a meltdown on the final hole of last year’s US Open and went into a tailspin.

At the recent Players Championship, however, he was back to his brilliant best, blowing away the field barely a month after starting a swing renovation with new coach Butch Harmon.

Woods and the rest of the star-studded field will play the Memorial with one eye on the US Open, which starts on June 14 at Oakmont.

Woods has hardly touched a club due to a myriad of sponsorship commitments.

Instead, he focused on his fitness regime, confident there is plenty of time to get his swing back in the groove before the year’s second major.

Woods, who will take next week off to focus on his game, said: “You’ve got to pick one or the other, and I picked getting my body in shape for the run to the US Open.”