Mickelson, Els, Couples ride momentum into Augusta National

It's hard to say they're hitting their stride heading to the Masters, given that neither finished higher than 35th at the Shell Houston Open. But solid Sundays have Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Fred Couples feeling confident about their chances.

By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

It's often been said the Masters doesn't begin until Sunday's back nine at Augusta National.

But you could make the argument that for three pre-Masters favorites -- Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Fred Couples -- it started on Sunday's back nine of Redstone Golf Club in the Shell Houston Open.

This trio combined to shoot three of only 17 sub-70 scores posted in Sunday's final round on a difficult course that is set up to best replicate Augusta National. While it earned neither of them a sizable check, it gave them much-needed momentum heading into the season's first major.

Couples shot a 68 -- a 10-stroke improvement over his previous round -- that included four birdies on his back nine to finish T55. Els, had who had won his two previous starts on the PGA TOUR, closed with a 33 to shoot in the 60s for the first time all week and move up to a T45. And Mickelson was up to his usual up-and-down ways, overcoming three double bogeys with six consecutive birdies on the closing nine -- three coming with a stand-in caddy, Dr. Tom Buchholz, who has been treating Mickelson's wife, Amy, and his mother for breast cancer.

"It was nice to make the birdies," Mickelson said after finishing T35. "I had a nice stretch there on the backside, and I'm looking forward to Augusta. I love the way that course is much more forgiving for me off the tee, and around the greens there's a lot more area to get up and down."

While Els and Couples have been landing in the winner's circle often lately -- Couples recently became the first player in Champions Tour history to win three of his first four starts on that 50-and-older circuit -- Mickelson has yet to contend on a Sunday this season.

After closing 2009 with consecutive wins over fields that included Tiger Woods, Mickelson seemed poised for a stellar 2010. But he has had just one top-10 finish in seven starts and for the first time since 2003, Mickelson arrived in Augusta on Monday without a title in hand as he clearly is still dealing with family health issues -- evidenced by his backup caddie Sunday, Mickelson is expected to be perhaps the only player in the Masters field to have two drivers in his bag this week. But two caddies?

"This man is a brilliant man. One of the best doctors in the world," Mickelson said of Dr. Buchholz, who actually caddied for former pro Allen Miller to a 10th-place finish at Westchester in 1984 when he was going to medical school. "He's helped us through our hardest times that Amy and I have gone through."

Mickelson said he wasn't too upset about his finish in Houston because he uses the week more as a prep for Augusta than to try and win his 38th PGA TOUR title. As much as Redstone officials try to get their greens as close to Augusta National's as possible, Mickelson points out the rest of the course is vastly different.

"I fight this golf course because I want to play (well) next week and I need to hit drivers next week," Mickelson said. "I hit driver at every hole at Augusta except for one. Here, if you hit driver, you're not playing this course smart. There's so much water and cut-ins. It's just not a course where you can't hit the shots for next week. That's not my goal, though. My goal is to get ready for next week."

Els was probably content to be under the radar most of last week. Winning on the PGA TOUR takes a lot out of a player; winning his last two consecutive starts, as Els did at the WGC-CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational to end a two-year drought in the U.S., takes even more out.

Els has made his share of mistakes with his scheduling in the past. Remember when he shot 80 in the final round of the 2004 U.S Open at Shinnecock Hills? He started the day with the lead, but finished T9. Afterward, his caddie, Ricci Roberts, told him his hectic schedule -- he had played the five previous weeks, including a trip to Europe -- had taken too much out of him.

This year, Els has confined his game to the U.S., and he thinks it might help him finally win at Augusta. After finishing no worse than sixth from 2000-2004 (including a pair of seconds), Els has missed his last three cuts at Augusta.

Els, who turned 40 last year, admits he changed his schedule to spend more time with his family -- he announced last year his son, Ben, has Autism -- and to take advantage of the last few seasons in his prime, especially with No. 1 Tiger Woods taking the last five months off.

"I think it's a good opportunity for a lot of players to basically try and strike now," Els said. "I'm not sure what the reason is why I'm feeling this good. I haven't traveled that much this year, maybe. That might have helped me a little bit. So I felt a bit more grounded, a bit more calm this year than maybe previous years. I like my schedule this year. It's a bit more what I want to do, not what everybody else wants me to do."

Couples seems the most uncertain of this trio of possible contenders this week. There's no question he loves Augusta National. Not only did he win the green jacket in 1992, but Couples shares the record with Gary Player for most consecutive cuts made in the Masters (23) before he failed to advance the last two years, by a shot each time.

If Couples didn't feel good about his game -- he's 77-under in his last 12 rounds on the Champions Tour and has made all three cuts on the PGA TOUR in 2010 -- he probably wouldn't bother going through the hoopla of playing with Woods during Monday's practice round.

Jack Nicklaus remains the oldest winner (46) at Augusta, but it was just four years ago that Couples was in contention at the Masters before playing partner Mickelson pulled away for his second green jacket.

"I always expect to play well there," Couples said. "The Champions Tour has been a lot of fun, obviously. I've been playing better than maybe I've ever played. You don't shoot under par unless you're putting well, and I've been putting extremely well. To win (on the PGA TOUR) would be extremely difficult. At Augusta, I think I have a better shot. I don't think I'm done with the place yet."

Woods may be the favorite by the bookmakers, but it wouldn't be the worst situation to be holding these three players in your Masters' office pool.