Memorial field is dwindling; Mickelson now the headliner

He and Sergio Garcia are the only two top players competing at Muirfield Village this year.

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — The Memorial had high hopes of landing all of the top 10 players in the world for the first time until Tiger Woods decided his left knee was not fully recovered from surgery.

Since then, the stars have been falling like rain, which is never a good sign at Muirfield Village.

Adam Scott opted not to play, citing fatigue. Vijay Singh was still smarting from a rib injury and had to pull out. Steve Stricker withdrew with an elbow injury. Even some of the alternates for the 120-man field decided not to come.

Who does that leave at the Memorial?

Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, both fresh off important victories.

Mickelson had not seriously contended since his February victory at Riviera, his only top 10 coming at the Masters, where he finished six shots behind Trevor Immelman. He was headed for more disappointment Sunday at Colonial when he drove left into the trees on the final hole, only to escape with a stunning shot through the treetops to just inside 10 feet for a winning birdie.

“I’m excited about how I’m starting to play, and I want to continue that momentum,” Mickelson said. “This will be the last tournament I play before the U.S. Open. And after this event, I’ll get home and start practicing at Torrey [Pines] getting ready for that. Although the U.S. Open is on my mind, I would like to play well this week.”

Garcia didn’t need any heroics, but he was far more desperate.

The 28-year-old Spaniard had gone three years without a victory anywhere in the world amid constant questions about his putting problems. That all changed at the Players Championship, when Garcia holed a half-dozen putts that proved pivotal, none bigger than a 7-footer for par on the final hole to get into a playoff that he won against Paul Goydos.

Then it was off to Spain for two weeks of rest and celebration, and he has a solid outlook heading into the summer.

“It’s definitely a boost of confidence. There’s no doubt about that,” Garcia said. “I guess at the end of the day, every tournament is different, and winning the Players was great. But I’ve still got to go out there and perform at the U.S. Open, and at the British Open, and at the PGA, and give myself a chance.”

Adding to the spice of Mickelson and Garcia coming off big wins is they’ll be playing together the first two days at Muirfield Village, which is in supreme condition from tee-to-green, with rough that might be thicker — albeit different — than the U.S. Open.