World no. 1 Tiger Woods and new British Open champion Phil Mickelson are on a collision course, fighting for the 95th PGA Championship.
Practice began on Monday at Oak Hill Country Club with Woods coming off a seven-stroke triumph at the World Golf Champ-ionships Bridgestone Invitational, his eighth triumph at Firestone Country Club, and Mickelson still enjoying last month’s British Open win at Muirfield.
“When Phil and I have battled, it has been in big events and we’ve shot some pretty good rounds together and against each other,” Woods said.
Woods, a 14-time major winner chasing the all-time record of 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has not won a major title in 17 attempts since the 2008 US Open but says he feels no extra urgency to win the last major before his 38th birthday.
“As far as wanting it more than any other, no. It’s the same,” Woods said. “Each and every major, I always want them. I’ve been successful 14 times and hopefully (this) will be 15.”
Mickelson, a US Open runner-up for the sixth time in June, captured his fifth major crown in July and is confident he knows Oak Hill well.
“I’ve studied the golf course,” Mickelson said. “I know exactly how I’m going to play it. I just need to get my game sharp now.”