With his latest victory, Phil Mickelson has taken a big step toward being the most supreme golfer on the planet. (PGA of America)

A salute to Phil Mickelson - the best Lefty this side of Barack Obama

By William K. Wolfrum,
Contributor

Here at the Golfer Supremacy Rankings, we love Phil Mickelson with the strength of a thousand fireflies. And why shouldn't we?

The man now has 36 career PGA Tour victories after going wire-to-wire to win the CA Championship at Doral. Mix in three major titles and you have a true hall-of-fame player in Lefty. In fact, it may be safe to say that Mickelson is the second-most important Lefty in the U.S. today, after Barack Obama.

Still, Mickelson never seems to get the credit he so rightly deserves. And while that is to be expected in the era of Tiger Woods, we think there's more to it than that. We blame golf writers for the lack of respect Lefty receives. Covetous, covetous golf writers.

Because more than any other golfer of his era, Mickelson inspires jealousy. And this jealousy means he'll never get a fair shake. Golf writers covet his game, his attitude, his willingness to step away from the limelight, and even his wife. They are a covetous bunch, those golf writers.

For the folks at the Golfer Supremacy Rankings, however, jealousy is not an option. We are all about the facts. We don't let silly things like human emotion cloud our judgment. And right now, the facts are clear - Phil Mickelson is the best golfer on the planet.

Golfer Supremacy Rankings

1. Phil Mickelson

Comments: Lefty did his best Tiger Woods impersonation, leading the CA Championship wire-to-wire and notching yet another victory. More importantly, Mickelson is but one tournament away from finally overtaking Woods for the title of golf's No. 1 player. And sure, he only has this opportunity because Woods was out injured, but that isn't his fault.

2. Unni Haskell

Comments: For one shining moment, the 62-year-old Haskell was the greatest golfer on the planet. After taking several lessons, Haskell got up the nerve to play a round at Cypress Links golf course, a nine-hole, par-3 track in St. Petersburg, Fla. On her first-ever swing in her first-ever round of golf, Haskell drained a hole in one. No word on how the rest of her round went, but we at the GSR would have advised her to quit the game immediately and retire as the only golfer whose whole golfing career consisted of one swing and one ace.

3. The Dragon Ladies

Comments: All born in 1988 - the Year of the Dragon - five South Korean golfers are ready to lay waste to the LPGA. Shin Ji-Yai, Choi Na-Yeon, Park In-Bee, Kim In-Kyung and Oh Ji-Young are all just 20 years old and have a fearlessness that comes from playing against top-competition. And while 2008 saw them break through with wins, 2009 may just end up being the Year of the Dragon on the LPGA Tour.

"We grew up together, trained together, and we all came of age last year. It's an exciting period for Korean women's golf," said Park.

Random Comment: "Not only do I have a great instructor, but I get to sleep with her when the lesson's over!" - Greg Norman, on taking tennis lessons from his wife, tennis great Chris Evert.

Random Anti-American Shriek: "Recently, however, the game's proud etiquette has been disturbed by a mildly irritating whining sound emanating from a land 3,000 miles west of Caledonia. No, it wasn't mosquitoes or even lawn mowers; it was the sound of once-spoiled Americans moaning and groaning about their perceived lack of representation in the two World Golf Championships played in the last three weeks," - golf writer John Huggan.

March 20, 2009

William K. Wolfrum keeps one eye on the PGA Tour and another watching golf vacation hotspots and letting travelers in on the best place to vacation. You can follow him on Twitter @Wolfrum.