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January 15, 2008 - 2:55PM
Mickelson, Baddeley commit to FBR Open
Comments | RecommendBill Huffman, For the Tribune
Two-time champion Phil Mickelson, the No. 2 player in the world, will compete in his 16th consecutive FBR/Phoenix Open, tournament chairman Tim Louis announced Thursday.
Also committing to the 132-man field was defending champ Aaron Baddeley, an Australian who lives in Scottsdale. At No. 17, Baddeley gives the FBR Open five players in the world’s top 20, including K.J. Choi (No. 9), Rory Sabbatini (No. 11) and Zach Johnson, who were announced earlier.
Mickelson, who has won two Masters and a PGA Championship in the past four years, will be the highest-ranked player in the tournament, which takes place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 at the TPC Scottsdale.
Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, already has committed to the Dubai Desert Classic, which runs concurrently on the European PGA Tour.
“Phil likes to play here,” Louis said in summing up what had been expected from Mickelson, who won here in 1996 and 2005. “He’ll headline a strong field.”
Louis said the Thunderbirds, the civic organization that sponsors the tournament, also expect two-time champ Vijay Singh to commit soon. But that would probably be the last commitment among the top 10 in the world.
“Traditionally, we get three or four players (in the top 10), but that’s about it,” Louis said. “However, we usually do well in that group from 10 to 30, and I expect that will be the case this time, too.”
With two weeks remaining for players to sign up, the FBR Open has commitments from 18 of the top 50 players in the world rankings, and 16 of the top 30 money winners from last season — 88 of the top 125.
Mickelson is the all-time leading money winner of the FBR/Phoenix Open ($1,377,776). He has played in the tournament 15 times as a pro and on three occasions as an amateur, with eight top-10s and only two missed cuts.
Over the last five years at the TPC Scottsdale, Mickelson has finished in the top 10 four times, posted the best round (60), and is a combined 60-under par.
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