The PLAYERS Tee Times and Phil's Honor

Here are the tee times and pairings for the first and second rounds of the PLAYERS Championship starting tomorrow morning.  The pairings are the same both days, just their tee times/locations change.  As you can see, some will start on hole 1 and some will start on hole 10 (as in most tournaments).  There are 144 total as a sick Fred Couples pulled out earlier this week.

McIlroy (left) is the favorite heading into the tournament but is there a rivalry on the verge with Fowler?!

I've highlighted the pairings to keep your eye on throughout the first couple of days.  The negative? Masters champion Bubba Watson is not participating because he'd like to spend more time with his family.  The positive? There are two pairings to follow VERY closely:

• Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker
• Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler

Granted, each weekend, it's a smarter bet to take the field over any given individual player, but this weekend, the PLAYERS outdid themselves by hooking these guys up.  

FIRST ROUND

First Tee
7:15 a.m. - John Mallinger, Cam Tringale, Blake Adams
7:26 a.m. - Tom Gillis, Andres Romero, Jeff Overton
7:36 a.m. - Pat Perez, Briny Baird, Michael Thompson
7:47 a.m. - Scott Verplank, Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy
7:57 a.m. - Padraig Harrington, Angel Cabrera, Arjun Atwal
8:08 a.m. - Harrison Frazar, Aaron Baddeley, Justin Leonard
8:18 a.m. - Nick Watney, Ben Crane, Brandt Snedeker
8:29 a.m. - Ian Poulter, Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen
8:39 a.m. - Robert Garrigus, D.A. Points, Carl Pettersson
8:50 a.m. - Ryan Palmer, Chris Kirk, Michael Bradley
9:00 a.m. - Hunter Haas, David Hearn, Spencer Levin
9:11 a.m. - David Mathis, John Merrick, Jeff Maggert

12:25 p.m. - Josh Teater, Kevin Stadler, Chez Reavie
12:36 p.m. - Tim Herron, Jimmy Walker, Sung Kang
12:46 p.m. - Ricky Barnes, Kevin Chappell, Bo Van Pelt
12:57 p.m. - Jerry Kelly, Rory Sabbatini, Y.E. Yang
1:07 p.m. - Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Scott Stallings
1:18 p.m. - Jhonattan Vegas, Camilo Villegas, Jonathan Byrd
1:28 p.m. - Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Adam Scott
1:39 p.m. - Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Bill Haas
1:49 p.m. - Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker
2:00 p.m. - Bud Cauley, Ryan Moore, Paul Casey
2:10 p.m. - Tommy Gainey, Sang-moon Bae, John Senden
2:21 p.m. - Marc Leishman, J.J. Killeen, Alvaro Quiros

Tenth Tee
7:15 a.m. - Chris Couch, Greg Chalmers, Graham DeLaet
7:26 a.m. - D.J. Trahan, Chris DiMarco, James Driscoll
7:36 a.m. - Kevin Streeleman, Brandt Jobe, Kris Blanks
7:47 a.m. - Bryce Molder, Gary Woodland, Charley Hoffman
7:57 a.m. - Brian Gay, Heath Slocum, Matt Bettencourt
8:08 a.m. - Scott Piercy, Kevin Na, George McNeill
8:18 a.m. - Sergio Garcia, Tim Clark, K.J. Choi
8:29 a.m. - Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson
8:39 a.m. - Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler
8:50 a.m. - David Toms, Sean O'Hair, Henrik Stenson
9:00 a.m. - Troy Matteson, J.B. Holmes, J.J. Henry
9:11 a.m. - Billy Mayfair, Rod Pampling, Chad Campbell

12:25 p.m. - Ken Duke, Tom Pernice Jr., Brendon de Jonge
12:36 p.m. - Simon Dyson, Chris Stroud, Nick O'Hern
12:46 p.m. - Charlie Wi, Francesco Molinari, John Rollins
12:57 p.m. - Retief Goosen, Lucas Glover, Fredrik Jacobson
1:07 p.m. - Robert Allenby, Brendan Steele, Trevor Immelman
1:18 p.m. - Charles Howell III, Stewart Cink, Martin Laird
1:28 p.m. - Ernie Els, Zach Johnson, Graeme McDowell
1:39 p.m. - Kyle Stanley, Ben Curtis, Jason Dufner
1:49 p.m. - John Huh, Mark Wilson, Johnson Wagner
2:00 p.m. - Bob Estes, Joe Ogilvie, Brian Davis
2:10 p.m. - Peter Hanson, Ryuji Imada, Robert Karlsson
2:21 p.m. - Matt Every, Colt Knost, Harris English

SECOND ROUND

Tenth Tee

12:25 pm Mallinger, John Tringale, Cameron Adams, Blake

12:36 pm Romero, Andres Overton, Jeff Gillis, Tom

12:46 pm Perez, Pat Baird, Briny Thompson, Michael

12:57 pm Ogilvy, Geoff Singh, Vijay Verplank, Scott

1:07 pm Atwal, Arjun Cabrera, Angel Harrington, Padraig

1:18 pm Frazar, Harrison Baddeley, Aaron Leonard, Justin

1:28 pm Snedeker, Brandt Crane, Ben Watney, Nick

1:39 pm Oosthuizen, Louis Day, Jason Poulter, Ian

1:49 pm Pettersson, Carl Points, D.A. Garrigus, Robert

2:00 pm Kirk, Chris Bradley, Michael Palmer, Ryan

2:10 pm Levin, Spencer Hearn, David Haas, Hunter

2:21 pm Maggert, Jeff Merrick, John Mathis, David

First Tee

12:25 pm Couch, Chris Chalmers, Greg DeLaet, Graham

12:36 pm Trahan, D.J. DiMarco, Chris Driscoll, James

12:46 pm Streelman, Kevin Jobe, Brandt Blanks, Kris

12:57 pm Molder, Bryce Woodland, Gary Hoffman, Charley

1:07 pm Slocum, Heath Bettencourt, Matt Gay, Brian

1:18 pm McNeill, George Na, Kevin Piercy, Scott

1:28 pm Choi, K.J. Clark, Tim Garcia, Sergio

1:39 pm Simpson, Webb Bradley, Keegan Kuchar, Matt

1:49 pm Fowler, Rickie Mahan, Hunter Woods, Tiger

2:00 pm O'Hair, Sean Toms, David Stenson, Henrik

2:10 pm Matteson, Troy Holmes, J.B. Henry, J.J.

2:21 pm Campbell, Chad Pampling, Rod Mayfair, Billy

Tenth Tee

7:15 am Reavie, Chez Stadler, Kevin Teater, Josh

7:26 am Herron, Tim Walker, Jimmy Kang, Sung

7:36 am Van Pelt, Bo Chappell, Kevin Barnes, Ricky

7:47 am Sabbatini, Rory Yang, Y.E. Kelly, Jerry

7:57 am Stallings, Scott Furyk, Jim Love III, Davis

8:08 am Vegas, Jhonattan Byrd, Jonathan Villegas, Camilo

8:18 am Rose, Justin Kaymer, Martin Scott, Adam

8:29 am Donald, Luke Haas, Bill Westwood, Lee

8:39 am McIlroy, Rory Mickelson, Phil Stricker, Steve

8:50 am Moore, Ryan Casey, Paul Cauley, Bud

9:00 am Senden, John Bae, Sang-Moon Gainey, Tommy

9:11 am Leishman, Marc Killeen, J.J. Quiros, Alvaro

First Tee

7:15 am Pernice Jr., Tom de Jonge, Brendon Duke, Ken

7:26 am O'Hern, Nick Stroud, Chris Dyson, Simon

7:36 am Rollins, John Molinari, Francesco Wi, Charlie

7:47 am Jacobson, Fredrik Glover, Lucas Goosen, Retief

7:57 am Steele, Brendan Immelman, Trevor Allenby, Robert

8:08 am Laird, Martin Cink, Stewart Howell III, Charles

8:18 am McDowell, Graeme Johnson, Zach Els, Ernie

8:29 am Dufner, Jason Curtis, Ben Stanley, Kyle

8:39 am Huh, John Wilson, Mark Wagner, Johnson

8:50 am Ogilvie, Joe Estes, Bob Davis, Brian

9:00 am Imada, Ryuji Karlsson, Robert Hanson, Peter

9:11 am Every, Matt Knost, Colt English, Harris

HALL OF FAME WELCOMES LEFTY

As I reflect upon Phil's career, I remember vividly during Tiger's dominant years how we coined Mickelson the best player to not have won a major.  It seemed Phil got ever so close but could not get over that special hump.  It seemed like fate would keep Phil as a great player and not a legendary one.  That all changed on Augusta in 2004.  

Considered the Arnold Palmer of his generation, Mickelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame Monday evening with several others.  Not quite 42 years old, it's an early induction but nevertheless worthy with this stat line:

Phil has 42 (top 10 all time) wins all around the world. He was elected on the PGA Tour ballot, a career that includes the Masters three times, one PGA Championship, two World Golf Championships, eight Ryder Cup teams and every Presidents Cup team since it began in 1994.