Phil Mickelson says the Players Championship is still the fifth major, despite Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy skipping Sawgrass.
Lefty stands up for Players Championship with top Euro absences
Phil Mickelson defended the standing of golf's 'fifth major', the Players Championship, despite Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy opting not to take part this week at Sawgrass.
The two European stars, world number one Westwood and number six McIlroy, are both skipping Sawgrass this week in a blow to golf's richest event.
Their absence has led some to question whether the tournament is being devalued as European events start to build in stature, but Mickelson has defended its importance.
"Everybody has got their own personal deal, but I disagree with their thought process," Mickelson said about Westwood and McIlroy's decision.
Asked if the £5.8million tournament still had the same prestige in his eyes the 2007 winner replied: "Certainly in my mind it does.
"I feel like since I've been out on tour that this is one of the tournaments that I would like to win the most right along with the majors."
Number one race
This week's event will have even more importance given as, with Westwood's absence, the world number one spot is once again up for grabs.
Mickelson has another chance to become world number one for the first time in his career, but he continues to play down the significance of the top spot.
"It's certainly what everybody strives for, but it's not really something that's on the forefront of anybody's minds," he added.
"I think the most important thing is to win tournaments and to compete in a tournament like this week, play against the best players.
"There's a lot more satisfaction over beating the best players in the world on a challenging test like this than there is to say you're ranked 'X' on the world rankings."
Challengers
Luke Donald could also take the number one position by winning and German Martin Kaymer could regain that hour with a top two finish.
Mickelson was also quizzed on whether he felt that time was running out on him ever becoming world number one with so many young players now fighting for the title.
"I don't feel that way," he replied. "And I don't feel that way because I see some things in my game that are starting to get better and better.
"I really know what it is I'm trying to do on the greens now, my short game has been sharp, my driving has been much better. I feel like I'm driving the ball straighter than I ever have and I'm excited to put that into play.
"My mindset changes after Augusta. It's not distance any more, it's 'got to get the ball in the fairway'. I see my game getting better, I welcome the challenge and I think that there's a lot of opportunity for me to still have a lot of success here."
