DORAL, Fla. – It was well past dusk, with the faintest remaining glow from the Florida sunset barely illuminating the grounds.
The practice range was empty. The practice green behind the Tiger Woods Villa, however, had one player left hunched over putts. With black shoes, black slacks, black jacket and black cap, Phil Mickelson was barely noticed by most people walking by oblivious to his grinding.
The oldest guy in the World Golf Championship field was the only one working overtime. He's working like a kid trying to beat the clock as his favorite major inches closer.
"I'm excited to play," Mickelson said. "I'm enjoying playing. I'm loving playing right now. I'm playing really, really well.
You can sense Mickelson's enthusiasm building as the Masters Tournament approaches. He already counts three green jackets among his five major titles, but the 45-year-old Mickelson isn't ready to cede the stage to the latest generation of superstars at the peak of their games.