SHANGHAI—As one of the most complete golf seasons in recent memory seemingly won’t end, Phil Mickelson defeated Ernie Els, Tiger Woods and a number of other world class players to win the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, China.

Anyone who saw the final round, which began at 7 p.m. Saturday night in California, saw Tiger Woods play like most people play against him in the final round – nervously.  I think everyone is still trying to figure out what to make of this because the field and pressure and intensity resembled a major but since it was November and half way around the world does it carry as much weight as a regular season event?  If it does, then the tide could be changing in the golf landscape.  At the very least it makes for an interesting 2010 season.

Obviously Mickelson is enjoying a huge confidence boost with his Tour Championship win, President’s Cup domination and HSBC Tiger-takedown.  But Phil is Phil and he won’t play again until probably Torrey Pines which is almost three months out.  If he carries any momentum he has closed this season with into next year, Tiger may have finally found his rival – again.

During that final round in China, I was all set to announce the return of Ernie Els and predict at least one major for the “Big Easy” in 2010.  For the record I was giving him the Masters and with the confidence he would take from that who knows how many he could win next year.  Instead the Els we have become accustomed to seeing the past few years returned as he rinsed his second shot into the par-5 18^th to lose by one.  Only Els could shoot 63 in the final round, lose by one and still come away with a bad taste in his mouth. 

The bigger question coming out of this tournament was the state of Woods’s game.  In what seemed like a dream, Tiger looked like the fragile golfer struggling with final round nerves in a big tournament.  One has to wonder if the Y.E. Yang effect still haunts him.  In the first seven holes while paired with Mickelson, Woods hit one ball in the water, missed a shortish putt and was four over through seven holes.  Naturally, Tiger did become Tiger again; birdieing three in a row around the turn and then 14 and 15 before inexplicably dumping a pitch into a pot bunker at 16.  The final hole was downright embarrassing for the world’s No. 1 – or at least I was embarrassed for him.  As if his shaky round wasn’t bad enough, he was forced to slap it around for a closing bogey six while trying to just get out of Mickelson’s way as he was trying to two-putt for victory at the par-5 18^th.  Needless to say not the way Woods is used to finishing a tournament.

More bizarre than watching Woods turn into a mere mortal right before my eyes was that I had to keep reminding myself that this was, indeed, November and I was watching Woods, Els and Mickelson duel it out as if it were a major.  I didn’t even mention the part where 20-year-old Rory McIlroy also shot 63 after making seven birdies, one bogey and one par on the front nine.

So as I try to figure out what this means for the upcoming PGA Tour season, I do know one thing – sign me up for more primetime golf.    

Quick thoughts from around the sports world

After watching A-Rod’s out of the ordinary success in the postseason being attributed new girlfriend and serial star-dater Kate Hudson, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Greg Norman’s near miss at the 2008 British Open.  Norman, as you must remember (since the media and Norman beat it into our collective heads) was recently married to Chrissy Evert and was enjoying his honeymoon when he made his improbable run and subsequent collapse at Royal Birkdale.  There has to be a theory here about how an athlete plus a new “squeeze” equals instant – but not long-term – success.  As flaky as A-Rod is don’t be surprised if he starts dating another attractive celebrity next year when the playoffs begin.  If he learned anything from Norman it’s that you can only use that trump card once.

Anyone who appreciates the blessing of getting to listen to Vin Scully broadcast Dodger games should check out MLB Network Tuesday, November 18.  That night’s guest on “Studio 42 with Bob Costas” will be Ernie Harwell, the longtime Tigers’ announcer.  Harwell, who has inoperable cancer, was my Scully growing up and I’m not the only one.  Back in the day before satellite television and radio, there were 50,000 watt radio signals that stretched across many states.  Harwell was on WJR in Detroit and could be heard as far as the Rockies.  Jack Buck was at KMOX in St. Louis and is the reason the Cardinals is the favorite team of many Midwesterners not confined to Missouri.  Whoever your favorite team was growing up, Harwell is a living history book of the game and its many characters.