Hmmm... here's a thought, why don't they ban metal spikes altogether like the majority of golf clubs have done for their members or paying public.Singh, Mickelson involved in metal spike flap
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
April 9, 2005
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Phil Mickelson bared his soles at the Masters.
The defending champion started his short day at Augusta National by making a birdie on the dangerous par-3 12th. Minutes later, he was stopped in the 13th fairway by a rules official who wanted to see the bottom of his shoes following a complaint by Vijay Singh that Mickelson's spikes were too long.
Their spat over spikes carried into the Champions Locker Room during a rain delay Friday, where two men with green jackets had a pointed confrontation about whether Lefty's shoes were damaging the greens.
``He expressed his concerns. I expressed my disappointment with the way it was handled,'' Mickelson said through his press agent, T.R. Reinman. ``I believe everything is fine now.''
Singh played in the group behind the defending Masters champion.
They resumed the first round on the par-3 12th, the scariest hole at Augusta. Mickelson hit his tee shot into 5 feet and made birdie, going to 3 under par. Singh hit his tee shot to about 25 feet on the same line and two-putted for par.
Mickelson offered an apology, but was angry about the timing of being stopped by two officials on one hole.
``They were sent by Vijay to check my spikes because he felt they were unduly damaging the greens,'' Mickelson said. ``If that's the case, I am very apologetic and will make every effort to tap down what spike marks I may make in the future. However, I was extremely distracted and would have appreciated if it would have been handled differently or after the round.''
Mickelson said more than one-third of the field is using metal spikes, especially because of the wet conditions.
Singh contacted a rules official while putting on the 12th green.
``He said on the 12th hole that someone in the group in front was tracking the green with his shoes,'' said Steve Rintoul, a PGA Tour rules official working at the Masters. ``When he looked at where the track was going, he figured out it was Phil.''
Mickelson hit his tee shot down the left side of the 13th fairway, and a rules official met him off the tee. Mickelson showed him his soles, one then the other. The official nodded, and Lefty kept walking.
Rintoul said another official on the 13th green watched for abnormal footprints, and found there was no problem.
But the debate apparently didn't end there.
``After sitting in the locker (room) for a while, I heard Vijay talking to other players about it and I confronted him,'' Mickelson said.
Singh, the 2000 Masters winner, left the course before he could be questioned.
Will Nicholson, chairman of the competition committee, knew about the complaint, but was unaware that Mickelson's shoes were in question or that Singh had turned him in.
``They asked to see if there was a burr on the side of his spikes,'' Nicholson said. ``There wasn't.''
Rintoul and Nicholson said Mickelson offered to change his shoes at the end of the first round. It was not clear if he started the second round with new shoes, or different spikes.
Callaway Golf spokesman Larry Dorman said Mickelson changed to 8 millimeter spikes sometime before The Players Championship, which was held two weeks ago. He had been using 6 millimeter spikes.
``He told our guys he was slipping at the Match Play,'' Dorman said.
RACK Vijay for getting in Phil's head!
