T

he 43-year-old American veteran Phil Mickelson shows no lack of confidence as he embarks on his 2014 PGA Tour season. If there are doubters, his performance in the majors will silence them all. Of his eight PGA Tour victories since 2009, two have been major championships.

The most recent being a spectacular come-from-behind epic at the Open Championship last July that left the lads at the Ladbrokes betting parlor scratching their heads.

'€œI would think that as you get older your skills would start to decline,'€ Mickelson said. '€œWhat'€™s happened is when I started working with [Dave] Pelz in 2004 on certain things with distance control, iron work, wedge work, putting and so forth, it'€™s all getting better now each year the more I'€™m able to work on it, the more I'€™m able to practice.'€

On the contrary there appear to have been '€œmajor'€ doubts in the mind of Tiger Woods over the past few years. It is well documented he has not won a major since 2008 and is stuck in 14th gear in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus'€™s all time record of 18 major wins. He has certainly had his chances and has finished 6th or better in nine of his last 20 attempts.

At 38, time is a new obstacle closing in on him. As with Mickelson, he begins his journey on the PGA Tour in 2014 at Torrey Pines (Farmer'€™s Insurance Open). Torrey Pines is coincidentally the last venue where Woods won a major championship in June 2008. A sweet return for Woods as he contemplates his victory from last year though he still has no answers for his major championship drought. Reflecting on the future Woods said '€œLooking back from the beginning of my career to now, I know that I don'€™t have 20 years in my prime, I don'€™t see being 58 and being in my prime.'€

 Woods has little trouble winning regular PGA Tour events. He won five times last year. Will 2014 finally be the year he rediscovers his major championship mojo? In order to do so he will need to bring his A-game to weekend play at majors and steel his nerves to make the putts that really count.

This exercise was automatic pre-2009. Barring any injuries Woods is running shot of excuses. After all, Nicklaus won his last major at 46. I seriously doubt Woods will be playing regularly on Tour if he happens to surpass Nicklaus'€™s mark of 18 major championship wins before he turns 46.

Tiger'€™s legacy will be singularly defined by his success or failure in achieving or surpassing Nicklaus'€™s record. For Mickelson however, it is not so black or white. When discussing major wins he'€™s tied for 14th place in the history books with a total of five. He'€™s even still behind the likes of Nick Faldo of England and Lee Trevino of the US, who have 6 each.

Despite this, some writers consider Phil to be among the top 10 all-time greats with his 42 PGA Tour wins including his 5 majors. I believe the jury'€™s still out on Phil as more golf needs to be played. He is indisputably the best player in the world today next to Woods and has shown the will to continue to win major championships.

As of this writing after two rounds of play at Torrey Pines, Woods is way behind the pack at one under par a full nine strokes behind the young American Jordan Speith. Mickelson finished at two under par but unfortunately had to withdraw due to a hurting back. At this juncture, Mickelson'€™s ailment is not expected to be serious.

Earlier in the week Mickelson had commented: '€œI want to make sure I'€™m healthy and that I don'€™t get into bad swing habits just because I'€™m having a bit of a tightening.'€

Regardless of his temporary setback, Mickelson will be primed to play the 2014 season and Woods for his part is more than ready to redeem himself in his quest for a 15th major championship win. Woods certainly has more pressure than Mickelson to win his next major as history bears witness to his unfolding and yet incomplete legacy.