Pinehurst, N.C. – After a year’s absence, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia said they expect to return to play in The International at Castle Pines Golf Club.
“I likely will be there,” Mickelson said Tuesday after playing a practice round for the U.S. Open at the Pinehurst No. 2 course. “In fact, I called Mr. (Jack) Vickers and told him that I plan to be there.” Vickers is the president and founder of The International and Castle Pines Golf Club.
Garcia also gave a thumbs up when asked if he would be back. “Yes, I’m going,” Garcia said.
The PGA Tour event will be held Aug. 4-7.
Mickelson and Garcia skipped the 2004 International to practice for the PGA Championship held the following week at Whistling Straits Golf Club in Kohler, Wis., a relatively new links-style layout.
Mickelson had played in 13 consecutive Internationals before missing last year. Mickelson (1993, 1997) and Davis Love III (1990, 2003) are the only multiple winners at Castle Pines. Mickelson ranks second to Ernie Els in all-time earnings at Castle Pines.
Before last year, Garcia had played in every International since his first trip to Castle Pines in 1999 after turning professional as a 19-year-old. Garcia has made the cut to Sunday in all of his appearances, with his best finish 11th in 2001.
“We’re tickled to death to get both of them back,” said Kaye Kessler, spokesman for The International.
Mickelson told reporters Tuesday that he prefers to play the week before major championships rather than take a week off to practice, which is Tiger Woods’ usual routine. Mickelson said last year that Whistling Straits was a special situation because there was so much uncertainty about how it would play.
The 2005 PGA Championship will be played at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., a traditional layout that has hosted numerous major championships.
Mickelson tied for sixth at Whistling Straits, his worst finish in the 2004 major championships, and indicated his preference from now on is to compete the week before.
“I’ve found that playing the week before (a major), I was in a better frame of mind competitively, fresh and sharp,” he said. “When Tuesday comes around, I’ve only had three days of competitive golf off, as opposed to 10 or 11. That seems to get me a little more focused on the round at hand.”
