Missing Woods does not distract players

Defending champion Phil Mickelson insists nobody is talking about Tiger Woods at The Players Championship.The top 50 players in the world rankings automatically qualify for the event at Sawgrass, but Woods has pulled out because he's recovering from a knee operation.Mickelson played a warm-up round at the course, then insisted Woods is not on his mind.He said: "It wasn't a topic of conversation in the round of golf that we played."Woods may not play again until the US Open next month and his absence is bound to upset the sponsors of The Players Championship.Jim Furyk said: "Him being here or not being here doesn't really affect the rest of us or how we prepare, but it affects on a broader scale, television, how our viewers and fans look at the golf tournament because they want to see Tiger in the field."However, Mickelson admitted players cannot help looking over their shoulders when Woods is playing.He said: "When he's in the field, certainly that's the first thing you look at on the scoreboard, on the leaderboard, is 'What did Tiger shoot? Where does he stand?'"That's going to obviously be different when he's not in the field. You don't have that thought."

» More on this story... «

ITN | May 7, 2008

Tags:. .next. .did. .thats. .top. .open