For an inveterate gambler, Phil Mickelson sure has a lousy poker face.

The jovial Phil Mickelson was always quick to issue a self-deprecating comment or two, masking what many of his colleagues on the PGA Tour consider to be a god complex. And “Lefty” always had plenty of material to work with, coughing up tournament victories like bad hors d’oeuvres. But he finally put an end to his status as “greatest golfer yet to win a major” by winning the Masters in 2004, and he made it a double-dip in 2006.

That mask, by the way, is no longer part of Lefty’s arsenal. Mickelson was so floored by his collapse at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot that he swore he’d improve his shotmaking. His driving accuracy in 2007 has improved from to 58.61 to 60.11 percent, enough to boost his “total driving” ranking on the Tour from 66th to 14th. That’s a huge step in the right direction for someone who is already a wizard with his wedges and his putter.

Mickelson has developed what appears to be a healthy (at least, for golfers) aversion to risk. In addition to sounder strategy on the links, gambling has also been off the table for Lefty since the difficulties his wife Amy had giving birth to their third child, Evan, in 2003. And as for that inflated ego, Mickelson appears to be genuine when he admits that there is no comparison between himself and his rival, Tiger Woods.

That doesn’t mean Mickelson doesn’t think he can compete against Woods. Far from it – he’s even adopted a Tiger-like approach to personal fitness, watching his diet and working on core exercises to improve his conditioning. Mickelson is also using a strategy that many are misinterpreting as a mistake, skipping tune-up events to focus his mental and physical energy on the major tournaments. Add up all those concessions to intelligent golfing, and Mickelson is a solid value at 7-1 (second to Woods at 3-2) to win his third Green Jacket.

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