Phil Mickelson fitters away another great major chance at PGA Championship: Phil the new Kenny Perry?

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - This is the PGA Championship that no one seems capable of seizing, the kind of major Phil Mickelson should be salivating over. Mickelson held a prime opportunity this morning too, playing an Oakland Hills course whose greens are finally softened by all that rain - getting to play most of his third round in the morning when the conditions are always easier here rather than the tough afternoon he would have had to endure without the washout Saturday.

So what does Phil do?

He shoots a 1-over 71 with the course ripe for scores much lower than that (see Padraig Harrington’s 66 or Ben Curtis’ 68). Now Mickelson sits at 4-over as he gets set for a 1:30 p.m. final round tee time, six shots out of Curtis’ lead. Phil’s just close enough to not do anything in another major. It’s looking more and more like Mickelson will have one Top 15 in the 10 majors since Winged Foot after today.

Can you be the No. 2 player in the world and be irrelevant in your sport’s most important events? If Mickelson doesn’t watch it, he’s going to morph into the new Kenny Perry.

For a full column on why Perry’s actions in the wake of his PGA Championship withdrawal revel him to be the biggest wimp in golf - and a horrible symbol of the U.S. Ryder Cup team - check out the front of WorldGolf.com.