If Tiger Woods cannot reverse his fortunes then the once-dominant force in golf could slip out of the top five in the rankings.
Having reigned supreme for so long, the 35-year-old has seen his career nosedive after a series of revelations in the press about his private life.
And next Monday (February 7th), when the latest world rankings are announced, the 14-time Major winner could slip down as far as sixth.
Woods currently occupies third place but has suffered a slow start to the new season and several players are now within touching distance of the former Stanford University student.
World number five Graeme McDowell is not in action this week, but Mickelson (fourth), Paul Casey (sixth) and Steve Stricker will all do their golf clothing and take to the course.
And Woods' public image continues to decline, with a recent poll revealing him as the fourth most-disliked celebrity in the US.