Establishment (P. Mickelson) vs. Youth (K. Bradley)

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THE BARCLAYS: Matchups | Inside the field | Course overview | Tee times

One of the themes for the 2011 PGA TOUR season is the competition involving the younger players and the established ones. How will the veteran players -- those with significant TOUR experience and long-standing championship pedigree -- fare against the hungry up-and-comers who are looking to nudge their way into the TOUR's elite?

Each week, PGATOUR.COM will select two players and analyze their chances heading into the tournament. We'll then track which player has the better score for his team, and keep a running team tally throughout the year.

For The Barclays this week, we've selected Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, two frequent practice round partners and -- as of two weeks ago -- major winners. Mickelson has four majors to his credit while Bradley, a PGA TOUR rookie, captured the 2011 finale when he beat Jason Dufner in a playoff at the PGA Championship.

Mickelson and Bradley, who also face off this week in PGA TOUR Matchups, are playing together in the first two rounds of The Barclays with Luke Donald, who ranks fourth in the FedExCup. The threesome tees off No. 1 at 1:06 p.m. on Thursday and No. 10 at 8:21 a.m. on Friday.

The pairings are made based on the player's rank in the FedExCup. Donald is No. 4, Bradley fifth and Mickelson sixth.

"It's going to be a lot of fun for me personally," Bradley said. "I went to school down the street at St. John's University, so it's going to be fun to have a big crowd to show my buddies who come out from St. John's University. It's an honor to play with Phil any time, but to be paired with him because of how he played is even cooler. That's a great sign for anybody to be paired with Phil.

"I'm looking forward to it. I've never played with Phil in a tournament before. I know it's going to be a little crazy, but I am also looking forward to playing with Luke Donald. I just joined (The Bear's Club) club down in Florida that he's a member at and look forward to getting to know him."

ESTABLISHMENT AGE: 41 YEARS ON TOUR: Mickelson is in his 19th season on the PGA TOUR. He has 39 PGA TOUR victories, including three Masters and one PGA Championship. OVERVIEW: One of the most beloved players on the PGA TOUR, Mickelson is still focused on adding to what is sure to be a World Golf Hall of Fame career. He won the Northern Telecom Open while still a student at Arizona State and since joining the TOUR in 1993, he has won at least once every year but 1999 and 2003. His most recent victory came at the Shell Houston Open in April but Mickelson's fifth and last top-10 came last month at the British Open. It was his best finish in a major all season. Mickelson enters the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup ranked sixth, and he has five top-10s in 16 previous Playoffs events. Mickelson is serving as an unofficial mentor for players like Bradley, Brendan Steele and Dustin Johnson, often playing with them on Tuesdays or Wednesday to hone their competitive edge. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: He has played in The Barclays each year since it became a Playoffs event, as well as five times prior. His best finish -- and only top-10 -- came in 2007 when it was played at Westchester Country Club. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Mickelson has been generally pleased with his play of late, although he's been one round from really putting a stellar tournament together. Driving and putting have been his nemesis, both of which should be emphasized this week on the Donald Ross layout at Plainfield Country Club.   YOUTH AGE: 25 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Bradley's first full season on the PGA TOUR and he has already picked up two victories, most recently at the PGA Championship. OVERVIEW: Bradley is the odds-on favorite for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year after picking up two wins, including his first major championship. The nephew of World Golf Hall of Famer Pat Bradley and the son of a PGA of America pro, he certainly has the pedigree. Bradley picked up his first TOUR win in his 16th start when he beat Ryan Palmer on the first hole of a playoff at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. His other victory also came in a playoff when the stakes were exponentially higher in the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Bradley triple bogeyed the 15th hole on Sunday but rallied with birdies on the next two holes to force the three-hole aggregate date with Jason Dufner. With the victory, Bradley became the first rookie to win two tournaments since Todd Hamilton won The Honda Classic and British Open in 2005. He enters the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup ranked fifth in the standings. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Bradley is making his Playoffs debut and playing in The Barclays for the first time in his career. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Bradley should certainly come to Plainfield with confidence after contending through 63 holes at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and the gutsy win at the PGA Championship. He's had a week off to regroup after getting the celebrations out of the way.

Here are the results of the previous matchups this year

Score/Finish Tournament   Score/Finish   Steve Stricker 20 under (T-4th) Hyundai TOC Dustin Johnson 14 under (T-9th)   Ernie Els 4 under (T-42nd) Sony Open Jason Day 8 under (T-20th) Stewart Cink 5 under (MC) Bob Hope Classic Bubba Watson 7 under (MC) Davis Love III 5 over (MC) Farmers Insurance Open Rickie Fowler 5 under (T20) Angel Cabrera 7 under (T-49th) Waste Management Phoenix Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (MC)     Padraig Harrington 2 over (T63) AT&T Pebble Beach National Dustin Johnson Even (T55) Jim Furyk 1 under (T35) Northern Trust Open Louis Oosthuizen 3 over (T62)     Vijay Singh 9 over (MC) The Honda Classic Anthony Kim 7 over (MC) Luke Donald 11 under (T6) WGC-Cadillac Championship Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (T31)   Sergio Garcia 7 under (T15) Transitions Championship Matteo Manassero 6 under (T20)   Phil Mickelson 1 under (T24) Arnold Palmer Invitational Graeme McDowell 9 over (MC)     Fred Couples Even (T60) Shell Houston Open Gary Woodland 10 under (T13) Tiger Woods 10 under (T4) The Masters Martin Kaymer 6 over (MC)   Justin Leonard 2 under (T30) Valero Texas Open Anthony Kim 7 over (MC)     Jim Furyk 5 under (T21) The Heritage Jason Day 7 under (T9) David Toms 7 under (T18) Zurich Classic of New Orleans Brandt Snedeker 2 over (MC)   Phil Mickelson 10 under (T9) Wells Fargo Championship Bubba Watson 3 under (T48)     Tiger Woods Withdrew THE PLAYERS Championship Charl Schwartzel 6 under (T26) Paul Goydos 5 under (T10) Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Jason Day 3 under (T31)     Vijay Singh 5 over (T27) HP Byron Nelson Championship Nick Watney 1 over (T8)   Jim Furyk 8 over (MC) the Memorial Tournament Bubba Watson 1 under (T42)   David Toms 5 over (MC) FedEx St. Jude Classic Camilo Villegas 8 under (3)   Ernie Els 6 over (MC) U.S. Open Graeme McDowell 2 under (T14)   Padraig Harrington 4 under (T63) Travelers Championship Aaron Baddeley 11 under (T24) K.J. Choi 11 under (2nd) AT&T National Adam Scott 9 under (T3)   Stewart Cink 3 under (MC) John Deere Classic Louis Oosthuizen 3 under (MC)   Tom Watson 6 over (T22) British Open Bubba Watson 9 over (T30)     Mike Weir (WD) RBC Canadian Open Matt McQuillan 5 over (T31)   Davis Love III 2 over (MC) The Greenbrier Classic Jeff Overton Even (T49) Steve Stricker 7 under (14) WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Nick Watney 2 under (T23)     Tiger Woods 10 over (MC) PGA Championship Dustin Johnson 7 over (MC) Davis Love III 11 under (T12) Wyndham Championship Bill Haas 2 under (MC)