The PGA Tour massages the groups for the opening two rounds of tournaments to provide story lines, and it wasn't too hard to figure out one such group for the Northern Trust Open.

Phil Mickelson, Kyle Stanley and Brandt Snedeker, three players who had very little in common until they all rallied from at least six shots to win tournaments over the last three weeks.

Mickelson was six shots behind Charlie Wi at Pebble Beach; Stanley came from eight shots behind Spencer Levin in the Phoenix Open; and Snedeker rallied from seven shots behind to beat Stanley at Torrey Pines.

It's most fitting that Stanley is in the same group as Mickelson.

He was practicing at Whisper Rock on Wednesday of the Phoenix Open, just three days after the calamitous finish, when Mickelson approached to offer some advice.

"It wasn't an organized meeting or anything," Stanley said. "I had never met him before. He just told me to keep my head up, and how to approach it the next time I have a big lead, how to stay aggressive. It was pretty classy."