Phil Mickelson played a magnificent stretch of golf on Sunday at Augusta National, but he was unable to close and once again failed to win a major that he was in position to win.
Phil Mickelson on Days 1-3 of the Masters
Phil got off to a shaky start at this year's Masters, shooting a +1 through eighteen holes and it looked early like this was not going to be his year at the Masters. He bounced back with a very solid performance on Day 2. He shot a -4 to put him back in contention at -3. He had a mediocre Day 3, shooting -1 to put him at -4 and 7 strokes back heading into the final day. It was going to take a tremendous performance on Sunday for him to have a chance to win the Masters.
Phil Mickelson on Sunday at the Masters
Phil faced an uphill battle on Sunday and to make things even more difficult, he was paired with the most intimidating golfer of all time, the great Tiger Woods. Phil responded early, however, and was outplaying Tiger. You didn't have to be a golf expert to realize that Phil was brilliant on the front nine, hitting one great shot after another on his way to shooting a Masters record-tying 30. When he got to -10 and cut the lead to one stroke, it looked like he was on his way to one of the all-time great performances in Masters history. Then, it happened again. Phil was unable to finish the job. He put the tee shot into the water on 12 and had to settle for a double bogey. You knew right then and there that he had blown his opportunity to win the Masters. He would go on to miss very makeable puts on 15 and 17, effectively ending any hope of pulling off the great comeback. Phil finished 3 strokes back at -9. So, if he had just gotten par on 12 and made the two makeable putts on 15 and 17, he would have but immense pressure on the golfers that followed and likely would have won the tournament at -13.
Phil's Mickelson's Legacy
Most golf fans would like to see Phil Mickelson succeed and challenge Tiger Woods. That would be great for the sport. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods has had the potential to be an all-time great rivalry. They are both fantastic golfers, they are both American, and they dislike each other, something that always makes for an intense rivalry. However, Phil has not held up his end of the bargain. Tiger Woods is the best closer in sports, and rarely loses an event that he is in position to win, especially in a major (he was never really in a position to win yesterday). Phil, on the other hand, has failed to close many times in his career, especially in majors, despite having won three. Phil could easily have six or seven major titles by now, if he was a better finisher. He could be having a great career and could have been considered one of the all-time best. Instead, his career has merely been good to this point.
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