Mickelson master of the Masters
IN: News | US PGA | US Masters (2006) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 10 Apr 2006
Nearly thirteen hours after starting out in his final day quest for a third Major Championship title, Phil Mickelson was presented with his second green jacket following his comprehensive two shot win at Augusta National today.
For Mickelson it continued what has been a simply stunning record at this event with not only his two victories but ten top tens in fourteen starts, six of those in the top three. Mickelson clearly loves Augusta National but so too are Augusta National and those who are a part of this great event falling in love with Phil Mickelson.
Thirty six players were forced to complete their third rounds this morning from where they left off late yesterday and when Tim Clark birdied the fourth hole he had moved to a share of the lead with long time leader Chad Campbell. The conditions on day four, as the third round was being completed, were cool with the golf course playing much longer than the field had experienced all week.
Clark took the lead when he birdied the 8th but like several others his appearance at the very top of the leaderboard on this most intriguing of Sundays was but a cameo one. Later in the day however he would play much more than the bit part his late third round demise suggested.
As round three was completed, the hottest golfer in the game at present, Phil Mickelson, had taken a narrow one shot lead despite a bogey at his 54th hole and it would be the 2004 champion who would be the man for the field to catch over the closing eighteen holes.
It would take Mickelson seven holes to record his first birdie in round four and he followed that with a beautiful pitch to three feet at the par five eighth from forty yards to set up another birdie, which allowed him to retain a share of the lead with his playing partner Fred Couples, who had birdied the first and the seventh. Couples reached the green at the par five 8th with a massive drive and three wood but was some 60 feet short of the hole. Mickelson missed the green short and right but hit a delightful pitch from nearly forty yards to three feet and the resultant birdie saw him move back into the lead which would be his, and his alone, from that point on.
There were strong challenges coming from back in the field, the most notable from Jose Maria Olazabal, who birdied five holes in his opening nine in round four to be out in 32 and at two under was within two at that point. A bogey at the 11th, when he failed to get up and down from just short of the green, saw him slip back to one under but following birdies at the 13th and 14th he was back to three under and still, it appeared, a realistic chance.
The Spaniard had 245 yards to the hole as he stood over his second at the par five 15th and likely felt that it he could make two more birdies on the way in he could be right in it. His second with a fairway wood came to rest only two feet from the hole and the eagle had him at five under and within one of Mickelson. His brilliant run however would come to a halt at the next when he three putted from forty feet short of the hole and his bid for an unlikely victory had been all but extinguished.
Back out at the 9th both Mickelson and Couples made pars despite Mickelson coming up short with his approach. At the 10th hole Mickelson hit a brilliant bunker shot after his second from the left rough found the front right trap. He salvaged par and retained his one shot lead over Couples who two putted for par. At the 11th Mickelson holed an important return putt from five feet before Couples missed from four feet and the lead was then two.
Tiger Woods had been threatening to do something for much of the day but the putting was letting him down. When he hit his second to 8 feet at the 13th it appeared that this may be the move that would let the others know he was still very much a factor but he missed that and at two under the task appeared a little great. He would go on to birdie three of the last four holes but the chance to apply some tangible pressure was lost at the 13th and he would eventually settle for a share of third. He still produced a couple of brilliant shots on his way in including a near hole in one at the 16th. He will rue a wayward putter on the last day but he was not alone in that regard.
Mickelson moved to seven under when he hit two fine shots to 25 feet at the 13th and two putted for birdie but Couples kept in touch when he produced an unlikely birdie after visiting the edge of Rae's Creek with his tee shot.
At the next, the par four 14th, came perhaps the defining moment of the back nine and one that more than others determined the outcome of the event. Mickelson had played two good shots to the middle of the green but Couples had hit his second to four feet and the likely birdie here would reduce the gap to just one again. Pressure can do strange things late in any event let alone a Masters and Couples needed to apply as much as he could if he was to have a chance. The forty six year old, looking to become the oldest to win the coveted title, shown signs for much of the day that this length of putt was a problem for him. It has been for much of his career. He hit the putt hard trying to take out the break but all he succeeded in doing was running it five feet by and when he missed the return, instead of gaining a shot he had lost one to the leader.
Mickelson now had a three shot lead and when he birdied the 15th after a fine little pitch and run and then a ten foot putt the difference was four and surely now the title was his. He had take time to study the line of the upcoming putt as his chip ran past the hole but was quick to acknowledge the good read his caddy Jim McKay had given him.
When he stood on the last tee Mickelson had a three shot lead over Tim Clark who had fought his way back from a shaky start to move to five under which had included a great par save at the 17th from twenty feet and a holed bunker shot at the last for birdie to break the deadlock for third. It would be the South African's best finish in a major, bettering his fine third place at last year's US Open. He has been one of the big improvers in the game over the last two years and importantly showed that the now stretched golf course at Augusta National was not only a 'bomber's' paradise. He is a comparatively short hitter but he did say later that he had to play out of his skin just to keep up this week.
Mickelson hit a tee shot along the right side at the last and then, from the light rough, hit a second that was perhaps a little bold given the circumstances although it is likely that he lost control of it a little. He missed the green left and when he pitched to twenty feet he had too many shots up his sleeve. He two putted for bogey, the first of his afternoon round and he was headed for Butler Cabin as a two shot winner at 7 under.
Couples, who had putted first, had a chance to grab a share of second with Clark but his putt from eighteen feet was always just a touch left and he settled for a share of third with Woods, Goosen, Olazabal and Chad Campbell, who birdied the last to join that group.
The Australians were headed by Geoff Ogilvy and Rod Pampling who finished in a share of 16th place. Both had their chances of a much higher finish on day four, but for Pampling it was confirmation of his growing status in the game and for Ogilvy it was very satisfactory debut.
At two over and in 19th place were Nick O'Hern and Stuart Appleby with O'Hern recovering from a poor finish to his third round in the morning. He dropped four shots in his last ten holes in the morning round, undoing much of the good work to that point, but he fell victim to the cold morning conditions which accentuated his just average length on a golf course that played at its longest during those few hours.
Robert Allenby and Mark Hensby finished at three over and in 22nd place with neither getting the edge in a battle which had started off the golf course earlier in the week. Hensby was though perhaps the moral victor with a great comeback from his first round of 80.
Adam Scott again disappointed his legion of fans with yet another showing in major golf that hardly reflects his standing in the game when 27th at four over.
For Mickelson, however, this was yet another confirmation that the tag he had three years ago as the game's best non-major winner is well and truly gone. He has now won three of the last nine majors and the manner in which he is doing so suggests that there are plenty more to come. He has a very good record in the US Open, without winning the event, and in just over two months time when the world's best head to Winged Foot, he might just be the favourite ahead of Tiger Woods.
The victory could well see him take the number two position in the game, statistically at least.
