After forgettable 2014 showing, Mickelson back in the hunt on Masters Sunday
Never had he driven down Magnolia Lane toward Washington Road with such a feeling in the pit of his stomach as he did that day in 2014. OK, maybe he felt miserable, too, on that Friday in 1997, but last year was worse. Much, much worse.
Which chop job was worse? The triple-bogey he had made at the seventh hole Thursday? Or the bunker-to-bunker-to-bunker chaos at No. 12 Friday, another triple-bogey? With scores of 76-73 Mickelson had missed the cut at the 2014 Masters.
A weekend at the Masters without Lefty? Compare that to the Beatles without John Lennon, peanut butter without jelly, zebras without stripes. Can't do it.
Could he bear to even watch it? Mickelson said yes: "It's kind of my punishment."
No matter where he's traveled since, Mickelson has counted down the days for another crack at Augusta, cognizant of the fact that his window of opportunity is closing fast. He's 44, nagging injuries have dogged him, periods of dodgy play have frustrated him, and darn if all these youngsters -- many of whom he has mentored -- are making things tougher than ever.
Like this kid Jordan Spieth. Though if we could exercise proper etiquette and table that discussion here, let's offer a tip o' the cap to the revival of one of golf's most passionate love affairs: Mickelson and Augusta National in early April. It's as if all the pieces are in place -- vibrant azaleas, pulsating warmth, grass that's greener than green, and Philly Mick in the Sunday hunt. Such an annual staple, it seems, for all those Aprils of wins, T-3s and other close calls, we had been robbed of it in 2013 (T-54) and 2014 (a missed cut? shivers), and to tell the truth, you were thinking that maybe, just maybe, we had seen the last of Mickelson in serious pursuit of a green jacket. He had, after all, been 14 over for his six rounds in 2013-14, nothing better than 71, five trips over par.
But that was the clock being turned back in brilliant Saturday sunshine. Maybe not quite like Jack Nicklaus in 1986, but an outward 32, a bomb of a birdie putt at 16, a round of 5-under 67 and a three-day 11-under 205 added up to great fun for Mickelson. Even better, it translated into a chance. Slim, perhaps, for he'll start the final round Sunday in third, five behind Spieth, but he is where he always wants to be.
"It's the best. It really is the best, to play late on Sunday at the Masters," Mickelson said, his smile still at 10,000 watts. He had arrived at the course eight behind, and would leave it three strokes closer. Baby steps, maybe. But they were baby steps taken over his favorite place on earth and could lead to big steps through an opened door to Butler Cabin.
"The golf course was just stupendous," Mickelson said. "They got the greens just perfect. It was a fun day to play."
Needing to make things happen, Lefty birdied the second, the third, and the fourth, then stuffed his approach at nine to turn in 32 and push to 10 under. Good stuff, but this Spieth character was two groups back playing like ... a younger version of Mickelson. Aggressive. Confident.
Four behind when he stood on the 10th tee, Mickelson walked off the 14th green a whopping seven back, for Spieth had tossed down birdies at the ninth, 12th, and 13th to push to 17 under. But it's the back nine at Augusta National, folks, and it's not just on Sunday that things happen; Saturdays are OK, too.
Mickelson birdied the 15th, then tossed in a cross-country roll at 16 to get to 12 under, yet when he walked to the 18th having bogeyed 17, Lefty was 11 under, again trailing by seven. Seemingly having done everything to get closer, only to be rebuffed by Spieth, Mickelson made up no ground when he parred the 18th. Then he made up significant ground by merely walking to the scoring house -- Spieth double bogeyed the 17th.
For a fleeting moment, it appeared as if Mickelson would be in the final pairing on a Masters Sunday for the fifth time, eyeball-to-eyeball with Spieth. But when Justin Rose rolled in a slick, downhill left-to-right putt for birdie at 18, he finished at 12 under, so Mickelson was relegated to the second-to-last pairing alongside Charley Hoffman.
If that was a letdown, his brilliant smile hid it well.
