The Masters 2004: After years of wandering in the wilderness, Phil Mickelson finally found the promised land on Sunday; and it was a familiar place, a plot of land in Augusta where he had flattered only to deceive so often in the past.
This time, there was to be no mistake. And as last year's champion Mike Weir slipped a green jacket - size 43 long - onto Mickelson's broad shoulders, the American quipped, "I'd like to say to the members of Augusta National, get used to me, because I'm going to be back every year." For Mickelson, the journey to reach his goal has been a long, tiring one.
Yet, the sense of fulfilment, and especially the manner in which he won with five birdies in his last seven holes to beat South Africa's Ernie Els by one stroke, made it all worthwhile. "To have it be such a difficult journey to win my first major makes it that much sweeter. When you finally do achieve that goal, the harder the struggle, the greater the reward," he remarked.
So, in his 47th major, Mickelson finally fulfilled his destiny, his birdie on the last hole giving him a final round 69 for a 72-hole total of nine-under-par 279.
On a glorious golfing Sunday, with no fewer than 30 eagles in the final round, Mickelson - so often the fall guy - came home in 31 shots on the back nine, to overtake Els, the final stroke being a birdie putt that fell in the left edge of the cup. KJ Choi of Korea finished third, three shots behind.
Now that Mickelson - the sixth successive first-time winner of a major, a streak started with Rich Beem's win in the US PGA in 2002 and extended last year by Weir (Masters), Jim Furyk (US Open), Ben Curtis (British Open) and Shaun Micheel (US PGA) - has won one major, the inclination is to believe that he can go on and win more. The loathsome tag of being the "best player never to win a major" has been shed, and the weight is off his shoulders.
It's interesting to note Mickelson's preparations for the Masters. On the Monday and Tuesday after the Players' Championship in Sawgrass, Mickelson, his swing coach Ricky Smith and putting coach Dave Pelz visited Augusta National and spent two days playing the course and working out where he could shave "half-a-shot" a round. Then he went down to Atlanta for the BellSouth, where he didn't contend, before returning to Augusta and a week where he fulfilled all his promise.
What we saw in Augusta was a new-look Mickelson from previous years, a player with a less cavalier approach, a golfer who led the greens in regulations (53 of 72) over the four rounds. The $1,170,000 winner's cheque increased his lead on the US Tour money list, bringing his earnings for the season so far to almost $3.5 million and brought his career earnings to more than $27 million.
The Masters was the 23rd win of his 12-year professional career and the second in a season where he has been in the top-10 in all but one of his nine starts.
Mickelson had finished second in three major championships and was third in five others, including the past three Masters. For a change, someone else - Els - got to find out how Mickelson had felt so often in the past.
Mickelson had lost major championships when Payne Stewart (in the 1999 US Open) and David Toms (in the 2001 US PGA) made par putts of a similar distance to his winning birdie putt on Sunday. Some loose play in the final round of other majors had cost Mickelson chances at other titles.
"I guess Phil deserved this one," agreed Els. "He played great down the stretch, he won this one. He didn't lose it like some of his other ones. He won it, and full credit to him."
Indeed, the manner of Mickelson's finish - and the supplementary feats enacted by others on a wonderful final day of a major - led the newest Masters champion to observe, "I don't think that any Masters will compare to the 1986 Masters (when Jack Nicklaus won at the ripe old age of 46), but to me, this one does."
On the front nine of his final round, there were times when it appeared that Mickelson was going to again play the bit part in the show. He was two-over for his round after six holes, including leaving a bunker shot in the sand on the sixth. At one stage, he fell three shots behind Els. Then came that exhilarating finish of a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th in a run that brought five birdies in the closing seven holes, including that 20-footer on the 72nd green.
Mickelson's sights, as do those of all the top players, now switch to the US Open at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island in June where he finished tied-fourth behind Corey Pavin when the championship was last played there in 1995. Just as he made advance visits to Augusta in preparation for the Masters, Mickelson intends to keep to a similar schedule in the run-up to the next major of the season.
"I don't know what shots we'll be practising and working on, but I know we have scheduled practice rounds (at Shinnecock Hills) . . . to work on the shots that I need and (to) give myself enough time to practice them properly heading into the event," said Mickelson.
