Mickelson in striking distance at Masters: ‘I think I’ve got another major in me’

Remember the 1986 Masters? Remember how Jack Nicklaus, by then the Olden Bear at age 46, took down the heavyweights of the day — Norman and Seve and Tom Kite and Nick Price and Watson — with a final 65 to earn his sixth Masters title?

Writers of the time searched the dictionary to find words to describe the triumph, the Bear’s sixth at Augusta National and his 18th professional major. Only Julius Boros could claim a major golf title at a more advanced age.

What, then, to make of the possibility that Phil Mickelson, now pushing 49 and eligible for an AARP card in 14 months, were to prevail Sunday in the 83rd Masters?

Realistic? Far-fetched? Ridiculous?

Yes, but ... there he is, within striking distance after posting a 4-under-par 140 after two rounds. He followed an opening 5-under 67 with a 1-over 73 Friday for 4-under 140.

A win “would be pretty cool,” said the left-hander who has won this championship three times. “But that’s way ahead of myself. I’ve got two more rounds, two fun rounds — but challenging — and it’s just fun to be in the thick of it.”

The doubters point to his season — three missed cuts and only one finish higher that a tie for 36th in his last seven tournaments. But that “one higher finish” turned out to be his 44th career PGA Tour victory, and he is ranked 22nd in the world.

“It’s been fun to compete earlier in the year, to have a win (in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and to come close at Palm Springs,” he said. “Those opportunities are what are so much fun, but at the Masters, it’s at another level.”

All the pre-tournament focus centered on Rory McIlroy and his quest for the career Grand Slam, on Dustin Johnson and how his game fit the Augusta National course and on Tiger Woods, again larger than life after resurrecting his career following multiple back surgeries.

Mickelson? Oh, yeah; he’s had a couple of nice finishes since his last title (in 2010), but otherwise he has seldom been a factor. Why should this year be different?

Mickelson, however, never lost confidence. Asked if, coming into the tournament, he would have been satisfied being three strokes off the pace centering the weekend, he offered a Phil-being-Phil response.

“I think that I expected to be a little bit better, to be honest,” he said. “But there’s nothing better than having a chance going into the weekend at the Masters. And that’s what I want to focus on, and I know I’m playing well enough.”

As is often the case when his game goes south, he struggled to harness his driver on Friday. He found only half of 14 fairways on driving holes and hit 10 of 18 greens in regulation.

“I didn’t drive the ball very well today, and that’s going to be my whole key,” he said. “If I hit it reasonably straight, I can attack a lot of holes. But I hit some poor ones.

“I drove it in the rough on No. 8 (a par-5) and made bogey on a hole I should make birdie. I should have had a mid-iron in there. I just have to drive it a little better. If I drive like I did (Thursday), I’m going to have a good week.”

He pointed out he hit some good tee balls Friday, “but the ones I missed were on critical holes, the birdie holes,” he said. “Like on (the par-5) 15 hitting in the trees and not being able to go for the green. I would have had a 7- or and 8-iron in there, but I ended up making par” instead of birdie or perhaps eagle.

Mickelson played in his first Masters in 1991 and competed in his 100th tournament round Friday, a fact, he said, that proves “I’m just getting old.”

He laughed and added, “There have been so many practice rounds that I have played here in addition to those 100 rounds. Every time I come here to play, I just get so excited to be here and to play. It brings back memories of when I was a kid, and it makes me feel young.”

Imagine, then, how emulating the Olden Bear on winning on Sunday.

Repeating that he didn’t want to get ahead of himself, he nevertheless said, “I think I’ve got another major in me, at least one and maybe two, and I would love to get one right here.”

What if ... ?

This story was originally published April 12, 2019 at 7:44 PM.