Mickelson gets one more Masters memory

AUGUSTA, Ga. — He told us he was hesitant to say too much, which was so unlike Phil Mickelson. But that’s OK. His game told us everything we needed to know, almost.

It told us at 52, after the money losses, after in effect jumping ship — well leaving a lifetime link to the PGA Tour to hook up with the contentious LIV Tour — and after slipping past his 50th birthday, Mickelson still is one of golf’s main men.

This 87th Masters, which came to a stunning conclusion Sunday, belonged as much to Mickelson the outcast, as it did to Jon Rahm, the champion. 

That Rahm, who began the final round two strokes behind the guy who led from virtually the first shot of the tournament, Brooks Koepka, ended up the winner wasn’t the shock. He had been atop the world rankings most of the spring, and through history, many leads have been squandered — blown, if you choose — on an Augusta National course full of promise and heartbreak.

You know the saying: The Masters doesn’t begin until the back nine on Sunday.

That’s when 52-year-old Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters champ and a six-time majors champ, made his run. He was 1-under for 54 holes. He was 8-under for 72 holes. Yes, a 7-under-65, the low round of the day. May I add, wow?

What Mickelson added was, “I had so much fun today. I feel I’ve been hitting these types of quality shots but have not been staying focused and preset for the upcoming shot, and I make a lot of mistakes; Kind of like you saw Thursday, and that cost me a bunch of shots.”

Not so many he couldn’t soar up the leaderboard to finish second, at 280, only four behind Rahm, who had a 69, Saturday. Not so many that in the group press conference, he couldn’t revert to the cocky kid who always came up with a smart-aleck response. Not so many we couldn’t think of the times when Phil was challenging Tiger.

Woods, who made the cut for a 23rd straight time in a Masters but withdrew Sunday morning because of plantar fasciitis, aggravated by long rounds Friday and Saturday.

Mickelson, stashed away on the Saudi-financed LIV Tour, had not been noticed of late. Other than when he made the tour switch with what seemed a lot of guilt, calling the Saudis “bad mothers.”

Why did he join them? He wanted leverage against the PGA Tour, after questioning how purse money was distributed. Mickelson has made millions as a golf pro, but he’s also lost millions at the gambling tables or betting on sporting events.

Whatever, he was gone, an aging star who almost disappeared — as did another tour jumper, Koepka, since the LIV didn’t have any attention and until a few weeks ago had no U.S. TV coverage. Fortunately, the four major championships were unconcerned with affiliations. They just cared if you could play.

As re-learned, Mickelson very much could.

“I’m hopeful this kind of catapults me into playing the rest of the year the way I believe I’m playing,” he said. “I worked hard in the off-season to get ready.”

Asked what he learned about himself, Mickelson said, “It’s not so much what I’ve learned. I was thinking when you come here to Augusta, you end up having a sense of gratitude. It’s hard not to, right? This is what we strive for. There’s a kind of calm that comes over you.”

“The fact that we get to play and compete in this Masters. I think we’ve all been appreciative of that,” Mickelson added. “I love everything about this, because it’s what I dreamed of as a kid to be a part of and I’ve got so many great memories wrapped up here at Augusta.”   

Especially this one.