His journey
Mickelson found many detours on that long road to the green jacket
Career wins: 1 (1991 Northern Telecom Open)
Finish: T-46th, 69-73-74-74-290
Augusta evolution: "Whether or not I play good or bad is really irrelevant. Just the fact of being there at Augusta, being on Bobby Jones' home turf and at his tournament, that's what I'm looking forward to."
Tournament time: "I don't know, because I didn't dust him." - After the first round, when he beat playing partner and two-time defending champion, Nick Faldo (69 to 72).
On the grounds: Phil raved about a practice round with former champions Ray Floyd and Ian Woosnam and staying in the Crow's Nest.
Fun fact: Mickelson and former high school teammate Manny Zerman were the top two amateurs for the week.
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Career wins: 2(1993 Buick Invitational)
Finish: T-34th, 72-71-75-73-291
Augusta evolution: "It takes years to learn about this place (Augusta National). The greens are incredibly difficult once you get on them. I've never had to work this hard on greens."
Tournament time: Phil made his first eagle at Augusta National in round one - and his first 7 on Sunday.
On the grounds: Phil told the Detroit Free Press about his history lesson during a practice round with Arnold Palmer . "He'd say, 'This happened to me here in 1962' - that was before I was born. Playing with the king and having him tell me those stories, it was great." Fun fact: Mickelson was a pen pal for South Carolina teenager Reagan Seward, who had a rare blood disorder. She met her idol for the first time after Saturday's third round.
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Career wins: 6 (1993 International, '93 PerrierOpen, '94 Mercedes Championships, '95 Northern Telecom Open)
Finish: T-7th, 66-71-70-73-280
Augusta evolution: "This tournament is not just important to me but to everybody. History is made every year at this golf course, and I think everybody wants to be a part of that. It's just a special place to play golf."
Tournament time: "I've been thinking about playing in this tournament two years instead of one, so there was a little extra anticipation." - after taking the first-round lead.
On the grounds: Even Jack Nicklaus knew Mickelson would have a good week, after saying Lefty "hit the ball beautifully," during their Wednesday practice round. Mickelson also had practice rounds with Augusta legends Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson .
Fun fact: Mickelson's opening 66 was his best round at Augusta National since his debut round, an opening 69 in 1991.
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Career wins: 8 (1996 Nortel Open, '96 Phoenix Open)
Finish: 3rd, 65-73-72-72-282
Augusta evolution: "When I first came here … I felt I should be firing at every pin. And I feel like now, I might fire at a pin in a certain spot, but firing at a pin means maybe 8 feet just to the left of it."
Tournament time: "I've been in this position a couple of times now and if I can keep putting myself in position, the odds are that I'll break through sometime."
On the grounds: Mickelson got a putting lesson during his Wednesday practice round with two-time champion Ben Crenshaw .
Fun fact: Mickelson's first-round 65 was capped by a back-nine 30 … his run to the title in 2004 was closed by a final-round 31 on the back.
1997
Finish: MC, 76-74-150
Augusta evolution: "I would say that everything I work for, and every change that I make and every thought process or course management area that I work on is geared for the Masters, as well as the other three majors."
Tournament time: "This is one of the greatest golf courses ever designed and one of the most historic courses you could play, but the conditions took away the urge I had. It's disappointing." - after his opening-round 76
On the grounds: Mickelson watched in disbelief as playing partner Greg Norman hit a 12-foot birdie putt "50 feet" past the hole on No. 2 in Thursday's round.
Fun fact: The field's Thursday average of 76.093 even forced a rare mea culpa from Augusta National spokesman Charles Yates. "I believe (the pin committee) would have put the pins in different spots if they knew the winds were going to be up. They weren't expecting it."
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Career wins: 14 (1997 International, '98 Mercedes Championships, '98 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am)
Finish: T-12th, 74-69-69-74-286
Augusta evolution: "Part of the challenge of playing well here is just what you're saying, staying in the present and dealing with bad shots and capitalizing on good shots."
Tournament time: "If you'd asked after I won (the 1991 Tucson Open) how many majors I would have by the age of 27, I'd have thought I'd won more than zero." - after his third-round 69 put him in contention
On the grounds: Mickelson's gambling style bit him again in the final round, when his tee shot into the 12th hole landed in Rae's Creek. He stumbled home to a 74.
Fun fact: In The Augusta Chronicle's preview section, Mickelson shared a page with Colin Montgomerie in a tribute to the "Best Players to Never Win a Major."
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Career wins: 14
Finish: T-6th, 74-69-71-71-285
Augusta evolution: "What happens to me (at Augusta National) is that I get that one bad swing, that one bad break, and that tends to send me into a flux. I'm still learning how to turn adversity into something positive."
Tournament time: Mickelson made two 6s on Sunday and a 7 on Thursday. Pars on those three holes would have put him in a playoff with winner Jose Maria Olazabal .
Fun fact: With his wife, Amy, expecting their first child later in the year (she delivered right after Mickelson's runner-up finish at the U.S. Open), Augusta Chronicle writer Rick Dorsey kiddingly asked: "which Mickelson, Amy or Phil, will deliver the family's major addition first?" Amy won.
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Career wins: 16 (2000 Buick Invitational, '00 BellSouth Classic)
Finish: T-7th, 71-68-76-71-286
Augusta evolution: Mickelson said playing - and winning - the BellSouth Classic the week before prepared him for Augusta because of Sugarloaf's similar shot requirements and greens. "For me, personally, playing the week before the majors is probably the way to go."
Tournament time: Mickelson surged into contention again Friday with his 4-under-par 68. Through two rounds, he was 6-under on the par-5s, 1-over on all the other holes. "You've got to attack the par-5s, and (each day) I played them three under."
On the grounds: A blustery third round left Mickelson on the outside looking in, again. It was so windy that his par putt on No. 9 broke a foot - in the opposite direction of its normal roll - because of the breeze.
Fun fact: The Chronicle wrote a story after the first round, wondering whether being a left-handed player was a disadvantage at Augusta National. Only two lefties were in the field that year: Mickelson and Mike Weir , who was making his Masters debut.
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Career wins: 19 (2000 Colonial, '00 Tour Championship, '01 Buick Invitational)
Finish: 3rd, 67-69-69-70-275
Augusta evolution: "The thing about major championships for me is that they require ... a very conservative style of play. I like to try to make a bunch of birdies, so my aggressive nature doesn't necessarily suit some of the major setups. I think that the only one that it may suit is Augusta ..."
Tournament time: "... the winner of this tournament doesn't just win a major. He becomes a part of the history of the game, and that's what excites me. This tournament creates something that is very special, and year-in and year-out, history is made here, and I want to be part of that."
On the grounds: Pitching out of the rocks that guard the creek on No. 2, Mickelson broke his sand wedge on purpose hitting into the fairway. Because it was broken during play, he was allowed to replace it. He put his 5-iron back in his bag and used it to reach the par-5 13th in two; the birdie was part of a back-nine 32.
Fun fact: After making a bogey on No. 11 Thursday, Phil birdied five of the final seven holes (12, 13, 14, 15, 17) to shoot 67 and be two shots out of the lead. In 2004, he birdied 12, 13, 15, 16 and 18 Sunday, winning by one.
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2002
Career wins: 21 (2001 Greater Hartford Open, '02 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic)
Finish: 3rd, 69-72-68-71-280
Augusta evolution: "For me to win a major, changing my style of play would not be advantageous. It wouldn't give me the best chance to win because I need to have fun to play the game."
Tournament time: "You bringing it up doesn't help." - on his 0-for-life streak in the majors, after he climbed within striking distance with his third-round 68
On the grounds: As many times as Mickelson has downplayed the first-major question, he embraced it in this event, calling it "his quest to win my first major" during the week.
Fun fact: Mickelson's string of final rounds in the 70s continued, despite opening with two birdies on Sunday.
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Career wins: 22 (2002 Greater Hartford Open)
Finish: 3rd, 73-70-72-68-283
Augusta evolution: "I've always thought this would be the best opportunity to win a major. I think my record is better in this championship than it is in other majors."
Tournament time: "Mike Weir and Len Mattiace ran away with it. I can't control what they do ... So I'm not going to worry about whether it was enough or not." - after breaking his streak of final rounds in the 70s with a solid 68.
On the grounds: After the club's redesign turned No. 5 in a diabolical par-4, Mickelson managed to make birdie from the now-cavernous fairway bunker, then sheepishly said he'd keep the secret to his success to himself.
Fun fact: Before the tournament, Sports Illustrated had six golf instructors analyze his swing; all six came up with different problems and solutions.
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2004
Career wins: 23 (2004 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic)
Finish: 1st, 72-69-69-69-279
Augusta evolution: "I think that when I finally do break through, it will be that much more rewarding for going through the difficulties of the last 10 years of trying it and not doing it."
Tournament time: "Daddy won. Can you believe it?"
On the grounds: Even the caddies were on the bandwagon, as one looper told Mickelson that he would "get 'em tomorrow" after his opening 72. Mickelson responded with the first of three consecutive 69s.
Fun fact: During his pretournament interview on Tuesday, Mickelson looked at the green jacket on an Augusta National member at the podium and said playfully, "I want one of these. Those are nice." He got his wish six days later.
| See Phil Mickelson From All Sides | |
| The happiest player ever to win a major | |
| His colleagues | His family |
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| His journey | His moment |
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