DULUTH, Ga. - Pencil in Phil Mickelson for a top-10 finish at the Masters Tournament this week.

Phil Mickelson celebrates his BellSouth Classic win with his 3-year-old son, Evan, in Duluth, Ga. (Associated Press)

Actually, go ahead and use ink.

Mickelson won his third BellSouth Classic on Sunday, finishing 13 shots ahead of the field at the Tournament Players Club at Sugarloaf.

Considering that he has followed his previous two victories in the BellSouth with strong performances at Augusta National, a run at a second Masters title by the man known as "Lefty" is almost a certainty.

"I feel as though I'm getting really sharp, as far as distance control and some of the areas I've been working on," Mickelson said. "And I think those areas are going to be crucial next week for a good performance at Augusta."

Mickelson capped perhaps the best week of golf of his career Sunday with a 7-under-par 65 at Sugarloaf. He hit 64 greens over 72 holes, a career best, to shoot 28-under 260.

He fell short of the PGA Tour scoring record, but did equal John Huston's Tour mark for a 72-hole tournament played on a single par-72 golf course. He bested the BellSouth Classic scoring record by five shots.

Mickelson's eagle on the closing hole was the perfect capper. He made a double bogey at the par 5 on Saturday, courtesy of two shots in the water hazard that fronts the green. One day later, he drained a 25-foot eagle putt that elicited an Augusta National-like roar.

"It's not like it was a crucial putt; I had some shots to spare. But it was nice to get some redemption for the double bogey and to get those two shots back," Mickelson said. "It wasn't like there was any meaning it. It was just padding the stats."

His putt gave him the third-largest margin of victory in the past 50 years on the PGA Tour. Jose Maria Olazabal and Zach Johnson finished tied for second. Olazabal closed with 69 to finish at 15 under, while Johnson made birdies on the last four holes to match the Spaniard.

J.J. Henry and Retief Goosen tied for fourth at 14 under.

Olazabal, Johnson and the rest were playing for second all day. Mickelson opened the round with an eight-stroke lead, birdied the first hole and led by at least nine the rest of the day.

Reach Adam Van Brimmer (404) 589-8424 or adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com.