This wasn’t the greatest Masters after all. Phil Mickelson wouldn’t let it be.
In a final stunning twist to a Masters that seemed to have already went through every possible turn, Mickelson — the drama queen who can turn any victory stroll into a struggle — dominated the back nine yesterday at Augusta to claim his third green jacket.
The Tiger Woods Return Invitational wouldn’t get its close finish, because Mickelson refused to stop dropping shots at the pin. He put up a 5-under 67 without a single bogey, without a single ‘OH NO PHIL’ moment.
This was arguably the most understated Mickelson’s ever been in his career. Maybe, he realized just how big this fourth major is for his place in golf history. It all but erases the choke at Winged Foot and arguably moves him past golfers like Nick Faldo. And Phil did it — by winning the way Tiger used to win in his prime.
Rivalry recalculated
Maybe, it’s time for everyone to start believing in karma.
Or at least, the power of long-awaited revenge. For their could be no greater cosmic kick to Tiger Woods than seeing Phil Mickelson — the unworthy second he’d dismissed so long ago — roll to victory in a Masters that was supposed to be all about the world’s No. 1.
Sure, Tiger still holds the lead in majors, 14-4, but it looks more and more like Phil will go down as the much more beloved golfer of this generation.
Tiger still can’t close
Tiger didn’t come close to embarrassing himself in his return to golf, but he didn’t really come close to winning either.
This is how the story will be spun, that Tiger simply had too much rust to shake off from his five-month sexting sabbatical. It’s not exactly accurate though, and you get the idea the world’s greatest golfer knows it.
