The Golf Gods Shine On Phil Mickelson – Not Tiger Woods – At The Masters

Leave it to the golf gods to make amends on amen corner.

It was a heroic performance by Phil Mickelson on Sunday at the Masters, shooting his 2nd consecutive round of 67 to win his 3rd Masters by 3 strokes over Lee Westwood. Mickelson pulled off what many are now considering to be the greatest shot of his career – the gutsiest of approaches on 13 – from 207 yards out, off the pine straw, hammered through two trees only four feet apart, over Rae’s Creek, sticking it within 3 feet. At that exact moment, you knew the tournament was his.

And it surely was.

It Was An Emotional Win For Phil Mickelson And Wife Amy At The Masters

The victory was an extremely emotional one for Phil. His wife Amy, along with his mother Mary, have both been recovering from breast cancer this past year. Only Amy was there this time, her first tournament in 11 months, finally well enough to resume her post by the green at 18 to cheer on her man. You’d be hard pressed to find a more special moment in the history of Augusta than that of Phil falling into Amy’s outstretched arms, after his birdie on the final hole secured the victory.

Considering all of the controversy and infidelities that have surrounded Tiger Woods – who spontaneously combusted right before our eyes on Sunday – it genuinely felt like justice was served at this year’s Masters when Phil, the consummate family guy, dawned his 3rd career Green Jacket.

Score one for the good guys.

TSJ’s 2010 MASTERS SUNDAY REPORT CARD

PHIL MICKELSON – 1st Place (-16), FINAL ROUND 67 – GRADE: A+
Lefty proved that if you want to be a Masters champion, you have to go out there and play like one. Mickelson’s performance on the Back 9 on Sunday (not to mention Saturday) – where he shot an astounding 4-under par – was a cut above the rest. His birdie on #12 – highlighted by a masterful 20-foot putt – then followed by the aforementioned brilliance on 13, is exactly the kind of shot-making required to win at Augusta. Considering everything at stake for Phil, it was arguably the greatest final round ever at the Masters.

LEE WESTWOOD – 2nd (-13), FINAL ROUND 71 – GRADE: B-
Westwood entered Sunday with a chance to make some history of his own – winning his first Major – but his nerves weren’t up to the task. After an errant tee shot on the very first hole led to a unfortunate encounter with a tree – and a bogey – Westwood played tentatively and never once gave the impression that he was in it to win it. Three bogeys on the front nine sealed his fate. A clutch birdie on 17 gave him 2nd place outright, a small consolation for the Englishman.

ANTHONY KIM – 3rd (-12), FINAL ROUND 65 – GRADE: A
Kim rebounded from a 73 on Saturday to shoot the lights out in the final round. His 7-under, 65 tied Nick Watney for low round of the day, featuring an incredible run on the back nine that included birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie from holes 13 thru 16 that moved him all the way up and into 3rd place by himself. I have a feeling we may just see a green jacket being placed on Kim before his career is said and done.

Tiger Wasn't Up To The Task On Sunday

TIGER WOODS – T-4th (-11), FINAL ROUND 69 – GRADE: D
In a word – awkward. Right from his very first tee shot, it became clear that Woods would be fighting against more than just the course on Sunday, but against his personal demons as well. He played completely out of control – both emotionally and physically. As a viewer, I must say it was intriguing to watch as Woods was an up-and-down yo-yo all round long. He couldn’t hit a drive straight to save his life, yet still found a way to hit some of the most incredible iron shots of the tournament (including holing out from the fairway on #7 for eagle, and an unbelievable approach within 3 feet from the trees on #11). His three-putt bogey on 14 – including the lip out on a tap in for par – cost him any chance at winning his 5th Green Jacket. Despite his erratic play, he somehow managed to post a 69. Incredible!

KJ CHOI – T-4th (-11), FINAL ROUND 69 – GRADE: C+
Through the first 12 holes, Choi appeared poised to contend for his 1st Green Jacket. Sitting comfortably with a share of the lead at -12 and in the middle of the fairway on the par-5, 13th, he stood over the ball, preparing for his approach. At that precise moment came the screams from the nearby gallery, as Phil had just sank his birdie putt on 12. Choi was forced to step back and regroup, and that break in concentration cost him the tournament. He proceeded to shank his approach into the bunker, ultimately leading to back-to-back bogeys on 13 and 14, and four strokes behind the leader.

FRED COUPLES – 6th (-9) FINAL ROUND 70 – GRADE: C-
Freddy was definitely the sentimental choice to secure his 2nd Green Jacket on Sunday, in his attempt at Age 50 to become the oldest-ever winner at Augusta. Unfortunately for Couples, he only has himself to blame for a disappointing final round 70. Although he was 3-under at the turn, he could have been much lower as his short stick really let him down. Perhaps fatigue finally set in on the back nine, with Amen’s corner proving to be his undoing. An unfortunate and uncharacteristic bogey-double bogey combination on 11 and 12 finished off Freddy, removing any hope of him taking a shot at the top of the leaderboard.

Other Articles On The Masters Worth Reading:
Reilly: Mickelson’s Win A Victory For Women (ESPN)
Mickelson’s Go-For-Broke Style Pays Off Again (PGA.com)
Tiger Is Back – The Good And Bad (Yahoo!)