What if Phil Mickelson had won this year’s Masters?
After Phil Mickelson tied a front-nine low of 6-under 30 at Augusta, the Masters looked like his tournament to win — even while his arch rival Tiger Woods watched almost helplessly unable to muster a dramatic charge.
As it turned out, Phil needed to shoot 2-under on the easier back nine to get into the playoff and 3-under on the back to win the tournament outright. After a devastating double bogey on the par 3 12th, Phil could only get to 1-over for the back nine. Yet he still had plenty of chances, missing 4 footers for eagle on 15 and birdie on 17.
Phil did beat Tiger Woods head-to-head on Sunday by 1 stroke. And it felt like more strokes given how many birdies Phil made.
And what if Phil had won? He would have overtaken Tiger for the World No. 1 ranking. He would have won his 3rd Masters and 4th major. He would have clearly beaten Tiger Woods head-to-head on Sunday. He would have put the debacle on the final hole at Winged Foot behind him. Coming back from 7-shots down, Phil would have played the best Sunday to win the Masters ever (shooting a 9-under 63), even better than Jack Nicklaus’s historic final round 65 in 1986.
Wow. Only 3-under on the back nine. That’s all it would have taken for Phil Mickelson to enter the history books as the best golfer next to TIger Woods during the Woods era. Seems so close within reach. Yet with one bad swing with a 9-iron on 12, Phil shot himself in the (winged) foot again. Oh well.
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