It Could Be Ultimate Left-Handed Complement

A lot of people are closing their eyes and seeing Phil Mickelson standing on the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club early Sunday evening with Mike Weir helping him slip into a green jacket.

A lot of people think this is Mickelson’s year to win the Masters. He is going to take his crooked smile and his curved swing and his flat stick and fill in that big hole in his resume. Mickelson is missing a major title, and the thinking is that this is probably the place for him to find one.

The subject of Mickelson and the majors comes up four times a year, but when you crunch the numbers, they are as ugly as a double bogey.

He has played 42 majors since he turned pro, and he has gone home winless 42 times.

The best spin you can put on that little number is that at least he is consistent. The flip side is that he is too good a player to have that number hanging around his neck.

To his credit, Mickelson has tried just about everything he could dream of to change his luck.

He didn’t want to talk about the pressure of not winning, then he wanted to talk about it all the time. Then he said he wasn’t thinking about winning just one major, but several. Then he went back to not talking about it again.

So far, nothing has worked, but that hasn’t stopped the Mickelson bandwagon from picking up steam. For some reason, there’s a certain upbeat atmosphere in the Mickelson camp these days as the Masters begins its annual demolition of players’ egos today.

The optimism surrounding Mickelson is probably because he’s playing as well as he ever has. Not only is Mickelson leading the money list -- and for the first time in six years -- but he already has won a tournament this year.

That was at the Bob Hope, his first time out. Since then, Mickelson tied for seventh at Phoenix, was third at Pebble Beach, tied for fourth at Torrey Pines, reached the quarterfinals at the Match Play Championships, tied for third at the Players Championship and was 10th at the BellSouth. The only time he hasn’t been in the top 10 was when he tied for 24th at Doral.

There have been some key components to Mickelson’s play. He slimmed down his body and beefed up his game to play smarter, keep the ball on the fairway and to try to avoid the wear and tear of being forced to pull off too many miracle shots from the rough.

So if there is renewed interest in Mickelson’s chances this year at the Masters, he’s the man responsible for all of it. And if you’re looking at what he has done at Augusta lately, there are even more compelling reasons to go with him, which is what three consecutive third-place finishes can do for you.

In fact, Mickelson has seven top-10 finishes in his 11 appearances at the Masters and is a total of 36 under par. Add that to his 17 top-10 finishes in majors, his talent that has accounted for 22 PGA Tour victories, his improved play this year and his generally sunny attitude, and it really is time to make the call.

It should be Mickelson’s year, all right.

He’s 33 going on 42 and it’s time for him to step up and end all this major-less madness. Players are picking him to win the Masters. Coaches such as Butch Harmon are picking him. Legends such as Byron Nelson are picking him.

Mickelson doesn’t say he’s picking himself, but that’s good strategy because if he doesn’t win, his critics will jump all over him again. He does say he is confident, because he’s playing well and that he’s ready to give it a shot.

The other day, Mickelson was standing next to Augusta National member Billy Morris, who was wearing the traditional green jacket that members wear on the grounds of the club. Mickelson pointed to Morris’ jacket and complimented him on its looks. He said he wanted one of his own.

Starting today, Mickelson gets a chance to earn one. Many believe it is his best chance, and it very well could be.

At the very least, it’s Mickelson’s best chance to step up to the plate and show everyone that they were right all along, that he really should have won this a long time ago.

If it’s not his time, it sure looks like it.