He’s Not Left Behind Now

Phil Mickelson entered this week winless in 46 major tournaments, having never held a 54-hole lead.

He shares the lead now.

Mickelson has spent the prime of his career worrying about the whereabouts of Tiger Woods on Sunday leaderboards.

He doesn’t have to worry about Tiger now.

The winner of the last 13 Masters has emerged from the final group on Sunday.

Mickelson is in the final group now.

Mickelson has finished third at the Masters three consecutive years.

That was then.

Is this, finally, now?

One day after the gallery at Augusta National Golf Club gave Arnold Palmer a hero’s send-off to commemorate his 50th and final Masters appearance, it appeared keen on latching onto Mickelson as the next fan favorite.

The Masters table is set for Mickelson, complete with white cloth and fine silverware.

Mickelson emerged from Saturday’s third-round mad scramble tied for the 54-hole lead with Chris DiMarco at six-under-par 210.

Mickelson shot three-under 69 and DiMarco finished at four-under 68.

Paul Casey, an Englishman who, like Mickelson, attended Arizona State, shot 68 and is two shots off the lead at 212.

Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer, three-time major winner Ernie Els and K.J. Choi are three shots behind at three-under 213.

Friday’s leaderboard?

Well, it went pineapple upside-down cake.

The top three players after 36 holes -- Justin Rose, Alex Cejka and Jose Maria Olazabal -- shot a combined 22 over par Saturday.

This cleared the pine wood path for Mickelson, who started the day three back of the leader, and DiMarco, who was four off the pace.

Rose, the first and second-round leader, collapsed with a nine-over 81 and sadly sits at three-over 219.

“I am still a bit shell-shocked to be honest,” he said afterward.

The gallery on the 18th hole, knowing what Rose had been through, gave him a sympathy ovation as his ghoulish round closed.

“That was a nice touch,” he said of the applause. “It wasn’t what I was hoping for.”

The gallery could have also extended condolences to Olazabal, who shot 79, and Cejka, who shot 78.

Woods, only six shots off the lead when the day began and positioned to get back in the hunt, shot three-over 75 and himself out of this tournament.

“I’m very close to putting it all together,” Woods said.

Funny, he did not look that close after making double-bogey seven on the 13th.

Woods, at three-over 219, is nine shots behind the co-leaders.

When Mickelson was asked how it felt not having to contend with Woods on the final day of a major, he said, “It doesn’t [stink].”

Mickelson has never appeared more at ease or more poised to make a major breakthrough.

“I don’t have the anxiety of, is it going to be there or not,” he said.

Mickelson has the wind at his back, so to speak, knowing the last five major winners have been first-time major winners.

Mickelson has also heeded the advice of many pundits who have suggested he harness his prodigious talents -- he’s a 22-time winner on the PGA Tour -- and start playing the percentages.

He is taking some steam off his drives, hitting more high fades than scorching draws that roll into the rough.

Mickelson has hit 31 of 42 fairways this week, which has led to hitting 41 of 54 greens.

He appears more willing to not risk bogey by trying to make eagles.

He earned a piece of the Masters lead without making birdie on either of the back-nine par-fives at No. 13 and No. 15 -- two of the easiest holes.

Of his more conservative strategy, Mickelson joked, “I wish somebody had told me this earlier.”

More important than his game management, Mickelson says he is keeping most of his drives between the cart paths.

“I don’t have the decisions that I had when I was off in the trees as much,” he said. “It’s just a much easier game, driving it in play.”

Mickelson’s thinking has become more linear.

After he holed a long putt to save par on No. 18 on Saturday, Mickelson put the shot in proper context.

“It’s one stroke,” he said, “and each stroke is critical. Whether it was the last putt on Saturday, whether it’s the last putt on Sunday or the first putt on Thursday.”

Of course, no one is going to hand Mickelson his first major.

DiMarco, who led the first two rounds of the 2001 Masters before fading to 10th, might be in for the long-drive haul.

“Obviously, tomorrow is going to be one of the biggest days in my life in golf,” he said.

Casey is a relative unknown whose only pro success has come on the European tour.

Given Rose’s day, Casey hopes to save some face for England and join a long list of Europeans who have earned green jackets.

“I would dearly love to continue that trend,” Casey said.

Langer has the Masters know-how, having won the tournament in 1985 and 1993.

He is also 46, and no one not named Jack Nicklaus has won a Masters at that ripe age.

Choi, the South Korean, lurks three shots back but lacks experience on this kind of stage.

Els, a three-time major winner and only three shots behind, must be considered a serious threat.

You could argue Els, after four top-six finishes in the last four years, wants a green jacket almost as badly as Mickelson does.

“I just want to be there with a chance to win,” Els said. “That’s all I’m asking.”

The reality: This Masters is Mickelson’s for the taking.

He is playing from the lead and is only 18 holes of real estate from losing his can’t-win-the-big-one stigma.

Victory vaults Mickelson to another pantheon of players. He would also receive a lifetime Masters playing exemption.

“If I’m fortunate to come through and win that green jacket,” Mickelson said, “you’ll be seeing my dumb mug here every year for the rest of my life.”