Major Question Answered

There were two holes in one scored, 10 minutes apart, on the same hole Sunday, but that wasn’t the story.

K.J. Choi holed an eagle from the fairway, Sergio Garcia shot 66 and rocketed from 20th place to fourth and a 19-year-old amateur finished ahead of Tiger Woods -- but they weren’t the story.

Bernhard Langer, at 46, was in contention on the back nine at the 68th Masters, yet he wasn’t the story.

The story was Phil Mickelson won a major ... finally.

To win it, he did things people said he couldn’t do.

He charged back after blowing a front-nine lead, showed the champion’s heart he supposedly lacked and rolled in the putt of his life on the grandest of stages.

Mickelson made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Augusta National to earn his first major victory in 47 tries.

What, in a well-compensated yet hard-luck golfer’s life, could be better than that?

“To have it be such a difficult journey to win my first major makes it that much more special, sweeter,” the 33-year-old Mickelson said. “It just feels awesome.”

No longer will he carry in his bag 14 clubs and the brand: best player never to have won a major.

His dramatic putt, a ticklish tumbler that caught the left edge of the cup and curled in, capped a dramatic day and earned Mickelson a one-stroke win over Ernie Els.

Mickelson shot a three-under 69 for the day and finished at nine-under 279 overall to survive an epic, back-nine battle against Els, who shot a 67 to finish at eight-under 280.

Choi, from South Korea, stayed in the game nearly to the end, shot a 69 and ended up three shots behind at 282.

Garcia, who was 11 shots off the lead at one point on the front nine, shot 31 on the back and finished tied for fourth place at 285 with Langer.

Yet, these would become undercard bouts to the main event -- Mickelson versus Els.

With his masterful stroke on the 72nd hole, Mickelson became the fourth player to win the Masters with a birdie on the final putt, joining Arnold Palmer (1960), Sandy Lyle (1988) and Mark O’Meara (1998).

After he made his birdie putt, Mickelson jumped as high as he could -- about three inches.

“I was watching myself look like an idiot on the 18th green after I made that putt and didn’t really care,” he said. “It was so much fun, so exciting.”

Els, a three-time major winner, was sickened by the defeat. He has won two U.S. Opens and a British Open, but the Masters has star-crossed him. He has now finished no worse than sixth in his last five Masters, with two second-place certificates.

Els didn’t see Mickelson’s tournament-winning putt; he heard it.

He was on the putting green, practicing for a possible playoff, when the roar of the gallery provided Els the answer.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Els said of the helpless feeling.

Els had done plenty. He started the day three shots behind co-leaders Mickelson and Chris DiMarco but made up remarkable ground by shooting six under par on the four par-five holes -- making eagles at No. 8 and No. 13.

Els coveted this Masters as much as Mickelson wanted it, even as Els understood this might not have been his time or place.

“I think Phil deserved this one,” Els said. “He won this one. He didn’t lose it like some of his other ones. He won this one. Full credit to him.”

Mickelson had never entered the final round of a major with a lead and said Saturday it would be nice not having to play catchup for a change.

Oh, really?

You’d be amazed how fast a Masters lead can disappear.

When Els made eagle at the par-five eighth hole to move to five under for the tournament, Mickelson’s lead was gone because he had fallen to four under with a three-bogey, front-nine stagger.

From there, the cat-and-mouse game was on, Mickelson suddenly on the chase with Els and Choi playing two groups ahead.

Mickelson’s green-jacket hopes appeared doomed when Els made eagle on the par-five 13th. It gave Els a three-shot lead as Mickelson stood in the heart of “Amen Corner,” at the tee box on the par-three 12th hole.

At this point, the Augusta National tailor was pondering Els’ jacket size.

“I heard that Ernie had just made eagle,” Mickelson said. “I heard the roar. I didn’t know what had happened, but I figured he had just made eagle.”

Mickelson took an aggressive line to the pin and hit his tee shot to within 12 feet.

Mickelson knew he had to make that birdie putt on No. 12 ... and did.

“When that putt on 12 went in, that’s when I started to feel like I could make this happen.”

Mickelson followed with another birdie on the par-five 13th hole to pull to within one shot of Els.

Els was feeling the heat. He didn’t need a scoreboard to know what Mickelson was up to.

He could tell by the gallery roars -- raucous by understated August National standards.

Els made a terrific par save to stay at seven under at the par-four 14th and followed with a birdie on No. 15 to move to eight under and two shots ahead of Mickelson. Mickelson answered with a birdie at No. 14 to trim the lead to one.

The turning point came at No. 16, the 170-yard par-three over water.

Padraig Harrington, playing two groups ahead of Els, made a hole in one at No. 16. Remarkably, Kirk Triplett, playing after Harrington’s group, also made an ace, falling flat on his back at the tee box in disbelief.

There had been seven holes in one in 67 previous Masters tournaments; suddenly there were two in 10 minutes.

How do you follow two holes in one?

You don’t.

Els really could have used at least a birdie at No. 16, but flew his tee shot too far to the back of the green and settled for par.

Mickelson came to the 16th two groups later and seized on Els’ mistake, making a 20-foot birdie putt to draw even with Els at eight under par.

“A nice putt to make,” Mickelson understated.

Els could do no better than par on No. 17 and No. 18.

Mickelson followed with a par on No. 17 and approached the par-four 18th knowing he needed birdie to win.

Mickelson striped a three-wood to the fairway, then used an eight-iron to knock his second shot to within 20 feet.

He got a fortuitous, this-must-be-my-day break when DiMarco, his playing partner, hit a bunker shot three inches beyond Mickelson’s ball.

It meant Mickelson would get a free read on his all-important putt.

“I had a great look at his entire putt, every inch of break,” Mickelson said.

DiMarco missed his putt; Mickelson didn’t.

Mickelson’s close-out of Els on the back nine may have rivaled anything Jack Nicklaus and Palmer ever manufactured on these hallowed golf grounds.

Mickelson shot five-under 31 on his final nine holes, the best back nine by a winner since Nicklaus, age 46, shot 30 en route to his historic sixth Masters win in 1986.

“I don’t think any Masters will ever compare to the ’86 Masters,” Mickelson said, “but for me, this one does!”

Els took defeat as best one could.

“I’m going to look myself in the mirror tonight and say ‘Well done,’ ” Els said. “I’ve had some good wins and some tough losses. This is one of the tough losses.”

Mickelson, on the other hand, may float to his next tee time.

“What a too-nament,” Augusta Chairman Hootie Johnson said.

It was hard to argue.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Top Finishers

at Augusta, Ga.; Par: 72

Phil Mickelson...72-69-69-69 279 -9

Ernie Els...70-72-71-67 280 -8

K.J. Choi...71-70-72-69 282 -6

Sergio Garcia...72-72-75-66 285 -3

Bernhard Langer...71-73-69-72 285 --3

*

TRACKING PHIL MICKELSON

* 1970: Born June 16, San Diego.

* 1990: Becomes first left-hander to win the U.S. amateur golf championship and one of only three players to win that title and the NCAA championship during the same year.

* 1991: Wins his first PGA Tour event, as an amateur, at the Northern Telecom Open, becoming the first amateur to do so since Scott Verplank at the 1985 Western Open.

* 1992: Turns professional.

* 1993: Wins first two PGA Tour titles as pro, Buick Invitational and International.

* 1994: Wins the Mercedes Championship in a playoff and makes his debut at the Presidents Cup team competition.

* 1995: Clinches his second Northern Telecom Open and makes his Ryder Cup debut for the United States against Europe.

* 1996: Triumphs four times on PGA Tour, including twice in first three starts. Becomes the first player since Johnny Miller, in 1975, to win at Phoenix and Tucson during the same year.

* 1997: Collects two PGA Tour wins and produces 15 top-25 finishes in 21 starts.

* 1998: Holds off a last-day charge by Mark O’Meara and Tiger Woods with a closing 68 to win the Mercedes Championship.

* 1999: Finishes second, one shot behind Payne Stewart, in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, a day before the birth of his first child, Amanda Bryan. Produces 2-2-0 (wins-losses-halves) record in his third Ryder Cup.

* 2000: Wins four times on the PGA Tour, including the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

* 2001: Wins Buick Invitational and Greater Hartford Open on way to second in U.S. money list with earnings of $4,403,883.

* 2002: Wins multiple events on the PGA Tour for the seventh time in 10 years. Finishes third at the Masters, making it his sixth top-10 finish at Augusta National. Is runner-up to Woods in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Plays in fourth Ryder Cup at the Belfry, finishing with a 2-2-1 record.

* 2003: Finishes a disappointing PGA Tour season outside the top 30 for the first time in 11 seasons. For the third year in a row, places third at the Masters. Finishes outside the top 20 in last three majors of the year.

* 2004: Returns to the winner’s circle after a 19-month absence at the Bob Hope Classic, his first start of the year, following hard work on his short game and fitness during the off-season. Produces six top-10 finishes in his next seven starts.

* April 11: Achieves his major breakthrough in his 47th start, holding off a last-day charge by Ernie Els with a closing 69 to win the 68th Masters by a shot.

Reuters