Phil Mickelson: Why He's En Route to Winning a Major in 2012

Phil Mickelson has proven that this season he's ready to become a contender at major championships. He has won once in 2012, at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and posted a runner-up finish at last week's Northern Trust Open, proving that his game is getting better.

He opened the season with a tie for 49th at the Humana Challenge and then went on to miss the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Slowly, Mickelson started to find his game and managed to post a tie for 26 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. His preparation over the first month-and-a-half paid off at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Mickelson credited his victory to his wife Amy, who traveled to California to spend time with her husband. The golfer acknowledged that having her around was a factor and made an impact on his mentality.

Phil's mental game had been off, which led to several distractions over the past tourneys. Still, the golfer who lost the second spot at the Official World Golf Rankings in September of 2010 has overcome a number of difficulties and continues contending.

Last week he played at the Riviera Country Club, where he grabbed the lead in the second round after holding out for eagle on eight. He kept the lead until the last round, despite several erratic shots, which included a ball inside the hem of a fan's shorts.

Mickelson came through and shared the lead along with Keegan Bradley. Finally on Sunday Bill Haas defeated both players in the second playoff hole and took the Northern Trust Open title.

Despite the defeat, Mickelson seems to be the player he used to be until 2010 and knows that there's a lot of room for improvement and will work with his coach, Butch Harmon, in the next couple of weeks.

Some of the things he needs to improve are: green in regulation—he ranks 85th with 65.74 percent—and driving accuracy—he sits 147th with a percentage of 53.41, according to the PGA Tour.

Lefty will hit the course again the second week of March, when he plays the WGC-Cadillac Championship in preparation for the Masters Tournament.

If he continues to work the way he's been doing it we can expect him to have a real shot in Augusta.

Currently ranked ninth in the world, Mickelson is no stranger at the PGA's first major championship. He has won it three times (2004, 2006 and 2010).

It was precisely at the 2010 edition that he grabbed his last major trophy. In the last 10 years, Phil has posted seven top-5 finishes and has only been outside the top-10 twice. In 2007 he finished tied for 24th and in 2011 he tied for 27th.

A victory in the U.S. Open doesn't seem as possible, but it's not out of the question. Lefty has never won it, but has posted strong finishes; like in 2009 and 2010 when he tied for second and fourth, respectively.

Then we have the Open Championship, where he hasn't had as much success as in the other majors. Phil only recorded two top-10 finishes in 2004 and 2011. Against all odds, he managed to post his best performance in that major last year, after a runner-up finish.

Finally the PGA Championship, which he has already won once, in 2005. This event will also give him a good shot to hoist a trophy.

The best chance he has to seal the deal is for sure at the Masters. A course that suits his game and where he has already proven greatness. It was also in Augusta where he became the third left-handed golfer to win a major.

The Masters has a special place in Mickelson's life for another reason. When he won the 2006 edition, he went straight to the second spot of the Official World Golf Rankings, a position he held for four years and that's also his career best.

Aside from the game, Phil seems to have surpassed his personal issues. In May 2009 his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer, so he decided to pause his career to spend time with her. Less than two months later, he received more tough news, his mother also had breast cancer, so he took a leave of absence.

Another key factor is that he's climbing through the Official World Golf Rankings quickly; he kicked off 2012 in the 15th spot, and after playing five tournaments he's already cracked into the top 10 and sits at ninth. 

After a couple of rocky seasons—the last time he didn't win at least twice was in 2003, and in 2010 and 2011 he only hoisted one trophy—Phil seems to be back on track and ready to lift his fifth major trophy, and the timing couldn't be better.