Phil Mickelson: Why Lefty Must Succeed Early to Win the Masters

Eighteen times, Phil Mickelson has toed the greens at Augusta’s Masters. On 13 of those occasions, four days later he had earned a top-10 finish. With three Masters victories and four majors overall, Lefty is already considered one of the most clutch golfers to ever play the game. Another Masters win would thrust him into the conversation of the best big game athletes in the history of any sport. 

At 41, Mickelson is one of the older members of the increasingly younger field. Eight years ago, when he won his first Masters, Lefty shot an even 72 in the first round.

From there, Mickelson was able to work his way back into contention through the grueling second and third rounds, finding himself in a tie for first entering Sunday. The youthful Mickelson was able to outlast Ernie Els on the back nine to win by one stroke.  

In 2006 Mickelson once again found himself trailing by four strokes entering the third round. He was able to pick it up from there and once again come from behind to earn his second green jacket.  

Can an older version of the same skilled golfer accomplish a feat like that? This is why early success will be key for Mickelson. Two years ago while on his way to a third Masters win, Lefty never trailed by more than two strokes. He was able to parlay his early success into a consistent bogey-free effort to best Lee Westwood in the final round.  

If we are to believe that Lefty thrives in the pressure situations like Augusta, then early success will be paramount. The Masters provides a scenario unlike anything else in golf. The television exposure and fan viewership is never higher. Early success means more attention will be paid to his pairing, which in turn means better play from Mickelson.  

If he fades to the middle or back of the pack early, attention will be placed elsewhere and Mickelson won’t feel the pressure of all those penetrating eyes. This is not to say Phil would pack it in if he gets behind early, but all signs point to a necessity for Lefty to get off to a hot start.  

The golf world feels like it may be moving on from the Tiger/Mickelson era right now. There are a plethora of likeable young stars making names for themselves with each passing tournament. Mickelson can put a temporary kibosh on them with good scores in the opening rounds.

If he falls behind names like McIlroy, Day, Donald, or Kaymer, it may be Goodnight Irene for this era of links dominance.  

Weather.com has posted early forecasts for the Augusta area, and the opening rounds look to be in minor danger of inclement weather. Thursday and Friday are listed to have scattered thunderstorms while Saturday and Sunday look to be more pristine and calm. This means a lot not just to Mickelson but to the whole field. 

His experience will be key here. He has more appearances at Augusta than most of the field and knows how to play the course in less than ideal conditions. A good score in the opening round would go a long way to creating some separation before things even out with the weather and the young guns can regain their composure.  

Finally, perhaps the most crucial reason for Mickelson to go to work early is who he is. People love everything about Mickelson. They love his game, they love his crunch-time play, they love his look and flock to the products he attaches his name to. They empathize with him for his wife’s health concerns and admire the way he handles himself.

Support is the operative term here for Lefty. If he gets off to a hot start and becomes the “story of the tournament,” it will spawn a media and fan downpour of support for him. A universal push behind Mickelson going for his fourth Masters win (tying him with a certain less-than-likeable colleague) will be unlike almost anything we’ve seen.

If he wants to feel that extra jolt provided by the public, he must get it done Thursday and Friday. 

Older players like Mickelson just don’t have the mental or physical stamina to sustain a comeback victory. For all his achievements and years of excellence, Lefty is human and can’t let himself fall behind the leaders early. Last year Mickelson was forced to help a 26-year-old Charl Schwartzel put on the green jacket. If Schwartzel is to return the favor Sunday, Lefty must come out swinging.