Masters Leaderboard 2012: Phil Mickelson Won't Be Doomed by 10th Hole Meltdown

Phil Mickelson pulled a Rory McIlroy at The Masters on Thursday—he triple-bogeyed the 10th hole.

After battling through the front nine in 37 strokes, Lefty stepped up to the tee and promptly smacked his shot into the tall pines lining the left side of the fairway. 

Fortunately for Mickelson, he called for a provisional shot, even before a hoard of eager patrons failed to find his ball amongst the brush at Augusta National. When all was said and done, Mickelson had to mark a seven on his scorecard, pushing him to four strokes over par on the day.

That's the same score that McIlroy wound up with on the 10th hole to kick off his Sunday collapse at The Masters last year.

Of course, that doesn't mean Mickelson is destined for a similar fate this weekend. For one, his gaffe came on the first day, not the last, so he still has plenty of time to make up ground on the leaderboard.

And if anyone in the field is capable of doing just that, it's Lefty. The guy hasn't taken home three Green Jackets and finished in the top 10 on 10 other occasions out of sheer luck. He's a great golfer, one who's comfortable with and knows how to play the ins and outs of the course at Augusta.

He's not some 21-year-old kid who, while precocious, had never been in such a high-pressure situation in a Major championship before.

Above all, Mickelson hardly seemed to be phased by that particular pratfall. He went on to snag three birdies after that to complete his opening round with a two-over 74.

Granted, sitting seven strokes behind the leader (Lee Westwood) in a tie for 55th place isn't exactly ideal for anyone hoping to score a victory in the most prestigious event in golf, no matter who it is.

But, for an experienced champion like Phil, it's nothing worth sweating over just yet, even if the number seven ain't so lucky on a scorecard.

If nothing else, at least he didn't have to mark it eight, dude.

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