Phil Mickelson: Keys to Staying in Title Contention on Day 3 at Masters

Over the first round of the Masters, it looked like Tiger Woods, not Phil Mickelson, would be the multi-time Green Jacket winner who would contend for yet another in 2012.

After a second-round meltdown by Tiger and a second-round swoon by Phil, however, Lefty is now the one who is eyeing up another win at Augusta.

After two rounds, Mickelson sits at two-under par and is just three strokes behind co-leaders Jason Dufner and Fred Couples. There are plenty of golfers in between Mickelson and the leaders, but they won't be of any consequence. If Mickelson remains on top of his game then he'll be a contender, but if he resorts to first-round form, he won't be.

Here are three things that Mickelson must do to remain in the hunt to tie Woods and Arnold Palmer for the second-most Green Jackets of all time with four.

Remain Hot with the Putter

When he's on, there is probably no better putter in the world than Mickelson. Although he tends to be somewhat streaky like any player, he has the ability to hit them from long range time after time when everything is going right. That was the case on the back nine Friday as Lefty was absolutely scorching on the greens. It seemed like every putt was falling, whether it was a gimme or tester, and he will look to carry that momentum over.

Just like anything in golf, though, Mickelson's fortunes with the putter can turn at any moment. Golf is an incredibly volatile game and if there is any type of change in stroke or pin location or anything, it can adversely affect the player.

Mickelson has been in big spots at the Masters enough times to know how to get the job done and if he wants to have a chance on Sunday, he'll have to putt well on Saturday.

Stay Clean on Tee and Approach Shots

It seems awfully simple, but sometimes nothing can be tougher in golf than keeping the ball straight. Mickelson was able to do so on Friday and it led to great results as he was four-under on the day, but he has been known to get wild and erratic at times.

That was the case with Tiger yesterday as he was seemingly in the woods, the gallery or a bunker after every tee or approach shot. Lefty knows what that is like and he has to avoid it like the plague.

Even if your distance isn't great and your putting isn't at its best, a lot of strokes can be saved by staying in the fairway and limiting difficult shots. Mickelson can be a risk taker at times and it has cost him in the past, but he's a smart and savvy player who understands what he has to do on Saturday.

Plenty of players will choke, but if he merely plays a safe and consistent round then he'll be very much in contention.

Let Players Fall to Him

When you look at the players from Mickelson up to the leaders, it is a very interesting hodgepodge of golfers. There are former Major winners, there are virtual unknowns, there are AARP members and there are players who are so young that they probably idolized Lefty growing up. With so many different golfers, there is no telling how each of them will react to the pressure that they're sure to face this weekend.

A few will probably stand tall and soldier on, but there is no question that plenty of them will ultimately crumble. After the first round of play the leaders were at five-under par and that didn't change after the second round. What that means is that even par is a solid round at this point.

Mickelson's goal should obviously be to shoot under par, but even if he has a tidy round filled with pars, plenty of golfers ahead of him are sure to plummet below him, giving him a much clearer view of the coveted green jacket.