Masters Results 2012: Overshadowed Phil Mickelson Still on Track For Huge Year

Phil Mickelson was essentially an afterthought for the entire week at Augusta National, but he won’t be for the remainder of the 2012 calendar year.

All the hype leading up to the event was around Tiger Woods and his “comeback” to relevancy. When the Tiger Talk subsided, it was about Rory McIlroy and his chances of erasing the painful memories of his four-shot choke job in 2011.

Once the tournament started, the story was about the ever-changing leaderboard with plenty of different golfers holding the title at some point.

Meanwhile, Mickelson was forgotten because of a disappointing 74 (+2) on Day 1. He slowly worked his way back up the leaderboard and after an impressive 66 on Saturday, he was right in the thick of things for his fourth career Green Jacket.

Unfortunately for Lefty, the magic ran out on Sunday when he triple bogeyed the fourth hole. From there the story turned to Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen as they battled to the bloody end with two playoff holes.

Mickelson finished tied for third, two strokes off Bubba who ultimately won the Green Jacket.

By no means was the week a disappointment for Lefty, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t frustrated. Mickelson entered the tournament with one win and three top 10s through eight events in 2012 and was a trendy pick to win the Masters in a year that didn’t feature any dominate performances. The Green Jacket was there for the taking, and Lefty couldn’t capitalize.  

His swing is as pretty as ever and there is no doubt his confidence level is high. He made plenty of mistakes and still was right in the thick of things at Augusta National. His putting game is exceptional and Mickelson is using his irons to his advantage after struggling with them for so long.  

So what happens when Mickelson plays at his best? What happens when he isn’t dealing with triple bogeys?

The 2012 season has gotten off to a strong start for Mickelson and the best has yet to come. Expect Lefty to notch at least another major championship, with a strong possibly of more as the continued struggles of Tiger Woods allow Phil to take full advantage.

The Lefty is still the best golfer on the planet right now and he’ll be reminding us all soon enough. 

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