Phil Mickelson: Lefty Must Put 2012 Masters Choke Behind Him

Phil Mickelson played an incredible round of golf at the 2012 Masters this past Saturday, but all of it was washed away with a sloppy performance on Sunday, which is something Lefty needs to forget about. 

He shot a 65 on Saturday, including a 30 on the back nine, which is very remarkable. Then Sunday rolled around and even though Mickelson managed to shoot a par 72 on the day, he choked early on, blowing his chance at another Green Jacket. 

Things appeared to be going well for Mickelson, but on the fourth hole par three, he had a disastrous shot and ended up with a triple bogey. Three-over on a par three is out of this world bad and definitely a score that a pro golfer shouldn't have. 

Mickelson wasn't completely out of it, but it was easy to see that the pressure was getting to him. Being in the final pairing on Sunday means the heat is on you to win all throughout the day, but Mickelson just wasn't able to make the necessary birdies to stay on pace with Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen. 

If this loss stays with Mickelson through the year, he will be doomed in all the major tournaments. He has to forget about it and just push forward. 

Yes, there are positives to take away from his time at Augusta National this year, but for the most part, the negatives take the cake. 

When a golfer flops on the most important day of the tournament, the bad is certainly going to outweigh all the good he or she has done thus far. 

It's unfortunate, but it's a part of the game. 

The best thing for Mickelson to do right now is put this Masters choke behind him and press on for the rest of the season.

He knows he's capable of winning a major this year, but he has to stay focused and determined in order to come out on top. Thinking about his Sunday collapse at the Masters won't do him any good the rest of the year.