Phil Mickelson: Why Lefty Must Capture US Open Crown

Phil Mickelson needs to win the 2012 US Open.

This is his time, this is his place, and the stage has been set for an epic battle. This is a battle that Lefty needs to win.

For so long Mickelson has always been "the other guy" in golf next to Tiger Woods. He has many fans and is undoubtedly a great golfer, but he's also had moments where he wasn't able to rise to the occasion and be the best.

Mickelson has the talent to be more than just a big name. He has the talent to be elite, but he's played second fiddle to Tiger Woods for as long as I can remember.

It's a tough gig, eh? Hard to imagine a reality where 40 career PGA Tour wins would still garner you second fiddle, but that is the reality of the golf world in respect to Woods.

That being said, though, even when Tiger's career took a nose dive, Mickelson wasn't able to capitalize on the void at the top of the rankings. The frustrating part is, he had the talent to be "the guy," and he still does.

That's what makes this 2012 US Open so important for Mickelson. He has yet another chance to prove himself on the big stage with everyone watching. To make it even better, he's going to be paired with Woods and this year's Masters champion, Bubba Watson.

Simply put, this US Open has the chance to be epic, and Mickelson can be the star.

He has a chance to be "the guy" at this tournament, so he needs to have a good showing. In fact, he needs to win the thing.

While Tiger certainly isn't the superstar of old, he won the Memorial and could be starting to find his groove again, so this would set up the possibility of some great golf and back and forth between the two.

Lefty and Tiger always seem to play better when they're playing with each other, and I expect the US Open is grand enough of a stage for both of them combined.

When all is said and done, though, this has to be Mickelson's tournament. Enough of the decent showings and the oh-so-close comebacks—we want a win, and we want it now.

One day we can look back at the great history and rivalry between these two golfers, but believe it or not, there are still some chapters left to write.

This is a chapter Mickelson has to win, no matter who tries to write his own ending.