Phil Mickelson Misses Cut at 2016 Masters: Latest Comments, Reaction

Phil Mickelson is a three-time Masters champion, but the Hall of Famer's bid for a fourth green jacket fell well short.

Mickelson missed the cut at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, after following an opening-round 72 with a seven-over 79 on Friday to be axed from the weekend field by one stroke. Jordan Spieth leads by a stroke after 36 holes:

Mickelson carded four bogeys and three double-bogeys Friday. According to Golf Channel researcher Justin Ray, his second-round score is the worst of his Masters career. Bleacher Report's Twitter account summed up how his day unfolded:

ESPN Stats & Info noted how Lefty's performance has slipped in recent years:

The 45-year-old finished joint third in his 2016 debut at the CareerBuilder Challenge but missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. After bouncing back rather nicely with a tie for 11th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Friday marks another step back for Lefty.

Other than a FedEx Cup title and the completion of the career Grand Slam, there isn't much else left for Mickelson to accomplish. The U.S. Open isn't until June, so Mickelson has plenty of time to round into form for that event, and the postseason is even further off in the distance.

But considering how much Mickelson has struggled over the prior two seasons and how well he played in posting a runner-up finish at the 2015 Masters, he needs to bounce back quickly to avoid losing confidence.

Even the ever-optimistic Mickelson has been fading in recent years; though to be fair, he is faring far better in 2015-16 with six top-25 finishes in nine starts.

The Players Championship is a marquee event that offers the chance for Mickelson to get back on track at a venue at which he won in 2007. That's not for another month or so, but at least Mickelson has something to look forward to.

Perhaps something positive can happen in that stretch and galvanize Mickelson into more consistency in the middle of the year as he gears up for another shot at the career Grand Slam in the summer.