But much like Woods last year at Torrey Pines, Mickelson made up for mistakes with spectacular play that produced 17 birdies and an eagle. After bogeys on the ninth and 10th holes of his third round left him one over for the tournament and 11 behind leader Ricky Barnes, Mickelson finished with a burst of amazing recoveries and two putts of more than 30 feet, the last one on the 18th for his seventh birdie in a whirlwind 69.
After starting play on the final day five behind Barnes, Mickelson lost ground with bogeys on the sixth and seventh but then jumpstarted his round with a 9-iron to three feet for birdie on the 460-yard ninth. On the 10th hole his spinning recovery from a tramped-down area of fescue to within three feet and a miracle par further ignited him. He birdied the 12th with a 35-foot bomb and eagled the par-5 13th when he hit a 5-iron from 229 yards to four feet. But once Mickelson crossed the road to the 15th, the magic stopped.
Although Mickelson continues to make the Open the major in which he contends most consistently, it's reasonable to wonder if all the near-misses are building a psychological hurdle that will get harder and harder to clear. In his favor, Mickelson owns three majors and 36 official PGA Tour victories, making him a certain Hall of Famer with a secure legacy. He might not close like Hogan or Nicklaus or Woods, and he probably won't achieve their special pantheon, particularly without a U.S. Open title.
But despite not winning, Mickelson showed enough grace under pressure at Bethpage to sustain him in many more majors. Before getting into his car to drive away, he waved to fans for whom he had just signed autographs. "Thanks for a great week, guys," he said, leaving unsaid that he hopes the ones coming up will be even greater.
Phil's Five Silvers
A look at Phil Mickelson's record five runner-up finishes in U.S. Opens
1999 Pinehurst No. 2
Leads by one with three to play. Misses an eight-footer to fall back into a tie, then misses an eight-foot birdie putt on 17 to fall one behind, eventually losing to Payne Stewart, who made clutch putts on the final three holes.
2002 Bethpage Black
Urged on by the raucous New York crowd, Mickelson keeps pressure on Tiger Woods throughout (including birdies on 11 and 13 Sunday to cut the gap to two), but he cannot catch Woods who leads wire-to-wire.
2004 Shinnecock Hills
Seeking his second major in a row, Mickelson (right)storms back from three down in the final round to tie Retief Goosen with three to play, then birdies 16 to temporarily lead. Goosen birdies 16 to tie, before Lefty disintegrates on the par-3 17th, three-putting from six feet for double.
2006 Winged Foot
The Collapse on the West course. With a chance to win his third straight major, Mickelson leads by one coming to 18, hits his drive off a tent, then his second off a tree before burying his third in a bunker. A double-bogey 6 hands Geoff Ogilvy the win. Phil: "I am such an idiot."
2009 Bethpage Black
What could have been. An eagle on 13 ties Lucas Glover for the lead. A three-putt on 15 puts him one back, but Glover does the same. Tied on 17, Mickelson's short game comes up short; Glover wins by two.
-- E. Michael Johnson
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