The Loop

Phil plans on making Saturday charge again

April 08, 2011

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Phil Mickelson heard the question. This was behind the scorer's hut where players first meet the assembled literati. He had finished a second-round 72 that left him at two-under par and waaaaaaay behind the leaders. Typically, Mickelson spun the crisis into opportunity.

First, he said he'd left a bunch of shots out there by failing to get it up-and-down six times, even missing a couple short birdie putts. "But that's all in the past," he said, "and we've got the weekend to look forward to. Fortunately, I'm not in that bad a spot where if I can go out and shoot a good round I can get right back in it." A minute later, he said, "There's a lot of golf left in this tournament and I'm going to be making a run at him (the leader of that moment, Rory McIroy) and the other guys ahead of me here on Saturday."

Then came the question: "Where do you draw the confidence to say that you're going to take a run at the guys in front of you?"

Of all the things Phil Mickelson might have said -- even the shortest attention-spanned of us remember the man's successive eagles followed by a birdie on Saturday a year ago -- Mickelson only smiled and said, "Three? Three green jackets? I dunno."

-- Dave Kindred