No ‘fluke’: Mickelson sizzles with 65 at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Two years after surprising the world and successful the 2021 PGA Championship at age 50, Phil Mickelson carded a 7-under 65 Sunday on the Masters — his best-ever closing spherical within the occasion — to complete tied for second with Brooks Koepka at 8 underneath.

At age 52, Mickelson is the oldest participant to complete within the prime 5 of a Masters, and his day was the bottom spherical in Masters historical past by a participant age 50 or older.

“To return out at present and play the way in which I did and hit the photographs once I wanted to, it is a lot enjoyable,” Mickelson mentioned.

Loads has occurred for the three-time Masters winner since he gained that PGA Championship. Mickelson left the PGA Tour for the rival LIV Golf, apologized for feedback he made concerning the Tour and organizers of the Saudi-financed LIV, skipped final yr’s Masters, become a pariah of kinds amongst his friends and didn’t play something resembling respectable golf on LIV. (Mickelson’s three finishes this yr on LIV had been twenty seventh, thirty second and forty first.)

Mickelson known as Augusta a really perfect course for his struggling sport, saying he was about to go on a tear. Two days earlier, he had actually known as his shot.

“I do know I have been hitting it, enjoying higher than I have been scoring,” Mickelson mentioned Friday. “I am wanting ahead to simply placing one spherical collectively that I do know I am able to, and if I do this, it’ll be a extremely enjoyable weekend.”

On Sunday, he did simply that. Mickelson started the day at 1 underneath, 10 photographs behind then-leader Koepka, and proceeded to make seven birdies and just one bogey. On the again 9, Mickelson birdied 5 of his final seven holes, together with Nos. 17 and 18. The final time Mickelson had shot 65 in a serious championship was the 2016 Open Championship.

“[No.] 6 was an enormous second for him,” mentioned Jordan Spieth, Mickelson’s enjoying companion Sunday. “That was such a tough gap for him at present with the wind. Your regular wind, it is a good little par-3, however at present it is brutally tough. When he birdied there, I believe he began to get somewhat pep in his step. Then he sort of carried it on from there.”

Carrying all-black Hy Flyers gear (worn by his LIV group) and aviator sun shades, Mickelson walked up the 18th inexperienced to cheers earlier than draining an 11-foot putt for birdie that despatched the group to its toes as he pumped a fist twice.

“It simply reaffirms that I knew I used to be shut,” Mickelson mentioned. “I have been hitting high quality photographs. This does not really feel like a fluke.”

After such turmoil surrounding Mickelson the previous two years, it was unclear whether or not his sport may return to a aggressive stage. However Mickelson confirmed Sunday that he is nonetheless acquired it.

“At the moment is hopefully a stepping stone to essentially kick-start the remainder of the yr and proceed some nice play as a result of I’ve a novel alternative,” Mickelson mentioned. “[Age] 52, no bodily accidents, no bodily issues, with the ability to swing a membership the way in which I need to, to do issues within the sport that not many individuals have had an opportunity to do later in life.”