Phil Mickelson’s 2nd place end at The Masters surprised everybody

Not many individuals anticipated classic Phil Mickelson to point out up on the 2023 Masters.

Since leaving the PGA Tour for Saudi-funded LIV Golf final spring, Mickelson has been handled like an afterthought and a punchline. For a celebrity participant, who is among the most completed opponents in golf historical past, it’s been a surprising two-year downfall from Mickelson’s triumphant PGA Championship win in 2021.

However a surprising final-round 65 at Augusta Nationwide rocketed Lefty up the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon and secured him an unlikely second-place end. Finishing the most effective Sunday spherical he’s ever had on the Masters, and the most effective last spherical of anybody within the discipline, Mickelson completed with eight birdies to just one bogey. The masterful showcase regarded like a throwback model of the person fitted for 3 Inexperienced Jackets in his previous.

Mickelson and enjoying associate Jordan Spieth put collectively a exceptional group effort through the fourth spherical on Sunday afternoon. Combining for 17 birdies and a gaggle best-ball rating of 58, Mickelson and Spieth electrified Augusta patrons earlier than the lead teams might even get rolling.

Selecting up steam on the again 9, Mickelson poured in 5 birdies over his last seven holes. The spherical crescendoed with a crowd-pleasing birdie on 18 to set Mickelson with the most effective rating within the clubhouse. With chief Jon Rahm dipping to -10 with the complete again 9 left to play, it regarded like Mickelson might linger atop the leaderboard if Amen Nook might work its voodoo on one other late-event chief.

Rahm finally pulled away for his first Masters victory in convincing trend. Nevertheless it was really surprising to see the 52-year-old Mickelson within the combine for the final-round lead at a serious after beginning the spherical at -1 simply hours earlier than.

Getting into the week, the prospect of Mickelson even being aggressive was an unlikely state of affairs. Since defecting to LIV final yr, Mickelson missed all three cuts of occasions that featured them – together with his solely two main appearances in 2022. Lefty’s highest complete end for the reason that 2021 PGA Championship win was eighth place at a LIV occasion outdoors of Chicago final September.

Mickelson’s utterly unreliable current stretch led oddsmakers to make him a 300/1 play getting into the Masters this week. Most books additionally had Tiger Woods beating his former rival in a head-to-head matchup. Mickelson even obtained the most bets to overlook the lower on the MGM Sportsbook.

In the end, Mickelson let his play do the speaking. After an uncommon Masters Champions Dinner by which the previously-gregarious Mickelson barely spoke, the indicators of classic Lefty got here alive through the first two rounds at Augusta.

Taking part in aggressive golf was one factor. This week additionally noticed Mickelson performing with the dramatic aptitude and showmanship that made him one of the well-known golfers to ever reside. Mickelson took driver off the deck. He performed his driver off of pine straw to make birdie. Lefty even switched issues up and punched a shot towards a tree proper handed to keep away from a large quantity.

Given the tepid response to LIV Golf over its first full yr, nearly all of golf followers received’t care if Mickelson has success on the newcomer tour. Brooks Koepka already received two LIV occasions since final fall — but his early Masters lead and tie for second place with Mickelson on the Masters additionally surprised the golf neighborhood regardless of a earlier observe file of 4 majors of his personal. There’s additionally the subsection of followers who won’t ever forgive Phil for his transfer to LIV – each for the Saudi connections and for the unsavory manner by which Mickelson went in regards to the change.

But when the majors can get this model of Mickelson a couple of times a yr – dropping bombs, taking wild dangers, smiling and pumping his fist – then golf is a way more entertaining sport with Lefty at his finest.