On Saturday, Mickelson put his struggles into perspective by saying how pleased he was to have his wife, Amy, who been battling breast cancer, with him this week and healthy enough to walk the hilly course two days in a row.
Regardless of starting the final round nine shots behind McIlroy, Mickelson never considered his position hopeless.
"I never feel like you're out of it here," he said. "I felt like if I could shoot something in the low 60s -- 63 or 64 -- you just never know what might happen. I really felt good; I just didn't put it together."
Phil Mickelson's official duties as defending champion at the Masters came to an end early Sunday evening when he graciously slipped a Green Jacket over the strong, lean shoulders of Charl Schwartzel. Even as late as Saturday afternoon, Mickelson was still hoping he would be the one helped into a Green Jacket.
But after he closed with a 74 to finish at 1-under-par 287, 13 shots behind the winner, Charl Schwartzel, Mickelson acknowledged that it just wasn't his round, his day or his Tournament. He had missed his chance, he said. Mickelson stated that the course was ripe for scoring; he just couldn't take advantage.
"Greens receptive, pins in spots you can get to, not much wind," the three-time Masters champion said. "But I struggled with the blade again and it was a frustrating week, really. I love these greens, I usually putt them very well, but I struggled this week."
Mickelson came into the week with high expectations -- his own and others'-- after a commanding victory the Sunday before at the Shell Houston Open. He had followed his tradition of playing a PGA Tour even the week prior to the Masters, and the strategy seemed to pay off.
Although he said he did not feel fatigued, Mickelson said he would take the next three weeks off. He plans to make his next appearance at Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow the first full weekend of May.
No comments:
Post a Comment