Jacket still fits for Phil

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Let talk of the Phil Slam begin.

Phil Mickelson, who found redemption with his first major championship two years ago at Augusta National, won his second green jacket Sunday at the Masters.

Mickelson has won the last two majors, capturing the PGA Championship last August. He needs the U.S. Open in June and the British Open in July to hold all four major championships concurrently.

Mickelson bided his time in the fourth round, not making his first birdie until the seventh hole. He made three more and posted a 3-under-par 69 for a 7-under 281 total and a 2-shot victory over Tim Clark of South Africa.

“It was a fun, enjoyable day,” said Mickelson, who earned $1.26 million for the win. “I ended up playing well and it’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.”

Mickelson was pushed the entire round by his playing partner and friend, Fred Couples, a 46-year-old trying to turn back the clock on the 20th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’ sixth Masters victory, at age 46.

But it wasn’t to be. Couples birdied the first hole to tie Mickelson for the lead at 4-under. He bogeyed the 11th and took a costly three putts from five feet that led to a late bogey on the 14th hole. It was an expected birdie chance for Couples, but instead it turned into a two-shot swing and gave Mickelson a three-shot lead.

Couples shot a 72 and joined defending champion Tiger Woods, who shot 70, in a five-way tie for third at 4-under 284.

Still, Couples and Mickelson continued to walk down the fairway, chatting constantly, slapping each other on the back. They looked more like they were playing for giggles at the annual Par-3 Shootout in Gaylord.

“Fred and I kept saying how much fun this is to be in the last group on Sunday at the Masters,” Mickelson said. “We had a great time and I was sorry to see what happened on 14. I think we would have had a really tough duel coming down those last four holes.”

Mickelson and Couples both birdied the seventh hole to get to 5-under, one shot ahead of a logjam at 4-under.

But Mickelson soon broke the tie with his fourth birdie of the week on the par-5 eighth hole to get to 6-under. He birdied the par-5 13th and the par-5 15th to get to 8-under before he missed his approach shot to the left of the 18th green for his only bogey of the round.

Mickelson, a crafty left-hander with a deft short game, came into Augusta with two unique features. He ran over the field the previous tournament at the BellSouth Classic with a dominant 28-under performance and a 13-shot victory. And at the BellSouth he used two drivers, each for a specific ball flight.

He used the two drivers again at the Masters and pounded each down the fairway incredible distances at Augusta National, which was lengthened 155 yards for this year’s tournament. In a way, Mickelson was the type of long, shot-making player the tournament expected at the top of the leaderboard.

Clark wasn’t. The diminutive player was a middle-of-the-field driver, but used his irons with laser-like precision. He holed his bunker shot on the 18th green for a final birdie to take second place alone with a 69 for 5-under 283.

Woods struggled with his putting in the final round. He missed two eagle putts within eight feet on the 13th and 15th holes, instead settling for birdies as time ran out. He bogeyed the 17th and birdied the 18th with a long putt as he shook his head at his better-late-than-never luck.

“I putted atrociously today,” Woods said. “I’ll probably go snap this putter in eight pieces.”

Jose Maria Olazabal had the lowest round at 66, Retief Goosen shot 69 and Chad Campbell shot 71 to tie for third, along with Woods and Couples.