Phil Mickelson strolled up to the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club Sunday en route to what would become his first win in a major championship. As he did this, a thought came over me. If Mickelson wins the Masters, it will transcend golf.
Mickelson will have won one for all of those great athletes who have never captured their sports ultimate prize; the Marinos, the Bondses and the Ewings. And as his putt caught the left lip of the cup and circled in, it was not only a victory for Mickelson, but a victory for sports.
In every generation there is an athlete whose skill is unmatched, whose heart is unquestioned and whose dedication is unsurpassed. He is the incredible athlete on the losing team who never seems to be able to catch a break. For years, this man was Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson had competed in 46 majors before he stepped onto the first tee at August on a rainy Thursday afternoon and had fallen short in every single one of them. The man who had won 22 regular titles and amassed over $26 million in career winnings could never escape the lingering question: Could he win a major? Coming into Sunday's final round with the lead, it looked like the demons finally left him.
Alas, like all great champions, Mickelson would have to work to claim his place in history. Mickelson struggled early, and when his shot from the bunker on hole 5 rolled back to his feet, it looked grim for the smiling southpaw. But Mickelson would get things back on track, holding off Ernie Els by birdying five of the final nine holes to capture his first green jacket and the hearts of the country.
Some may say that this has happened before. They point to John Elway, Dale Earnhardt or Ray Bourque. Bourque for years played his heart out with the hapless Boston Bruins before signing with the Colorado Avalanche and winning a championship, but for Phil it is different. In order for Phil to win, the change had to come from within.
Phil spent long hours on the practice range, honing his game; he changed from a young, aggressive cowboy to a conservative winner. He endured collapse after collapse at the hands of Payne Stewart and David Toms at other majors and worst of all, finished in third place three consecutive times at Augusta. So when he finally donned the green jacket for the first time, it was a victory sculpted from the ashes of defeat.
It was a victory for all of those who have come so close only to have glory replaced by agony. A victory for Barry Bonds, who saw his team collapse against the Angels in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series.
A victory for Dan Marino, who watched his beloved Dolphins squander opportunity after opportunity even as he, himself, excelled. A victory for the AU Men's Basketball team, which has come so close in three straight Patriot League championship games only to fall short. A victory even for the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, who in 2003 came so close to the promised land, only to watch their dreams fall like Don Zimmer.
After it was over and the pressure was gone, Mickelson talked openly about silencing his harshest critics. Mickelson said, "Having come so close so many times ... to have it be such a difficult journey to win my first major makes it that much more special, sweeter." His sentiments echo the desires of all those loveable losers who have come before him.
Mickelson proved to the world that hard work and dedication do pay off and that there is no such thing as impossible. Mickelson achieved the impossible and won one for all of those who traveled the hard road, only to come up short. Truly this was one for the ages.
