Power pairing doesn't materialize, but powerful potential does

If Phil Mickelson's birdie putt on No. 18 Friday had fallen in, he'd have been paired with Tiger Woods on Saturday. The only what-if Mickelson is concerned about, though, is what if he has a good weekend.

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He practices that 65-footer at the 18th hole all the time.

He usually comes up short.

But as the sun was about to dip behind the tree line Friday afternoon, Phil Mickelson gave it a little extra juice. It hit the back of the hole like an F-16 and popped out. He tapped in a few minutes later for par.

“I gave it a little too much,’’ he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Not that he was complaining about a closing par. Or a second-round 71 on a day when 74.5 was the norm. Or finding himself two shots off the lead and sharing third  with Tiger Woods, K.J. Choi, Anthony Kim and Ricky Barnes.

Or missing a chance to play with Tiger – what a third-round power pairing that would have been – if the putt had fallen.

Mickelson is done with what-ifs. He’s had a season of them. He’s been saying he’s close to rockin’ this season, but it hasn’t happened. Until, maybe, now.

The two-time Masters champ has gone a little Ben Crenshaw here. Just stepping onto the course has smoothed the rough edges and given him the confidence to, well, go for it. And why not? He’s finished out of the top 10 just three times in his last 15 Masters. And, after a difficult 10 months with his wife Amy and mother Mary battling breast cancer, the family is here – just not at the course – to support him.

“This couldn't be a better place for me to bring my game together because you don't have to be perfect,’’ Mickelson said. “It allows me to free up a little bit and play without fear because the opportunities to recover are there.  If I hit a poor drive in the trees, I'm going to have a swing underneath those pine trees, a shot and a chance to get it up by the green and let my short game save par for me.’’

That’s what Mickelson does best. He takes us on wild adventures off the tees, then take down courses – even this one – with his short game.

Friday was a quiet day. He hit 10 of 14 fairways and had a second-straight 24-putt round. And he’s there – with 36 holes left – with a chance.

“It feels great. to only be two back, to be in third place going into the weekend,’’ Mickelson said. “There's nothing like being in contention on the weekend at Augusta National.  There's no better feeling in the game.  There's nothing you dream of more.  I'm within two shots.  I'm playing very well, and I feel like I'm right on the edge.

“I've rolled the ball as well as I have in a long time.  The balls are tracking, and as soon as a couple of the 12  and 15 footers start going in the hole rather than catching the lips, I think I'm going to have a really low round.’’

Good news for Team Mickelson. News bulletin for the rest of the field.

Mickelson’s lone top 10 this season was a share of eighth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The rest of the season has been a roller coaster ride. Just last week at the Shell Houston Open, he opened with a 69 and chased it with a 76. He finished tied for 35th.

For two rounds here, he’s been steady. He’s made relatively few mistakes – not putting his fourth shot from just off the fringe at the eighth, which led to a bogey.

“ It was only this far from the fringe, and if I just putt it up on top, it'll just trickle down to the hole,’’ he said. “But I thought the ball was going to grip my face and get a little spin, and it didn't.  With the new grooves it just kind of hit and kind of jumped up and had no spin on it and took off down the hill.’’

He didn’t stop to count how many putts have caught the lip this week or hit the hole like that attempt at 18.  He settled for saying quite a few.

“I mean, quite a few,’’ he said. “But the good news is I'm making all the short ones because I'm hitting the ball solid, I'm rolling the ball well and I'm giving a lot of putts a chance, and that's what I care about.’’

That and hoping that one of those 15-footers falls this weekend. If one does, it could well be game-on.