ESPN.com - Golf Online - Masters 2001 - Frozen moment: Patience pays off

By David Kraft
ESPN.com
Thursday, April 5

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Phil Mickelson has been talking patience. Stressing patience. Preaching patience.

He's been trying everyone's patience with how often he's brought up the subject this week as he seeks his first Masters green jacket.


	Phil Mickelson remained patient during his round, even when he found trouble like the bunker on No. 2.

Walking to the 12th tee Thursday, Mickelson needed the patience of Job. He'd just bogeyed the par-4 11th, dropping him back to even-par. He later said he hit his worst shot of the day there -- with one of his most trusted clubs, a wedge.

As he marched to the jaws of Amen Corner, he knew scoring conditions were optimal. He knew Chris DiMarco was at least six shots ahead of him in the clubhouse. He knew he couldn't win The Masters on Thursday, but if he didn't make a quick back-nine run, he could practically fall out of contention.

So, with his patience wearing thin, he birdied the diabolical par-3 12th. He birdied the relatively easy par-5 13th. He birdied the par--4 14th. And he birdied the par-5 15th.

In 45 minutes, he'd jumped from also-ran to the first page of the leaderboard.

He added another birdie at the par-4 17th and shot 67, leaving himself within two shots of the lead.

"Today was really the day to score low," Mickelson said. "I think as the week wears on, it will progressively play more difficult."

Which made his rally -- five birdies in six holes -- even more critical.

Mickelson's front nine was pedestrian -- a birdie at No. 3 was his only breakthrough. He saved par with a chip-in on the ninth hole, using a lob wedge after breaking his sand wedge in a hazard on the second hole. Titleist is flying in a replacement for the second round.

"I didn't really do too much the first eight, nine holes," Mickelson said.

He played No. 10 well -- "I started to feel a little bit better around the turn," Mickelson said -- before letting a shot get away at the 11th.

"(Then), I started hitting some good shots," Mickelson said. His patience was about to be rewarded.

The pin position at the 12th was the easiest on the green, just over the right bunker. Mickelson knew it.

"You could attack the pin, and if you came up slightly short and it was on line, it would end up in the bunker (instead of Rae's Creek)," Mickelson said. He hit an 8-iron to three feet and made the putt.

	“	I'm in the here and now, and I'm trying to attack the pin, but I need to be a little bit leery, or careful, as to which holes I want to do that. ”
		— Phil Mickelson

On No. 13, traditionally the easiest hole on the course, he hit a 5-iron to 20 feet and two-putted for birdie.

On No. 14, he drove the ball left into the trees, but hit a 9-iron to two feet and made the putt.

On the 15th, he hit a 6-iron into the green and two-putted for birdie. Again, patience.

"I've got a 6-iron into a par-5 and I should be thinking '3' because I've been hitting the ball well," Mickelson said. "(Instead), I played 30, 40 feet right of the pin to give myself a little extra depth and actually just played for a 4."

No patience required on the 17th; he hit an 8-iron to a foot and made the putt.

"The difficulty I've run into in the past is that if I get into 'Let's make birdie and hit this shot close' and I lose track of what the trouble surrounding the green is, it ultimately takes me from making birdie into making bogey," Mickelson said. "I'm in the here and now, and I'm trying to attack the pin, but I need to be a little bit leery, or careful, as to which holes I want to do that."

Mickelson even needs to be patient overnight. He doesn't tee off Friday until 1:30 p.m. ET, the next-to-last group of the day. He'll know what he'll need to shoot if he wants to get a late time again for Saturday's third round. But he says he won't change his plan.

"I'm not overly anxious or wondering what may happen (Friday)," Mickelson said. "I feel very confident that I will be able to come out and play well again and hit good golf shots and make good decisions."

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