Mickelson needs to silence the doubters

Phil Mickelson is fast earning the unwanted tag of the best player never to have won a major and he will hope to lose that moniker when he tees off in next month's U.S. Masters.

No-one doubts the ability of the world's finest left-hander. Twenty U.S. PGA Tour titles and a regular top-three placing on the world rankings are testament to his all-round talents.

But many are now questioning his ability to perform under pressure and close out a tournament when in the lead.

His back-nine meltdown on the final day of Sunday's Bay Hill Invitational, when he held a one-shot lead at the turn, offered further proof that he may lack the temperament to join the ranks of golfing greats.

Mickelson's record in the majors is impressive. He has five top-three finishes, including two runners-up placings, and a further eight in the top 10. But no victories.

The longer the 31-year-old Scotsdale player fails to win one of the four coveted titles the harder it becomes -- he has only to ask Australian Greg Norman, who eventually won two majors, and Colin Montgomerie who, like Mickelson is still in the hunt.

Norman -- a leading money-winner on both sides of the Atlantic -- had five top-five finishes before his breakthrough at the 1986 British Open.

Montgomerie, meanwhile, lost playoffs for the 1994 U.S. Open and 1995 U.S. PGA Championship and finished runner-up in the 1997 U.S. Open and third in the same event five years earlier.

Understandably, the Scot has grown tired of having to defend his major record and no doubt Mickelson will soon become weary of a similar line of questioning.

It has also been pointed out on numerous occasions that Mickelson has a tendency to fold when world number one Tiger Woods is also in the hunt.

Sunday was a perfect example. After sinking a 10-foot birdie at the 10th to remain one clear of Woods, Mickelson hit a poor tee shot on the par-three 14th.

Two holes later, having pulled his drive off the 16th tee into trees, he attempted to fire a four-iron between the branches, over water and on to an especially firm green.

His ball ended in a watery grave, raising further question marks over his decision-making under pressure.

While Mickelson proceeded to bogey four of the last five holes, Woods finished with a vital birdie at 16 and five straight pars.

Woods held a one-stroke cushion going into Sunday's final round and although he lost the lead to Mickelson after a shaky start, he recovered to win his 30th tour title.

It was also the 22nd time, out of a possible 24, that he had gone on to win after starting with a final-round lead -- a record Mickelson must envy.

The personal duel between Mickelson and Woods is developing into one of the most fascinating sub plots in world golf.

As in most great sporting rivalries, there is little love lost between the two and they keep a close eye on each other's progress.

So far, Woods has the upper hand in their personal contest as he proved once again down the closing stretch on Sunday.

Mickelson certainly has the game to win several majors over the next few years. He will hope to prove at Augusta National next month that he also has the nerve.

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