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Mickelson
desperate for first Major
Phil Mickelson is finally
getting what he has desperately wanted since childhood, a shoot-out
with the world's best golfer and a chance to win at historic Augusta
National and claim his first major title.
"I desperately want this,"
said the 30-year-old Mickelson, who will be playing with Tiger Woods
in Sunday's final pairing of the 65th Masters.
The two have never been
paired on the final day of a tournament, although they have been
involved in three wire-to-wire finishes. Mickelson has won two,
Woods one.
"I have been preparing,
not just this past year, not just this past 10 years, but since
I was a little kid picking up range balls at a driving range, dreaming
of this day," said Mickelson, ranked second in the world behind
Woods.
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Mickelson
missing one of several short putts that marred his third round.
Allsport.
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Mickelson, whose closest
call at Augusta was third place in 1996, said winning the Masters
is not like winning any other tournament.
"I look at it as the winner
of this tournament doesn't just win a major. He becomes a part of
the history of the game, and that's what excites me," he said.
Last year, Mickelson birdied
three of the final six holes at the Buick Invitational to end Woods's
string of six consecutive tournament victories. At the Tour Championship
later in the year, Mickelson beat Woods by two strokes, ending his
rival's 19-tournament streak of never losing when he held the lead
after three rounds.
But earlier this year,
Woods nipped Mickelson by one stroke with a birdie on the final
hole at Bay Hill to secure his first victory of the year.
Mickelson birdied his final
two holes on Saturday to earn his pairing with Woods, something
he considered critical going into Sunday.
"I wanted to be playing
with him and know where we stand and know where the rest of the
field stands," he said.
"I don't think Tiger or
I will approach tomorrow as match play. If you look on the board,
there are some guys behind that are incredible players."
Mickelson's 3-under-par
69 round showed him at his best and worst.
Always creative with his
shot-making, Mickelson made a sterling birdie on the third hole,
nailing his approach to within a foot and a half, and then fashioned
an incredible par save at 5 hitting between two trees after a wayward
tee shot. He birdied 17 with a 15-foot putt and did it again on
18 with a tricky downhill 10-footer.
But in between, Mickelson
three-putted from six feet on number eight and produced a double
bogey at 14 after being on the green in two. He attempted to flop
a wedge shot off of the putting surface, but ended up leaving it
short and then three-putting for a six.
"I felt like the shot I
played was not an unintelligent shot," Mickelson said of his unusual
decision to chip off the green rather than putt from 30 feet.
Mickelson has come extremely
close to breaking through in the majors, most notably at the 1999
U.S. Open at Pinehurst when he finished second by a stroke to the
late Payne Stewart after a scintillating final-round duel.
The left-hander said he
is convinced that the nervousness and anxiety that has cost him
victory in his previous attempts to win a major will not be present
this time.
"I'm not overly anxious
the way I have been in years past, heading into tomorrow," he said.
Even though Woods has won
three consecutive majors -- the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA
Championship -- Mickelson said he was not intimidated.
"I have been able to go
head-to-head with him and come out on top a few times. I do have
confidence that I can prevail tomorrow," he said.
"I came here with the sole
intention of winning, just like everybody else," Mickelson said.
"But I feel like this is the best opportunity for me to finally
do that."
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