So close for Mickelson

Once again, Phil Mickelson is denied a major moment. Once again, he leaves his heart on the 18th green.

Only this time, the 31-year-old lefthander has nothing to hang his head about. Mickelson didn't lose the 83rd PGA Championship; David Toms won it.

"I feel confident in the way I'm able to play in these championships,'' said Mickelson. "I'm frustrated that I have not able to break through or play well enough to beat every player in the field.''

Mickelson's disappointment in the Big Four are well-documented. Seven times he has entered the final round within two strokes of the lead and has yet to win.

The latest brush came Sunday at steamy Atlanta Athletic Club, where Mickelson began the final round two shots behind Toms. Three times he caught him, but was never able to over take him.

The last occurred at the par-3 15th, a hole Toms aced Saturday. This time, Mickelson provided the heroics, sinking a 35-foot chip from the back fringe. Toms bogeyed to complete a two-shot swing.

"When I made the chip, I felt I had the momentum,'' Mickelson said.

Not for long. For the third time in four holes, Mickelson pulled his drive into the right trees at No. 16 but caught a great break, the ball bouncing back into the fairway. From there, he hit a hard 7-iron from 198 yards and wound up 45-feet short of the pin

Prior to putting, Mickelson heard several spectators say the putt was slow. As a result, he ran it eight-feet past the hole.

"It's disappointing I wasn't able to block it out,'' he said. "What was said kind of crept in and I gave it a little extra. It was a poor putt.''

When Mickelson missed the slick come-backer, he lost the lead for good.

"I had the honor and I had things going my way,'' said Mickelson.

As was the case in 1999 at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Mickelson strode to the 72nd hole trailing by one. In '99, the late Payne Stewart buried a 15-foot par putt to beat him by one. This, after hitting a poor drive and laying up.

Sunday, it was Toms.

Facing an awkward downhill stance from a hanging lie, he chose to play short of a fronting pond with a pitching wedge on the demanding 490-yard par-4. Then, Toms hit a sand wedge to 10 feet and exhaled when Mickelson's 25-foot downhill birdie attempt stopped two inches short of the hole.

"I was surprised,'' said Mickelson, who misjudged the speed of the green all week. "It just looks faster than it has been playing.''

Just as he expected with Stewart, Toms found the center of the hole.

"I had that same feeling as though David's putt was just going to go in without a doubt,'' the composed but shaken Mickelson said. "To his credit, it was a heck of a putt.''

What did he think of Tom's strategy?

"He made a great play, a very intelligent play,'' said Mickelson. "That was really his best option to make par.''

Coming into the season, Mickelson was convinced he would finally lose the tag of best player never to win a major. He made a renewed commitment to the game, lost 20 pounds and entered the tournament with two wins and 11 Top 10's on the PGA Tour.

"I know that the off-season is going to be long because I really felt like this was the year where my game was going to break through,'' he said. "I feel as though my scoring has been better than it ever has and all areas have been much improved.

"The thing that's disappointing was that I really believed that, had I won this week, I was going to win Player of the Year. I think that not winning pretty much kills my chances.''

Last April at the Masters, Mickelson played in the final group with Tiger Woods and shot 70, finishing third. At the PGA, he shoots 66-66-66-68--266 to post the second-lowest aggregate score in tournament history second only to Toms.

Officially, Mickelson is now 0-for-38 in majors with 14 Top 10's. For man who won the first of 19 Tour titles in 1991 as a amateur while attending Arizona State, the stat is tougher to chew than a 10 cent steak.

Some day, some way, Mickelson will find a way. He's too young and talented to go O-fer the rest of his life.

"I'm trying to win a bunch of them,'' Mickelson said. "What's frustrating is I can't win the first one.''

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