Finally, it’s Phil

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The major weight on Phil Mickelson’s shoulders now reads 43-long.

The golf world always figured Mickelson eventually would win a major. But nobody could have predicted he would play the hero’s role in one of the game’s all-time grandest productions.

Concluding a back-nine duel for the ages, Lefty righted his resume with one brilliant 72nd-hole lightning bolt at Augusta National yesterday, rattling home a sliding, 20-foot birdie putt to clinch the 68th Masters and his long-awaited first major by one stroke over Ernie Els.

“It’s just a little surreal. I just can’t believe that it’s finally happened,” said Mickelson, finally a member of golf’s most exclusive club after a decade of near-miss miseries. “To shoot 31 on the back nine to win by one shot is something I’ll look back on forever. I’ll remember this day forever.”

So will the rest of the golf world.

Mickelson, who finished at 9 under (279), didn’t blow out the field at Augusta National. And he didn’t fall backward into his first major title. Nope, all Lefty did yesterday was swap shots with the most daunting player of his generation not named Tiger and rip the green jacket from his grasp on the final hole of the most prestigious layout on the planet.

“I played as good as I could. What more could I do, you know?” asked Els, the three-time major champion still seemingly shocked by Mickelson’s relentless pursuit. “Phil just beat me. That’s how it goes. He made some great shots coming down the stretch, and he deserved this one. … Man, that was some good golf.”

How good? After struggling around the front nine in 38 strokes, Mickelson closed with a 31 on the most famous loop in golf. That brilliance was just one stroke shy of the record-setting back-nine performances by winners Gary Player (1978) and Jack Nicklaus (1986). But Player and Nicklaus forged their charges against primarily fading fields. Mickelson’s run came with Els burning up the layout in front of him.

On virtually any other day, Els’ final-round 67, which included two eagles (Nos. 8 and 13) and a back-nine 33, would have been enough to put him one PGA from a career Grand Slam. But this was hardly a typical major Sunday, even by the lofty standards associated with Bobby Jones’ 7,290-yard, par-72 dramachine. This was a special Sunday.

“I don’t think any Masters will ever compare to the ’86 Masters, but for me, this one does,” said Mickelson, referring to Nicklaus’ legendary charge to victory at the age of 46.

Though yesterday’s subjects might not compare to the Golden Bear, their golf certainly did.

The opening blow in the eventual Mickelson/Els duel was struck by the sweet-swinging South African on No. 8. The 34-year-old Els laced a 3-iron from 223 yards onto the front edge of the green and sounded his charge by coasting home the resulting 6-foot eagle putt to surge to 5 under. The salvo gave Els a one-stroke edge on Mickelson, who was struggling two pairings behind at 2 over on the day.

From that point on, both men played bogey-free golf, attacking the slippery, tarmac-hard layout with a sublime series of birdie strikes and spectacular par saves. At the 13th, Els dropped another point-blank eagle putt to reach 7 under. And when Mickelson answered the unmistakable Els’ roar with a birdie of his own at the treacherous 12th, the two-man battle was officially joined.

Els surged to 8 under with an up-and-down birdie at the par-5 15th, but Mickelson responded with kick-away birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 to stay within striking distance at 7 under. And when Els cooled with pars over the closing trio, Lefty kept coming, running home a 16-footer for birdie at No.16 to draw even and reaching the last thinking victory.

“I kept telling myself it was going to be my day,” said Mickelson, who now has 23 career PGA Tour victories. “I really wasn’t that anxious out there. … I just had a different feeling playing this week. I just had a deep belief that I was going to come through this week.”

Given his history of frustrations, perhaps Mickelson’s confidence seemed misplaced. But after an intense offseason of training with swing coach Rick Smith and short game guru Dave Pelz, a new-look Lefty exploded on tour this season focused on accuracy off the tee, patience, course-management and attitude.

And if the pressure produced some cracks in his early round ball-striking yesterday, it never managed to stifle his smile or curb his confidence. With the 68th Masters in the balance and most patrons thinking playoff, Mickelson pulverized a 3-wood more than 300 yards, uphill off the 18th tee. And with everyone wondering whether the “Old” Mickelson would author another painful chapter in the event’s history of final-hole approach flops (see Norman in 1986), Mickelson selected an 8-iron from 162 yards out and calmly whistled it right over the flag.

Then it was time for Mickelson finally to put an end to his major quest with the club that had betrayed him so often in the clutch. In his two closest brushes at the majors (the 1999 U.S. Open and 2001 PGA), Mickelson watched Payne Stewart and David Toms, respectively, hole midrange putts at the last to clip him by one. This time it was his turn. With an assist from playing partner Chris DiMarco, who showed him the line seconds before, Mickelson slew his major demon with one final stroke.

“I still can’t believe that putt held on and caught the lip,” said Mickelson, whose putt broke six inches from right to left down the slope, hit the lip and rattled home. “The most difficult part of this 10-year journey has been dealing with, I don’t want to say failure, but losses. … But the fact that it did take me so long and I did have to struggle with it so hard makes it that much sweeter.”