Phil Mickelson was just a kid when Jack Nicklaus defied all odds to win his sixth Masters title.
The then 15-year-old taped the final round and almost wore out the video-tape watching and re-watching Nicklaus’ heroics over Augusta’ closing holes.
The year, of course, was 1986 and many believed Nicklaus, aged 46, was too old and well past his best to be a contender. Atlanta Journal Constitution Journal golf writer Tom McCollister went as far to say so in his back page lead story on the eve of the tournament. Nicklaus clipped the story out of the paper and taped it to his locker, using it as inspiration for the week.
It is now legend that The Golden Bear roared home in 30 strokes on Sunday afternoon, leaving Tom Kite, Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros in his wake, to become the oldest ever winner of the Masters … adding another chapter to the story of the greatest golfer who ever lived.
“It was just incredible,” Mickelson recalled. “It was one of the greatest moments in the history of the game.”
Tomorrow, that once gob smacked teenager will start his 25th Masters looking to add his green jackets won in 2004, 2006 and 2010. If he does win a fourth, the now 46-year-old will surpass Nicklaus’ age record by nearly five months. Breaking that record, however, is something Mickelson hasn’t even thought about. He just wants to win.
And unlike Nicklaus in ’86, there aren’t too many so-called experts willing to right him off.
“I don't think much about age right now,” Mickelson said.
“I think that guys' careers are being extended a lot longer because of the way fitness has taken over. And it's not like I'm a pillar of fitness, but I spend a decent enough time to be able to physically perform and practice and play the way I'd like to play.
“You look at guys like Bernhard Langer who was in the second to last group last year, I don't feel as though age is as big a factor as it was decades ago. I feel like the generation that are playing the game now are going to have elongated careers due to fitness.” – Phil Mickelson
Mickelson has been working hard on his game and body after some off-season surgeries. He has trimmed right down and will tee it up on Thursday morning lighter than when he won the Masters for the first time 13 years ago. He attributes much of his ability to recover after rounds and tournaments, as well as his smaller waist size to cutting back on sugar.
“For recovery and to get rid of inflammation, I've had to reduce or stop any type of sugar intake, like 95 percent of it,” he said. “It causes so much inflammation in my body and I'm not able to recover. Any type of processed sugar is just a catastrophe for me to eat … still do though, at times (laughs).
“I hadn't played at the level I expected to for a few years. It wasn't until last year, kind of middle of last year around the British Open and so forth that I really started to get my game back to where I wanted.
“Unfortunately I had a couple surgeries in the off‑season and I feel as though my season is just really starting to take off in the sense that I'm able to do the stuff in the gym I want to do; I'm able to recover a lot quicker and practice the way I want to.
“My recovery is what I require more of, relative to the younger guys, relative to my own self ten, 15 years ago. That's something I have to be more cognitive of these days. I need to make sure I don't overdo my off‑course activities the week of a tournament, so that I'm able to remain mentally and physically focused and sharp the week of. And that's changing some of my plans and scheduling to make sure that I do it in the off‑weeks rather than doing stuff on weeks that I'm competing.”
Mickelson, who made his Masters debut as an amateur in 1991, recognises he doesn’t have too many more opportunities to add to his five major championships but sees Augusta as one place where he can certainly compete with the younger players.
“I do expect to play well and to compete here and come out on top more so than any golf course because of the opportunity to recover and utilise my short game to salvage pars when I do hit a few wayward shots, which I've been known to do,” he smiled.
“Also, this course doesn't overly penalise you. I love playing this course because I can bring any handicap golfer out here. They can always find their ball. They can always advance it up to the green. They can always putt it onto the green. And because of the severe slopes and contours and length to the back tee, it's very difficult for a player like me to shoot low.
“So it's just a definition of what a great golf course should be and this course allows me the opportunity to not be perfect and still shoot a good number and compete, which is why I expect to do well here every year.”
If there is one man in the field who is hoping the weather forecast of high winds comes true it is Mickelson.
“The wind is supposed to be up, and if that is the case, the wind could take balls, swirl around the trees, come up well short or long. And if you put it in the wrong spot, you'll end up making bogeys and doubles,” the left-hander said.
“Like any round out here, you've got to be strategic when you go after it and the spots you try to hit to make birdies. There are probably seven or eight good birdie opportunities out there and there are nine or ten holes you're just fighting for par.”
Mickelson would know. He’s played 90 tournament rounds at Augusta, has a scoring average of 71.19 and has had more sub-par Masters rounds than you will have roast dinners in the next 12 months. If experience counts for anything, Nicklaus’ record could be on its last legs.
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