It seems like ages ago since I wrote an article about Phil Mickelson for The Sand Trap but all my comments remain vaild and contemporary. All except that Phil now lays claim to two additional major championships! I guess hard work still pays off!

People like Tim McDonald who consider the Masters “boring” were probably not watching the entire tournament. Blink a few times and you can miss some great golf. Of course there are going to be golfers that fall by the wayside but that is where the excitement enters and “snoozing” subsides.

And I do not agree that “nobody did much of anything". Tiger Woods recovered gracefully and with aplomb, but Tiger can’t win every tournament. Now THAT would be boring. Excitement comes in the form of great play, extraordinary putting and sweat-filled moments like when Rocco Mediate scored that “ten” on the par-3, 12th hole (Golden Bell) with several “splashes". Or how about that greenside bunker shot at eighteen for birdie which brought Tim Clark back from the brink of obscurity to claim solo second place?

Mickelson claimed his second green jacket because he refused to blow up under the pressure of the other golfers in the field. A round of 69 is not a “gimme". In the game of golf where mistakes are part of the game it’s the person that makes the least number of them that puts a checkmark in the “win” column…not just at Augusta National.

The cameraderie in the final round between Fred Couples and Mickelson were some of the most precious moments visible this weekend. Watching Phil’s kids charge out at him right after his victory is also right up there as a “top-ten” moment!

So sorry you’re not a Phil Mickelson fan, Tim, but I believe you’re missing the entire point behind the Masters.

– Stacy Solomon