On This Day in Sports: April 11, 2004
On April 11, 2004, Phil Mickelson rolled an 18-foot birdie putt into the cup on Augusta National’s final green and won the Masters by one stroke. The victory ended years of scrutiny over whether one of golf’s most talented and popular players would ever claim a major championship. His leap of celebration became an instant image of relief as much as triumph.
Mickelson began the final round in a crowded chase and surged on the back nine. He birdied five of the last seven holes, repeatedly answering the pressure created by Ernie Els, who had already finished at eight under par. Mickelson reached the 18th needing birdie to win outright, struck his approach close enough to attack, then watched the putt curl into the left side.
The closing 69 gave him a nine-under total of 279. It was his first major title after 46 previous starts without one, a record that had increasingly shaped coverage of his career. The green jacket changed that narrative immediately. It also rewarded the aggressive imagination and short-game creativity that had made him a fan favorite even before the breakthrough.
Mickelson returned to win the Masters twice more and built a career containing six major championships. The first remains uniquely resonant because it released years of accumulated expectation in a single roll. Augusta supplied the stage, Els supplied the pressure and Mickelson supplied the finish, turning the final green into a scene of pure, unmistakable arrival.
Mickelson won by one stroke over Ernie Els.
He shot a final-round 69.
His winning total was nine under par.
He birdied five of the last seven holes.
The 18-foot putt dropped on the final green.
It was his first major in 47 career starts.
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