Our 5 Favourite Years of The Masters Tournament

By Quantum, March 28

3. 20044 of 7

The 2004 Masters

The 2004 tournament was a Masters week that had everything – high quality golf, back to back aces on 16, an outstanding Sunday and the crowning of a first-time Major Champion in the ever popular Phil Mickelson.

Heading into the 2004 Masters Mickelson had enjoyed a glittering golf career with one notable exception – he had never won a major championship. After eight top-three finishes in major championships he was cursed with the ‘best player without a major’ tag and some were starting wonder if he’d ever win one.

In early April in 2004 Mickelson had his best chance yet as he held a share of the 54-hole lead heading into Sunday. However, Mickelson didn’t quite start in the way in which he had hoped. He went out in 2-over-par 38, and when he arrived at Amen Corner, he was three behind in form Ernie Els who had made two eagles in a six-hole stretch.

At this point it looked as if the chance of his first major title was fading but Mickelson stepped up and became a champion that day. Mickelson birdied 12, 13 and 14 to get to within one of Els, and then made a 15-footer for birdie on 16 to tie for the lead.

Two holes later, Mickelson faced a slightly longer downhill 20-footer for birdie, this time for the win. The man who had come so close so often now had the golden opportunity to rid himself of the dreaded ‘best player without a major’ tag and join golf’s elite.

The putt rolled tantalisingly along the left edge of the cup and then finally curled in for birdie and the win. Mickelson’s reaction was a mixture of ecstasy and relief and marked the crowning of possibly the most popular winner at Augusta since Nicklaus in 1986.

Image credit to Today’s Golfer.