Phil Mickelson’s victory at the 2004 Masters is up there with the most memorable major championships of all time.
Another two that come to mind also happened at Augusta National: Tiger Woods’ return to glory in 2019 and Rory McIlroy completing the career Grand Slam in 2025.
But Mickelson’s surely takes the crown of the best winning moment. How could anyone forget what happened on the 72nd hole in 2004?
The Golfing Gazette looks back on Mickelson’s iconic performance, as well as why it should be held in even higher regard.
Everyone remembers Phil Mickelson’s 2004 Masters-winning birdie putt
Mickelson already had seven top threes at majors before the 2004 Masters, including three runner-up finishes.
So at 33 years of age, the pressure on him to finally get over the line was immense. And with a two-shot lead heading into the final round, expectations only grew.
Seemingly faltering under the pressure again, Mickelson played the front nine in 38 (+2) and therefore squandered his lead.
However, one stroke down with three holes to play, he produced a birdie on the 16th hole at Augusta to get back on level terms.
Mickelson then parred the 17th before hitting a perfect tee shot on 18. From 135 yards out, he was expected to stick his approach close, but the best he could do was 18 feet.
We all know what happened next. With one putt to win the Green Jacket and the first major of his career, Mickelson rolled it in.
His joyful leap with both arms outstretched resembled a basketball player more than a golfer, creating one of the best pictures in golfing history.
People forget Phil Mickelson’s clutch back nine to beat Ernie Els at 2004 Masters
What makes Mickelson’s 2004 Masters victory all the more impressive was the competition he had to overcome.
Past winners Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, and Bernhard Langer, and future champion Sergio Garcia all made the top 10, but another player challenged him most.
Indeed, the final round was predominantly a head-to-head battle between Mickelson and Ernie Els.
This might not seem particularly noteworthy at first, but how often do major championships get decided by a final-round showdown between two all-time greats? Almost never.
| Position | Player | Score | To Par |
| 1 | Phil Mickelson | 72-69-69-69=279 | −9 |
| 2 | Ernie Els | 70-72-71-67=280 | −8 |
| 3 | K. J. Choi | 71-70-72-69=282 | −6 |
| T4 | Sergio García | 72-72-75-66=285 | −3 |
| Bernhard Langer (c) | 71-73-69-72=285 | ||
| T6 | Paul Casey | 75-69-68-74=286 | −2 |
| Fred Couples (c) | 73-69-74-70=286 | ||
| Chris DiMarco | 69-73-68-76=286 | ||
| Davis Love III | 75-67-74-70=286 | ||
| Nick Price | 72-73-71-70=286 | ||
| Vijay Singh (c) | 75-73-69-69=286 | ||
| Kirk Triplett | 71-74-69-72=286 |
Els already had three major wins and was arguably the best golfer on the planet besides Tiger Woods, so it’s not like Mickelson had any sort of mental edge.
And Els immediately became the favorite when he assumed the lead on Sunday, but ‘Lefty’ was a man on a mission on the back nine at Augusta.
Mickelson played the final seven holes in five under par, including his incredible winning putt, to write his name into the history books.
Of course, golf fans recognize Mickelson’s greatness, but his 2004 Masters victory was possibly the most clutch performance ever and deserves far more recognition.