Even now that Phil Mickelson’s closet has held a green jacket for almost a year, people have trouble seeing the real Lefty. Instead of recognizing that Mickelson’s had his one shinning moment, a once-in-a-lifetime experience when everything came together for a good guy who deserved it, they project future majors dominance.

Mickelson will forever be the romantic pick and seldom the realistic one. Phil repeating at Augusta? That would be the equivalent of the Red Sox winning the World Series again this year (even Stephen King would laugh at that one) or Villanova toppling that Patrick Ewing Georgetown team on back-to-back nights. Lightning just doesn’t strike twice in the same spot.

Mickelson’s game isn’t fluky, but the resolve he showed on the back nine of that championship Sunday was. Anyone who thinks he can pull that off again just hasn’t been watching closely since last April. Mickelson’s settled back into his familiar routine: dominant in the run-of-the-mill tournaments, literally coming up short when faced with magnified pressure (see Shinnecock, that Tiger matchup at Doral, etc…)

For more on why Phil has no shot, check out the intro to the WorldGolf.com newsletter tomorrow.

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