Third-round 79 derails Phil Mickelson’s Masters hopes

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Phil Mickelson walks with his wife, Amy, up the fairway on the eighth hole Saturday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club. Some early missed putts and a disaster on No. 15 sent the former champion to a round of 79. [Michael Madrid/USA TODAY Sports]

Amy Mickelson hurried to the No. 2 tee box shortly after her husband teed off. Phil embraced his bride, and shared how he parred the opening hole.

“Just got here,” Amy said. “I ran into Eli and his wife in the parking lot.”

“Eli or Peyton?” Phil asked.

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“Oh,” Amy said. “It was Peyton.”

Unfortunately for Team Mickelson, it wasn’t their only fumble Saturday. The three-time Masters champion had consecutive three-putts on Nos. 3 and 4, and made the turn in 40. Mickelson missed an 18-inch putt at No. 3 and three-putted from 15 feet a hole later.

As Amy walked up the 5th fairway, she said, “He just needs one. All it takes is one.”

Mickelson seemed to right the ship with birdies at Nos. 8 and 13, but his momentum vanished at the 15th. Phil’s drive landed in the right trees, where he remained after his second shot caught a limb and ricocheted backwards. Mickelson thinned his third, which blazed the fairway and into the front pond. He finished with triple bogey en route to a third round 79.

It tied Mickelson’s highest score in 28 Masters appearances. Phil recorded 79 during his second rounds in 2016 and 2018.