AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters has been very good to Phil Mickelson. He’s won three times, finished third five times, and in 21 starts has missed just one cut. Adding a fourth green jacket this week would hardly be a surprise.
As it’s currently configured, Augusta National also gives Mickelson something else: A 40-yard stretch that he doesn’t even bother thinking about, because he never needs to.
Let him explain.
“For the past six or seven years I’ve played this tournament, I have not had a shot between 90 and 130 yards,” he said. “Think about that. I have not ever had a shot between 90 and 130 yards. I have a 40-yard gap there.
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“I take out my sand wedge and gap wedge because I don’t ever need them, and it allows me to put in two special clubs. That’s why I’m always working on something.”
He’s done it before, one year using two drivers: one he could comfortably fade, the other when a draw was required. He’s also been pretty clever at the Masters when faced with a gap; he famously sent his second shot to the 13th hole through a tiny opening between two trees, the highlight shot from his most recent win here, in 2010.
Mickelson said one of his extra clubs this week will be a 64-degree wedge, which might come in handy around these difficult greens. He’s not sure yet about the other.
“It’s just kind of one of those unique things, when the course got redesigned — I’ve never really talked about it, I don’t know why I am now — the holes that we used to hit sand wedge, gap wedge in, No. 1, No. 9, sometimes 14, sometimes 17, you just can’t now.
“I’m not going to play with 13 clubs, but I don’t know what that 14th club is going to be. I’ll throw one in, the sand or gap wedge in, just out of default, but I don’t ever use them here.”
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Amateur perks up
Quite a lot has happened to Matthew Fitzpatrick since he left The Country Club in Brookline last August with the US Amateur trophy. He went back home to England, returned to the US as part of the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team, enrolled as a freshman at Northwestern, then withdrew after the first semester so he could focus on golf.
Now he’s playing in the Masters, one of the perks that comes with being the US Amateur champion. Getting a Tuesday practice round with Rory McIlroy was an added bonus for Fitzpatrick, who missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“Main thing he said to me was make sure you enjoy it,” said Fitzpatrick. “He said it’s tough not to get too caught up in everything, but you’ve just got to sort of look around and put things in perspective, see where you actually are, and just enjoy your time, because for me, this is sort of the way I’m looking at it.
“Could be once in a lifetime, so got to enjoy it while I can.”
He’ll have other opportunities this year on the PGA Tour. He accepted a sponsor’s invitation next week in Hilton Head, S.C., and the Memorial Tournament typically invites the reigning US Amateur champion. He also has guaranteed spots in the US Open and British Open, assuming he doesn’t turn professional.
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Fitzpatrick isn’t sure what his future plans are.
“I’ll see how this year goes,” he said. “I’ve not really got any plans to turn pro soon. Could be after this week, could be two weeks, could be three, could be after the [British] Open.
“I’ve not got a specific plan. It could just come randomly and it might not be until next year. I’m mainly seeing how I play this year and how I perform against these guys.”
Prestigious pairings
McIlroy got in a good zinger at Patrick Reed’s expense. McIlroy was in the middle of his press conference when the pairings for the first two rounds were released. He’s playing with Reed and Jordan Spieth.
At 24, and with five Masters starts under his belt, McIlroy will be the veteran in that group. Reed, 23, and the 20-year-old Spieth are making their debuts.
“Yeah, there’s going to be no top-five players in that group,” McIlroy said.
Laughter followed, because Reed, after winning at Doral in March, said he considered himself a top-five player. To be accurate, McIlroy is ninth in this week’s world rankings, while Spieth is 13th and Reed 23d. The group is off Thursday at 10:52 a.m.
Other marquee groups include Mickelson-Ernie Els-Justin Rose in a 1:48 p.m. Thursday pairing that features the reigning US Open champion (Rose) and the last two British Open winners; Henrik Stenson-Jason Day-Dustin Johnson — ranked Nos. 3, 4, and 11 — off Thursday at 1:04 p.m.; and the traditional pairing of the reigning Masters champ (Adam Scott) with the US Amateur winner (Fitzpatrick) and the PGA champion (Jason Dufner) on Thursday at 10:41 a.m.
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Putt for dough
Mickelson played his typical money match Tuesday, partnering with Rickie Fowler — who shot 30 on the front nine — against Johnson and Dufner. But it was a fan who got into Mickelson’s wallet. With Mickelson facing a chip from behind the green at the par-3 sixth hole, a mouthy spectator bet Mickelson $1 that he wouldn’t be able to get it up-and-down. He chipped to 7 feet, but then missed the putt. Mickelson was asked if he carries small bills so he could properly pay up. “I had to get a $5 from a caddie,” he said . . . Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, made a hole-in-one on No. 16 during his Tuesday practice round. It was on his second attempt from the tee, though.