AUGUSTA, Ga. — He tried to talk him out of the shot, just as he had tried to talk

him out of so many others. He reminded him of the pitch he nearly holed at No. 15 the day

before. He informed him that the bogey K.J. Choi just made eliminated the need for heroics.

But Jim "Bones" Mackay might as well have been talking to one of the trees his player was

about to thread his next shot between. Because when Phil Mickelson makes up his mind, there's

nothing that's going to sway him.

In his hands Mickelson held a 6-iron. The pin on the 13th green sat 207 yards away. The

ball and, more worrisome, his feet were planted on pine straw. The gap between the two

staggered trees in front of him was all of 2 feet. Oh, yeah, and the result of this shot could

very well determine Mickelson's chances of winning his third green jacket, of earning a

victory steeped in emotional and familial significance.

"I tried to talk him into laying it up and he said, "no,' " Mackay said. "Then we found out

that Choi made 6 and I went at it again with him. I tried it again, and he said, "definitely

no.' And all he basically said is, "Listen, there's an opening in the trees and it's a 6-iron.

All I have to do is execute. It's not like I have to hit a big hook or a big cut. All I got to

do is hit a 6-iron onto a big old green.' So, fair enough, I got out of the way and you guys

saw what he did."

Mackay went on to admit the conversation wasn't quite that simple. He worked his player

hard hoping he would relent. Birds were flying all over the place at Augusta National. This

was no time to do something rash, to make one of those impetuous decisions for which Mickelson

is noted, sometimes for better, too often for worse.

"You want to make your point without over-making your point, you know what I mean?" Mackay

said. "So I said, "Hey, that sure was a great pitch shot you hit on 15 from 87 yards

[Saturday]. What a great, shot, man, it almost went in."

Undeterred, Lefty responded, "I'm going for it."

The result was mind-boggling. The ball settled 4 feet from the pin, prompting Mickelson to

raise his club with his right hand and pump his fist with his left. In the end it made no

difference that he over-read the putt and failed to convert his third eagle of the tournament

at 13. All that mattered was the shot found its mark, that the birdie upheld his two-stroke

lead and that his confidence was soaring off the charts.

There was little on the form to like about Mickelson heading into the week. He hasn't

played particularly well this season. He's been driving the ball long and longer and all over

creation. There was nothing to suggest he'd put it all together and win his first major since

the 2006 Masters. Nothing until his family showed up at the course.

These last 11 months have been hell for the Mickelsons. Phil's wife, Amy, was diagnosed

with breast cancer 11 months ago, his mother shortly thereafter. Amy and the kids hadn't

attended a tournament since the life-altering discovery. Phil said during Tuesday's

pre-tournament news conference that he wasn't sure if they'd be here at all this week.

Amy and the kids arrived for Wednesday's Par-3 Contest, a casual event where the kids mix

with their player-father, and an outing from which Mickelson annually derives profound joy.

Maybe that's what made the difference this week. Maybe that's what made him take to Augusta

National with a fierce determination that Mackay hadn't seen in awhile.

"I was thinking about this a lot this weekend," Mackay said. "I really think the biggest

reason why he won this golf tournament was because of how aggressively he played. He played

incredibly aggressive all week. You could certainly make the argument a couple of times over

the years a couple things haven't worked out for him when he's played aggressively.

"But he would not have won this tournament if he had not done some of the things he did

— tried to hit the 7-iron up on that back ridge on 13 [Saturday] which in a sense, as

good as he was doing, turned his whole tournament around. That eagle on 13 [Saturday] gave him

so much momentum. It's a pin that you can't really get to. He makes eagle there, the ball goes

in on 14 and then in a sense you're a little bit feeling, "gosh, could this be our week.' "

Mickelson's third green jacket and fourth major championship was assured when he hit his

approach to 6 feet on 18 with Lee Westwood two strokes in arrears. A resounding cheer erupted

greenside when the ball stopped almost on line with the shadow of the flagstick. And the

boisterous salute resumed as Lefty made his way to the green as Westwood lagged behind, ceding

the spotlight in a classy gesture.

Mackay stood off on the side as Mickelson lined up his putt, a towel covering his face. He

had refused to look behind the green, knowing full well who he might see, how he'd lose it

right there if he caught a glimpse of Amy.

"I really didn't want to look up because I knew I was going to get choked up if I saw her,"

Mackay said. "I looked up after Lee's birdie putt slipped past and saw her and I was a bit of

a puddle then. But it was great to see her there."

There's a profound irony in the way this Masters played out. With one of the Tour's

ultimate family men wresting the spotlight from Tiger Woods, the game's beleaguered star. With

Amy attending her first tournament in 11 months and Phil's mother, Mary, standing right behind

her.

"He's like everybody here," Mackay said. "He loves his spouse. He loves his kids. The

family unit's there, you know what I mean? He's going to the coffee shop and playing chess in

the morning with Sophia. And that's what families do."

He kept staring upward as he spoke, still fighting for his composure.

"I was a bit of a mess there at the end," he said. "It was an incredible week, obviously. I

got to think down the road this win, for me at least, will mean way more than any other

victory he's had."