Why the 15th at Augusta Was the Key to Mickelson's Victories in the Masters

From 1991 to 2023, Mickelson had a lot of success on the 15^th hole with 22 birdies and 15 pars, but it was the two bogeys and two double bogeys that crashed his chances, but the double bogey in 1999 was maybe the costliest, in regard to winning for the first time.

After making a double bogey on the 15^th in the first round in 99, Mickelson would bogey two of the last three holes.

Ultimately, Mickelson would finish T6 at 3-under-par, five shots behind Olazabal.

Losing the four shots at the end of the first-round cost Mickelson, and it was all built around the double on the 15^th.

“I would always press the issue, and I'd make 6, 7 a number of times trying to make a 4, and when I finally accepted a five on that hole and tried to win it elsewhere, that's when I seemed to finally break through,” Mickelson said. “In fact, in ’04, I shot 31 the back nine to win by one, and I did not birdie 15; I made a par. “

Mickelson was correct, but he didn’t say that he made four consecutive pars on the 15^th in 2024 for the first time in his Masters career to win his first green jacket.

“That was the hole that I felt like being more patient and taking a different strategy and not pushing the issue,” Mickelson said of the 15^th. “Allowed me to ultimately take advantage of the other holes to win.”