The pairing Patrons everywhere had longed to see between World No. 1 and 2 ranked players Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, turned into a heavyweight prize fight Sunday during the fourth round of the 2009 Masters Tournament.

While both men produced plenty of thrills, including a record-tying 30 on the first nine by Mickelson, neither gained the Masters victory they wanted so desperately.

Mickelson defeated Woods by a single shot, 67-68, but neither was in the final mix for victory. Mickelson finished fifth while Woods tied for sixth.

But they gave Patrons a final 18 holes they will not soon forget.

“I thought if I could shot under par on the back nine I had a chance to win,” Mickelson said. “I was 10 under at the turn and thought I had a chance to get it to 13 or 14 under, but it didn’t happen.”

A watery double bogey on the dangerous par 3 12th hole did in Mickelson’s chances as did a short eagle putt he missed on the par 5 15th hole.

Woods, who trailed Mickelson by four shots on the first nine, eventually caught up with an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole and birdies on 13 and 15.

But Woods disappointingly fell back with bogeys on 17 and 18 when errant tee shots led to trouble.

“It was just terrible. I don’t know what was going on. It was very frustrating,” Woods said.

“When I birdied 16 (to go to 10 under and catch Mickelson) I thought I was right there.”

Electric was the word used when the twosome squared off for their first-ever final round pairing at the Masters, at 1:30 p.m.

Patrons lined the first tee 30 deep to see the players who have won six Masters as titles, four by Woods and two by Mickelson.

It was the World No. 2 Mickelson who entered the tee first, chatting with his caddy Jim MacKay.

MacKay shook hands with Woods and then Williams, followed by Mickelson’s similar greetings.

After that the players were down to business and rarely spoke with each other.

Mickelson birdied six of his first eight holes, using a sharp short game to run up under-par numbers.

The best example of that came on the par-4 fifth hole where Mickelson found the left rough, but hooked his ball on the green for a tap-in for birdie.

“It’s always fun to play with Tiger and play in that atmosphere,” Mickelson said. “Usually I come out on the short end of those battles, but I was glad to come out on front today.”

Woods, who birdied the second hole, made his big move with his eagle on the par 5 eighth hole.

Mickelson held a three-shot lead on his rival, but the momentum swung on the par 3 12th.

Coming to the heart of Amen Corner, Patrons were lined up around the tee.

Mickelson pulled his tee shot to the left, saw it hit the bank and roll back into Rae’s Creek. Under penalty he dropped and played onto the green, but missed his putt for bogey and made five.

“I hit so many good iron shots today, I can’t believe I hit that one so bad,” he said.

Woods continued a steady path with birdies on 13, 15 and 16, where he knocked his tee shot to five feet of the hole location.

He found tree trouble and both the 17th and 18th holes and finished with two bogeys.

“We were just going about our own business. Phil was obviously playing well, but I was just trying to post an 11-under, shoot 65 today. Obviously I didn’t do it,” Woods said.
But both golfers did put on a Masters final round show that won’t be forgotten.