The Masters record Phil Mickelson was backed to take off Jack Nicklaus but it still hasn’t happened

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The Masters has played such an important role in Phil Mickelson’s career, with the 55-year-old winning at Augusta National on three occasions.

The 2004 Masters marked a pivotal moment for Phil Mickelson. He had spent much of the last decade as one of the best players on the planet, and had 22 PGA Tour victories under his belt.

However, that had not translated into success in the majors. So when he did manage to win at Augusta National 21 years ago, it was not entirely surprising that he then did not have to wait too long to win his second and third major titles.

Half of Mickelson’s major wins have come at The Masters, while he boasts 12 top-five finishes at the event. He has a total of 17 top-five finishes at the other three majors.

And it seems that there is reason to think he may not be done adding to his tally of six major wins.

Phil Mickelson backed to break Jack Nicklaus’ record at The Masters

Experience is so important at Augusta National. Fuzzy Zoeller remains the last player to win on their first visit to The Masters back in 1979.

One of the most iconic performances at Augusta National came in 1986 when Jack Nicklaus won at the age of 46. It made the Golden Bear the oldest winner of the event in its history – a record which stands to this day.

But perhaps a new record could soon be set. Speaking on the No Laying Up Podcast in 2018, Mickelson’s long-time caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay claimed that he was convinced that a fourth green jacket was on the cards.

“I’ve been saying for years now, Phil’s not done winning The Masters. He’s going to win another one. It was a big deal when Jack Nicklaus won The Masters at 46. But I think Phil will surpass that and is capable of winning that tournament in his 50s, and I seriously mean that,” he said.

How Phil Mickelson has performed at The Masters since Jim Mackay’s 2018 prediction

Of course, Mackay’s prediction has not proven to be as outlandish as it potentially sounded at the time.

Mickelson went on to finish tied for 36th at that year’s Masters, with Patrick Reed going on to win. But he would become the oldest major champion of all-time at the 2021 PGA Championship.

Mickelson missed the 2022 Masters due to the backlash over his prospective move to LIV Golf. But he returned the following year in some style by finishing tied for second.

You would imagine that Mackay would not be quite as confident if asked about those comments today. However, one thing all golf fans know is how dangerous it is to ever write Mickelson off.