MICKELSON’S DAY

One shot. Phil Mickelson insisted on Sunday that he was pleased with one swing his entire week.

“Seven-iron on 17, which went exactly as I had wanted to,” Mickelson said.

The San Diegan made birdie on the hole from 5 feet on Sunday, part of his best round — a 5-under-par 67.

It was hardly consolation for the 47-year-old who entered the tournament with high expectations and was disappointed by finishing 2-over.

“I’ve been very consistent this year, especially off the tee, and then last week and this week I’ve hit some really big misses, which I haven't been doing this year,” Mickelson said. “… I’ll have to get that worked out.”

As wide as Augusta’s fairways are, Mickelson found only half of them, while the field hit 65 percent.

Mickelson hadn’t closed with a score as low as 67 since he won with a fourth-round 67 in 2010. It was a vastly different feeling this time as he teed off four hours, 10 minutes before the final group.

“It’s difficult,” Mickelson said, “because you know what you’re missing out on and you know what special things happen on the back nine, how fun it is to be part of it, to be in the mix.”