Golf: Phil fulfill's Payne's promise

One of golf's greatest championships is his.

The monkey is gone.

Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999 is a distant memory... or perhaps a re-emerging one.

Five years ago, Phil Mickelson lost the U.S. Open by one shot to Payne Stewart who had to par the final hole by getting up and down from 80 yards to win. Then Stewart's playing partner, Mickelson graciously hugged an emotional Stewart after Stewart drained the 12 foot par put on 18.

What Stewart said next would turn out to be more prophetic than anyone at the time could have guessed. Stewart told the distraught Mickelson that he would win one (a major) one day, but a child was on the way at the time-Phil's first-and that would be the greatest thing in Phil's life.

Five years have passed since that glorious day of golf only to witness the death of one of those players and the major triumph of another. When Phil Mickelson drained an 18 foot birdie putt to win the Master's Sunday, he became just the fourth player in Augusta history to win the Master's on the 72nd hole with a birdie. Much could be said about the incredible battle that Els and Mickelson staged on the back 9 at Augusta on Sunday, but in the end it all came down to one putt on the final green by the tournaments last golfer.

Mickelson had one thing Els didn't on Sunday afternoon: Payne Stewart.

Mickelson's putt on 18 however, was anything but a make able birdie. A treacherous down hill right to left putt stood between Mickelson and his first major. As Mickelson said following the round, he hit the putt like he would a six-footer because the greens were so fast.

As the putt drifted towards the whole and the gallery held its breath, the golfing god's looked on. Much like Payne Stewart's putt on 18 at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999, Mickelson's putt looked to being going left at the hole only to be forced into a playoff.

Then something happened. Mickelson's ball, as it was leaving the hole on the left side, was thrown back in. This was Mickelson's time, Mickelson's tournament.

Payne Stewart looked on as he guided the ball safely into the hole on 18 Sunday, avoiding another letdown in a possible playoff with Ernie Els.

On Mickelson's 47th major appearance, the title of best player never to win a major was lifted off of his shoulders.

It was hard Sunday afternoon not to see Payne Stewart smiling down on the man whom he beat before Stewart's tragic plane crash ended a prolific golfing career.

As Stewart said in 1999 on Sunday at the U.S. Open, "you will win a major someday." You couldn't help but see Stewart's hand in the final putt on 18 Sunday, yanking it out of a possible playoff and into golfing immortality.