European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 8, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 46 stars and stripes sunday april 8 2007 Mickelson answers questions with bogey clutch Chip helps lefty make Cut gives him Chance on the weekend Augusta a Phil Mickelson opened de sense of his masters title by crashing his tee shot off a tree As omens go if s hard to come up with something More fitting Mickelson season has been about bouncing Back about prov ing that Hes the confident com plete golfer we watched Don a Sec Ond Green jacket exactly a year ago instead of the skittish scatter brained player who threw away the us open just two months later theres no Way to be sure which he is yet since Mickelson second round at Augusta National flashed glimpses of both after an opening round 76 Fri Days Start want promising and the finish a 73 that left Mickel son trailing the leaders by seven Only a Little better but theres a question it could have been worse wrestling with a Balky Driver Mickelson hit Only three fairways and played the front nine in 2over 38 the moment of truth not just for this masters but perhaps for his whole season and beyond arrived at no 11 where his tee shot executed a Clumsy nosedive into the Trees on the left Side by the time Mickelson arrived at his Ball a few paces into the Woods he might just As Well have asked Caddie Bones Mackay to consult a flight schedule instead of his yardage Book he was Al ready 6 Over for the tournament and perilously close to the Cut line Mickelson can be a magician at manufacturing shots and the temptation to do so has always been As much a curse As a bless ing his first attempt at an escape clattered off some Trees bounced Back and rattled around behind him those echoes sounded ominously familiar recalling the Days when Miekelson routinely chose the toughest path out of a Jam because the Ball came to rest on some cables he got a drop and undaunted played another of his  cards this one popped out and trick led Down the Fairway to about 100 Yards from the pin from there t he coolly dropped a wedge within 6 feet and rolled that in for a world class bogey when i was in the Trees there at 11 it looked like i could be packing my bags and missing the Cut he recalled i was Able to Salvage a 5 somehow out of there f then birdied both par5s coming in if All you saw of the second round was Mickelson playing no 11 what he said soon afterwards would have come As no Surprise otherwise it sounded like just so much bravado i think anybody who made the Cut actually has a realistic Chance to win with the wind blowing the next two Days like its supposed to i think overpay is going to win if you made the Cut and shoot in the 60s he added youre right Back in it Jim like Mickelson has won Al ready once this season but Hes also missed a Cut bombed out of the matchplay tournament in the second round and finished no bet Ter than tied for 17th in five other events Hes a Good 20 pounds lighter than he was at the end of last sea son one of several changes after his meltdown at winged foot but it want until he teed it up Here that you could measure whether he had shed the psychic baggage earlier this week Mickelson said As much by pointing out that no matter How poorly his season starts he always played Well at Augusta and the numbers backed him up he Hast been out of the top 10 since 1998 break ing an ofor42 Streak in the majors with a Victory Here in 200c and himself Back in the Drivers seat As Tiger Woods main rival by winning again last year the us open changed All that and Woods then proceeded to win six straight times on the pea tour including the British open and the pea championship while Mickelson want a contender anywhere Mickelson practically waved the White Flag in a Magazine inter View last month and he repeated the surrender theme when he sat Down Here tuesday if i have a great rest of my Ca reer and i go out and win 20 More tournaments and win seven More majors to get to 50 wins and 10 would be an Awe some career i still wont get to where Hes at today Mickelson said so i dont try to compare my self against him what id like to do is try to win As Many tournaments and As i can and with him in the Field it just gives it More credibility whatever it is i am Able to accomplish but heres the funny thing the same Tiger who practically taken up residence inside Mickel sons head was in much the same predicament As Phil on Friday careening Over the Edge of the Cut line but Woods pulled himself Back from the Brink with a Gutsy backline 35 arid Mickelson was Tough enough to stay in tigers rear View Mirror Only two strokes further Back and just before he left lefty sounded like a Man with at least one More Bounce left in him look the first Day i drove it horrible and i putted horrible today i just drove it horrible and i putted pretty Good Tomor Row i just have to add the driving element he added and it should be pretty Good Jim Litke is a National sports columnist for the associated press write to him at Phil Mickelson spectacular save of a bogey from the Woods on no 11 was the key moment in his round on Friday Mickelson recorded two More birdies on the Back to not Only make the Cut but remain in Contention with Volvo cars military sales and stars and stripes if youve got passion for the game then play to win a season pass valued at More than at a military Golf course of your Choice in Europe enter our tee off with Volvo cars military sales and stars and stripes Golf contest beginning april 12 two Lucky winners will each receive a season pass to win find the stars and stripes Golf Ball hidden in your Hometown newspaper log onto  find our contest sink and let us know which Page the Ball is on one entry per d card in your april 12 for ail readers in Europe excluding april 19 for readers in Italy the directory features All on base european Golf course locations Coit qty  pricing stot injures and More