AUGUSTA, Ga.—With one swing Saturday, all the duffers in the world had the proof they needed: Even one of the best golfers in the world can swing—and completely miss.
And unlike most of you: Phil Mickelson followed the rules and took a stroke on it.
Mickelson, a three-time champion here at the Masters, began his third round with a tee shot into the woods. Then he faced a grisly situation where he had to hit off the pine straw and alter his swing because of a nearby tree.
It’s the type of situation weekend warriors deal with regularly on the course and that Augusta National can create for the pros. Except when this happens to one of the best golfers in the world, they frequently prove capable of shots that the average golfer wouldn’t even think of attempting. Which is exactly what Mickelson, one of the most creative players in the sport, has excelled at throughout his career.
This time he swung. And missed.
The whiff led to a triple bogey—the start of another tough round for Mickelson, who entered the day just having barely made the cut at 5 over par and 14 strokes off the lead. He finished the day at 7 over, nowhere near the top of the leaderboard, assuring it will be a quiet Sunday for the 47-year-old.
“I hit the trunk on the down swing,” Mickelson said. “I’ve made a lot of triples lately.”
Everyone from fans to touts entered this year’s first major with high expectations for two aging superstars—Mickelson and Tiger Woods —whose seasons looked like they could be charting for a big win this weekend. Both solidified with their third-round performances that they won’t be in contention.
Woods, who has roared back to form this season faster than anybody imagined after years ruined by injury, made the cut at his first major since 2015 but struggled beyond that. He carded an even-par 72 during Saturday’s wet conditions, leaving him at 4 over.
Woods, 42 years old, suddenly rocketed this season from questions to if he would ever be able to play competitive golf again to one of the pretournament favorites after two top-five performances entering this year’s Masters. Which is why his performance here is simultaneously a step forward—he made the cut after missing golf’s last eight majors—and disappointing.
Both showed at moments, though, why they can still compete with the game’s best. Mickelson rallied from shooting 4 over on his first two holes Saturday to finish his round just 2 over, including going eagle-birdie to finish the front nine. Woods bogeyed his first two holes yet finished his round even for the day, highlighted by an improbable par on 17 when he recovered from a mess of a drive that sailed an entire fairway over.
Unlike Mickelson, Woods hasn’t swung and missed during the tournament this week. But on Friday, he hit one so deep into the shrubbery that he could barely be seen when he hit the ball. Unlike you, he actually found the ball and hit it—instead of shrugging and taking a drop.
Write to Andrew Beaton at andrew.beaton@wsj.com