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TSN Senior Reporter

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The old saying the Masters never starts until the back nine on Sunday was never on more full display than in 2004.

Of the 24 Masters I’ve covered, this one was the most explosive and riveting over the final nine holes.

But let’s back up for there was a back-nine moment on Friday that deserves attention. That’s when Arnold Palmer said farewell to the Masters after 50 consecutive appearances. He walked through Amen Corner and over the Sarazen Bridge to reach the 15th green. He went along the narrow path to reach the 16th green and then finally up the 18th fairway.

Over 36 holes, ‘The King’ failed to make a single birdie, but no one really cared. Nor did they care when he signed for two rounds of 84, or bogeyed his final hole.

He was cheered every step of the way and he waved back and flashed that great smile of his. He stopped from time to time to shake hands with friends who had come to see him play the tournament for the last time.

The four-time champion helped build the reputation of the Masters and the tournament did the same thing in return, a sort of quid pro quo, golf style. But now it was time to bid adieu.

"I'm through. I've had it. I'm done, cooked, washed up, finished, whatever you want to say," he joked to reporters gathered on the back lawn of the club after his round, a twinkle in his eye.

After a brief pause, the 74-year-old nodded his head and summed things up in a reflective but simple manner.

“It’s time,” he said.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Justin Rose held top spot with rounds of 67 and 71. Behind him came two-time winner Jose Maria Olazabal and Alex Cejka. That trio seemed so solid for the first 36 holes but on Day Three they all collapsed: Rose shot 81, Olazabal 79 and Cejka 78.

When the shock of those three rounds faded, the remaining names at the top set up a shootout for Sunday. Chris DiMarco and Phil Mickelson shared the lead at six under, while two shots back was Paul Casey. An international trio of K.J. Choi, Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer were next, tied three back of the lead.

Birdies and eagles were flying as the leaders headed to the back nine. The roars were popping up all over as the top six names on the scoreboard combined for 16 birdies and three eagles on the final eight holes.

One of the biggest came on the 11th hole, when Choi holed his five-iron shot from 220 yards for an eagle. Sergio Garcia also caused some to cheer with a final-round 66, the lowest round of the tournament.

But as they came down the stretch, it appeared Ernie Els might finally get his Green Jacket. He’d been no worse than a tie for sixth over the previous four Masters. After bogeys on two of his first five holes, the big South African birdied seven and then eagled eight. He added another eagle on 13 after hitting his second shot inside 10 feet.

Two holes later, Els added a birdie on the 15th and cruised in with a score of eight under. The question now was whether anyone could catch him. Choi got it to six under with birdies on 13, 14 and 16 but stalled there.

As Els waited, Mickelson moved. The patrons cheered him at every tee and every green. And they absolutely exploded when he birdied 12, 13, 14 and 16 to pull even with Els.

After he drilled a three-wood off the 18th tee, Mickelson walked up the hole and did something that surprised me. He smiled.

This wasn’t uncommon for Lefty, but it just seemed out of the ordinary considering the situation. He was on the cusp of finally getting off the long-held position at the top of the best-player-never-to-win-a-major list and he was strolling up the final hole and looking like Palmer, embracing the love from the patrons.

A day earlier, he hit his second shot on this hole into the crowd right of the green. Was that floating around in his head as he waited for the group in front to finish? The smile disappeared and his focus tightened.

From 162 yards out, Mickelson lifted the shot high in the air and played it right at the flag. It rolled past and settled about 15 feet from the hole. The patrons roared and the smile on Phil’s face returned as he sauntered up to the green.

The most interested spectator was Els, who sat in a lawn chair in the outside dining area behind the clubhouse eating an apple. He couldn’t see where Mickelson’s ball stopped but the roar told him everything.

Mickelson was one putt away from everything he’d dreamed of, everything he’d battled for. And he got one last huge break. DiMarco, his playing partner, flew his shot out of the bunker and right behind Mickelson’s marker. He’d give Mickelson a read on the line.

Up to this point, Lefty had finished in the top 10 of major championships 17 times, seven of those at Augusta National. He’d been third at the Masters in each of the previous three editions.

But this time, it was different. No more close calls, no more maybes, no more woulda, shoulda, coulda. This time he would become a major champion, rolling in the putt and then jumping as high as he could in celebration (which really wasn’t that far, something he’d be teased about for years after).

It was indeed the time for Mickelson, perhaps golf’s most popular player. The wait was finally over.

Moments later, Mike Weir slipped the Green Jacket on to the new champion, saying “From one lefty to another.” Clearly, the wait was worth it.