What I'll Remember about 2011: Flag-tending Phil

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PGATOUR.COM asked its staffers and freelancers what they will remember about the 2011 season. For the archived list of essays, click here.

Phil Mickelson will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012, and in a highlight reel of his career you know they'll show his Augusta moments (6-iron from the trees at 13 in 2010, 72nd-hole birdie putt in 2004) and many examples of short-game wizardry.

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But how about a shot that didn't end the way he wanted?

If the Hall wants a clip of The Essential Phil, the skill and swagger wrapped up in one moment, someone should dial up the last hole of the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

On the South Course's par-5 18th, Mickelson faced a 72-yard wedge shot for eagle, needing to hole out to force a playoff with Bubba Watson.

And Mickelson had caddie Jim Mackay tend the flag. From 72 yards away.

On television it was a unique sight, Mackay jogging ahead of his man, dropping the bag off before the green and continuing up to the hole. He had to hush a crowd that was getting giddy with anticipation.

With any pro, there's always a chance that a short wedge can find the bottom of the cup. Happens virtually every week on TOUR. But who else thinks of tending the flag? Or has the chutzpah to actually do it?

"I wanted to fly it in, possibly, or I wanted it to skip past it and maybe bring it back and give it a second chance to go in and the pin would only get in the way of that. So I didn't want to have the pin in if I was going to try to make it," Mickelson said later, evenly, as if this wasn't as remarkable as everyone else thought.

Sure enough, he almost did fly it in, but when that didn't happen he then got the second part of the deal when the ball settled past the hole and started to spin. Alas, there wasn't enough spin and the eagle was denied. Phil only birdied. Bubba won.

But Mickelson added another moment to his remarkable career, a moment that summarized his talent and flair for entertainment. Hall of Fame-type stuff.