It was surely appropriate that Phil Mickelson should end his quest for a Major with a spectacular back-nine charge at Augusta.

Whilst a reeling in of his gung-ho fire-at-the-pin golf had helped him take the 54-hole lead alongside Chris DiMarco, a slow start to the day and an electrifying burst from Ernie Els left Mickelson no option. To win the Green Jacket he so craved, he would have to draw on the attacking instincts that had fuelled 22 regular Tour wins but also contributed to his downfall in 46 previous Majors.

Mickelson had faced this situation before - needing to play catch-up on the final day - and always come up short. But somehow this time it seemed different. Mickelson's face showed not panic but an almost unnatural serenity that belied the situation.

That inner calm came from a new-found trust in his game, starting from his tee-shots all the way through to the testy four-foot putts that had mockingly slid by so many times in the past.

And so, despite the calamitous ramifications that awaited his latest failure, Mickelson stayed in the moment and concentrated on the basics. Keep it in play, put it on the green and hole the putt.

A back nine of 31 at Augusta is admirable in any circumstances but in the heat of a Masters Sunday it's truly remarkable – especially when your name is Phil Mickelson and you carry the dreaded tag of “Best Player Not To Have Won A Major”.

Inevitably, it seemed, it came down to a “this for the Masters” putt on 18. And fate also seemed present when Chris DiMarco putted down the same line just moments earlier to give Mickelson an ideal read.

Even standing over that final putt, when some of us could barely watch, Mickelson oozed calm and gave the impression it was his day. And only when the ball dropped in after a brief teeter on the left edge did Mickelson come out of his hypnotic state, producing a star-jump of quite stunning proportions.

Huge credit must go to Els of course for making this such an epic contest. The big South African showed the touch of a magician over the closing holes and admitted he couldn't have played the back nine better.

It always takes two to produce the greatest sporting moments and that's why some of Tiger's Major romps have left us admiring his skill but also feeling cold.

Mickelson always seemed baffled why his immense talent couldn't translate into one or more Major titles but now he seems to have found the perfect formula.

If he can continue to mix enormous natural ability, clear-thinking and aggression, I think three or four Majors are well within his grasp.

But how ever many he racks up in the future, I doubt if victory will ever taste as sweet as this.