Jim 'Bones' Mackay relives Mickelson's greatest shot, Masters pick
Sixteen years ago, he was next to Lefty as he made his most-heroic shot ever, and now Bones tells the backstory of it and makes his 2026 Masters pick.
Phil Mickelson never shied away from attempting a heroic shot, but even by Lefty's standards, Jim "Bones" Mackay had his doubts that trying to hit between the trees on the 13th hole at Augusta National on Sunday at the 2010 Masters was the right idea. One slip and the ball could go away, sinking Mickelson's chance at winning a third green jacket. Mackay relived that moment, which you can see on the Masters Vault , and the decisions that went into it in a recent interview with senior writer David Dusek.
And, not to spoil Bones' great story, there wasn't a whole lot of thought that really went into it. While he will not be working during the Masters this week as an on-course analyst or a caddie, no one knows the nuances of Augusta National better than Mackay. Even when the club doesn't talk about changes or announce adjustments to the course, he's noticed little tweaks here and there that make it more challenging.
"It can be so subtle," he said. "I mean, take the right edge of the 11th green. That used to be flat, if you will, and it's certainly fairway cut right of that green, but they they beveled it a little bit and there's a little bit of a runoff there now about 2 feet high.
You wouldn't think that that's a big deal, but it makes putting from right of that green really, really difficult. It makes pitching the ball or bumping the ball incredibly hard. They just do amazing things like that.