A tournament that started on a somber note turned sentimental, then ended in a flash of pure exhilaration with Phil Mickelson (Stats | Bio) jumping for joy after he won the 68th Masters Tournament.

"It was great with all the cheers,'' he said.

"I was watching myself look like an idiot, and I didn't really care," Mickelson said. "It was just so much fun, so exciting."

In what will go down as Mickelson's Masters, the long-suffering left-hander bravely outdueled Ernie Els (Stats | Bio) to win his first major championship.

Mickelson birdied five of the final seven holes, including the 18th, for 3-under-par 69. His 9-under 279 winning total was one better than Els, who had two eagles and shot 67 on Sunday.

The popular victory came in Mickelson's 47th appearance in a major, and his 12th in the Masters.

The timing couldn't have been better for the 33-year-old, who had done everything in golf except win a major - or the tournament itself.

The Masters started Thursday with the news that Tom Watson (Stats | Bio) 's longtime caddie, Bruce Edwards, had died that morning at age 49 from the ravaging effects of Lou Gehrig's Disease. For the rest of the tournament, some caddies and players - including Els - wore black ribbons on their hats in memory of Edwards, who worked 21 straight Masters.

The next day, Arnold Palmer (Stats | Bio) said an emotional farewell to the tournament that he help put on the map, retiring after a record 50 consecutive starts. Palmer shot 84-84, but gave Arnie's Army a thrill by parring three of his final four holes.

Up stepped Mickelson, whose third-round 69 on Saturday gave him a share of the 54-hole lead in a major for the first time in his career.

Fans were hopeful this was the year for their hero, because they knew of Mickelson's track record as a front-runner - he'd won nine of the 13 times he led entering a final round.

Make that 10 of 14 and 1-for-1 with the 54-hole lead in a major.

"Excited, ecstatic, a little disbelief," is the way Mickelson described his feeling after he rallied from three shots down after 11 holes to overtake Els.

"It wasn't one of those things that was going to fall in your lap," Mickelson said. "You had to go and get it."

Since 1994, when Mickelson finished third in the PGA Championship, the questions about when he would win a major have been part of each news conference he'd held. They had become even more pointed lately, but Mickelson answered them all.

"It was expected," Mickelson said.

"I think the most difficult part of this 10-year journey has been dealing with - I don't want to say failure - but dealing with losses time after time. It just gets frustrating," Mickelson said. "It can wear on you, except that you can't let it."

Now that his stature in the game has risen even higher, Mickelson was asked about winning the Grand Slam: victories in the four majors in the same year. "Oh, geez," Mickelson said. "Come on, man. Let me just cherish this for a little bit. Give me some time."

It was a "new" Mickelson who arrived at Augusta National last week, in more ways than one.

He had a calmness about him that derived from strong play this season (seven top-10 finishes, including one victory, in eight starts).

After his worst season as a pro in 2003, Mickelson had worked on his swing with teacher Rick Smith and on his short game with Dave Pelz in the off-season, and was seeing the results.

"I had a different feeling playing this week," Mickelson said. "I just had a real belief that I was going to come through this week."

After 54 holes, Mickelson said, "I was much more at ease than I have been in the past, where I've been anxious and wondering how it's going to go on the range beforehand, or am I going to drive it in play or is my swing going to be there. I didn't feel that anxiety. I haven't felt it all year."

Before the tournament, Mickelson gained confidence in a change he made to his short game. Instead of chipping when he missed greens, Mickelson generally putted from the closely-cropped fringes.

"What I found is the last three years, if I could have saved a shot a round, I would have had two wins and a tie," said Mickelson, who finished third each of those years.

That's what he, Smith and Pelz worked on April 5-6, spending hours working around the Augusta National greens. In particular, they practiced at the 18th green.

"We were just trying to find areas where I can just save half a shot to a shot a round," Mickelson said. "I was trying to take the experience I've had in the last 11 years, knowing how the course plays, with pin placements, with fairways being cut very tight around the greens and tough to chip. Putting from off the green works especially well here, given the mowing patterns and the speed of the greens."

In Round 3, Mickelson two-putted from off the back of the 18th green to save par and earn a share of the 54-hole lead.

"I saved just enough, just enough shots per round," Mickelson said after the victory.

Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.