The Associated Press

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - Phil Mickelson is a changed man, even if the ending looked all too familiar.

The lasting image of the 104th U.S. Open is not the six pressure-packed putts Retief Goosen made down the stretch to win his second major, but Lefty missing two short putts on the 71st hole that cost him a chance to go to Scotland next month chasing the third leg of the Grand Slam.

The first miss from 5 feet knocked him out of the lead. The second miss from 4 feet sealed his fate.

Same ol' Phil, right?

Not anymore. This was merely a hiccup, not a trend.

The biggest difference between Sunday at Shinnecock Hills and Sunday at so many other majors is that no one expected Mickelson to mess it up.

This time, it was shocking.

"I thought it was going to come down to the 18th hole," Goosen said. "I didn't really expect Phil to make a double (bogey) at 17."

Mickelson's victory in the Masters made this U.S. Open look more like a close call than a blown opportunity.

"I've played what I think is very good golf for me," Mickelson said after his 71 left him two shots behind Goosen. "I feel like I'm onto good things. I feel like my preparation is better. I feel like my overall game is a better fit for this very tough test of golf."

Jack Nicklaus saw it coming late last year in the Presidents Cup, when Mickelson became the first American to lose all five matches. Lefty kept his spirits up, and worked harder than ever.

Nicklaus had a strong premonition that Lefty would be wearing a green jacket.

Mickelson now has four second-place finishes to go with his Masters victory, a record that now reads like a compliment instead of a failure.

Part of that is because he no longer has to explain why he hasn't won a major.

"As opposed to second this week being a negative, I look at it as a positive," Mickelson said. "Because I played such difficult conditions well and came so close and was able to shoot a good round on a very difficult Sunday."

Mickelson has never broken par in the final round of a U.S. Open, but this ought to count as one.

The final round was so difficult - in part because of the stubborn setup the USGA used to protect its precious par - that 28 players failed to break 80. Among them was Ernie Els, playing in the final group.

The best score in the final round was an even-par 70 by Robert Allenby.

Mickelson and Goosen shot 71 playing in the final two groups with the pressure of winning a major along for the ride.

"Some of the hardest scoring rounds we have in the U.S. Open happened to be the three events that I finished second - in '99, '04 and '02," Mickelson said. "And I think that I take a lot away from that. That tells me I can play under some very adverse and difficult conditions."

Mickelson has never finished in the top 10 at a British Open. Then again, he has never had so many shots in his bag.

A controlled fade off the tee has helped him keep the ball out of the thick grass. An understanding that length isn't everything has kept him from reaching for the driver on every hole.

Mickelson also has worked on his trajectory. More than anything, his strength is preparation and confidence.

Mickelson is No. 1 on the PGA Tour money list, and is the leading candidate for player of the year halfway through the season.

Still, not many will forget that three-putt from 5 feet that kept him from winning his second major.

Nonetheless, Mickelson left Long Island with the same attitude he brought to the U.S. Open.

He can't wait for the next major.

PGA money leaders

Player	Trn	Money
1. Phil Mickelson	15	$4,908,323
2. Vijay Singh	17	$4,717,635
3. Ernie Els	10	$3,290,057
4. Tiger Woods	11	$2,950,060
5. Sergio Garcia	13	$2,728,082
6. Retief Goosen	12	$2,327,292
7. Stuart Appleby	15	$2,234,975
8. Davis Love III	14	$2,204,313
9. Steve Flesch	18	$2,159,244
10. Adam Scott	9	$2,051,670