In 1995 Mickelson finished fourth at the US Open after a final round 74

This was most publicly illustrated at the Masters, where he was only one shot behind Woods going into the final round.

Having drawn level with the world's number one, he missed a two-foot par putt to give Woods breathing space and then made two crucial bogeys on the homeward stretch.

And there have since been several other less high-profile examples.

The left-hander had a four-stroke lead with 11 holes to play of the Colonial, where he was defending champion.

But he made two bogeys, failed to hit the green with his second shot for five further holes and struggled to finish with par.

Wasted chance

Meanwhile Sergio Garcia blazed his way round the Colonial Country Club, his final round of 63 giving him his first PGA victory by two shots.

It was the third time this year Mickelson had failed to hold a third-day lead, and the fourth time he had squandered a chance to win on the final day.

Mickelson's putting has been erratic

As a result, Mickelson is now averaging 70.82 for his final round.

That is not just two strokes higher than the average for his first three rounds, it is two strokes higher than Woods.

Yet not so long ago, Mickelson thought he finally had the measure of Woods - and his final day blues.

Last November he battled Woods from start to finish in the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake and snatched victory with a 66.

It was the first time in 20 tournaments, dating to his third tournament as a pro in 1996, that Woods had at least a share of the 54-hole lead and failed to win.

Mental hurdle

MIckelson knows it is this backbone of steel he needs to rediscover if he is to nail a Major, in particular the US Open where only the strongest minds survive.

"I've really struggled the last four or five times I've had a shot at it," he said. "So, it's going to be a while, until I win again, before I get over that mental hurdle."

Left in the cold: The 30-year-old is hungry for Major success

But he's determined to keep plugging away.

"I have had a number of good opportunities and coming down the stretch and I don't think it was that I wanted to win too much," he said.

"I just did not have the breaks fall my way or make critical putts at the important time.

"My mindset this season is that I need to give myself a chance on Sunday, which I have been doing the way I have been playing recently.

"I didn't come through at the Masters, but eventually I will make a critical putt or two and it will be my time."

Mickelson came closest at the US Open on 1999 when he strode up the last tied for the lead with Payne Stewart.

He was preparing his mind for an 18-hole play-off when Stewart, later killed in a plane crash, holed a 15ft putt to clinch the title.

"That outcome was obviously the way it was meant to be due to the circumstances that happened afterwards. But that was a difficult tournament to accept losing," he says.