The 72nd-hole meltdown in 2006 at Winged Foot is Phil Mickelson's most memorable miss in a U.S. Open, but he's had a handful of dramatic close calls:

1999: Mickelson's only bogey of the final round, at 16, dropped him into a tie for the lead with Payne Stewart. Stewart seized the outright lead when he made a 4-foot birdie at 17 after Mickelson missed from 10 feet, and then Stewart won with his famous par putt on the final hole. In the third round, Mickelson hit only eight greens in regulation and shot 3-over 73, but his 5-foot birdie at 18 got him into the final group.

1995: Mickelson's troubles on a single hole kept him from winning at Shinnecock Hills. The 544-yard 16th hole claimed six extra strokes from Mickelson, who double-bogeyed it twice. The big blow came on Sunday, with Mickelson scoring a seven on 16 after getting to within one stroke of eventual champion Corey Pavin.

2002: Mickelson had the New Yorkers at Bethpage in a frenzy on Saturday with three straight birdies to end the front nine and three more birdies in the last six holes. If he had not bogeyed 18 after an errant drive, he would have been in a head-to-head battle with Woods on the final day. Instead, he played in front of Woods, and after a wild 2-over start in the first five holes, Mickelson could only make up two of the five shots he needed.

2004: With a chance to win his third straight major, Mickelson was tied with Retief Goosen through the 16th hole on the brutal Sunday at Shinnecock. But he hit into a bunker on the par-3 17th and three-putted for a double bogey, and Goosen triumphed with an amazing 12 one-putts in the round.

– TOD LEONARD