Phil Mickelson had, if you will pardon the amended spelling, a doubly déjà vu moment on Sunday.

Mickelson hit a textbook approach shot at the 15th hole that clanged off the flag and bounced away, leaving him in a poor position which mirrored his mood last year at the TPC Boston,
In the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, he stood in the same fairway and noticed that the flag was in the same position that gave his bad luck last year. Noting the hole location, he turned to his caddie in the fairway before the shot and cracked, "I'm going to try to just miss the pin."

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Unbelievable, he didn't, zapping the center of the flag from 120 yards. Much like last time, the ball caromed off the front of the green, wrecking any birdie opportunities. This time around, just before he hit the ball, he turned to caddie Jim Mackay again.

He said, "Screw it, I'm going to try to knock it in,".

He's still chipping away. Mickelson knocked in a wedge from 46 feet for a birdie and completed with a 4-under 67 which moved him within reach of the most elusive prize in his career again -- the world No. 1 ranking, which has slipped from him over the past four months.

Just like with last year's flagstick bounce, will the final result be different this week? This has been a long time approaching, dating to the Quail Hollow Championship, the first of eleven successive starts on two worldwide tours wherein Lefty could have deposed Tiger Woods as the reigning czar of the golf world.

Since the rankings were unveiled about twenty four years ago to climb to world No. 1, Mickelson stands in a four-way tie for sixth in his quest to become only the fifth American. As has been the case over most of that span, the scenario isn't completely within his handle unless he wins, which is the way he would rather to claim the honor.

Mickelson said of the ranking," Play just like you deserve it, that's the destination."