Mickelson wins USPGA
Just as he did in the Masters last year Phil Mickelson birdied the final hole to win the US PGA title at Baltusrol today.
The final 12 players had to come back because of a thunderstorm stoppage late on Sunday and Mickelson was in a battle with Dane Thomas Bjorn and Australian Steve Elkington.
Winner of the trophy 10 years ago, Elkington missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the last, then Bjorn lipped out from 25 feet.
Mickelson knew what he needed to do then. He stood in the middle of the fairway at the par five 18th and before hitting his second shot took a few steps forwards and for good luck tapped the Jack Nicklaus plaque laid to commemorate the Golden Bear’s 1980 victory on the course.
Into the wind it needed a wood, and although Mickelson carried the bunker it came to rest in the rough.
But from there he played his next to two feet and punched the air. He still had to hole, but it was easier than the 18-footer at Augusta which ended his long wait for a major and he made no mistake.
While it was joy for the 35-year-old American it was another near miss for Bjorn – and Europe’s six-year wait for a major winner is now certain to enter a seventh year.
The Dane was runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 2000 Open at St Andrews and to Ben Curtis at Sandwich two years ago – after leading by three with four to play.
Elkington beat Colin Montgomerie with a 25-foot putt in a play-off 10 years ago, but lost a play-off for the 2002 Open at Muirfield.
Tiger Woods finished joint fourth with Davis Love.
Woods, of course, was powerless to affect the outcome over 72 holes, having posted his two under total before the suspension.
But he hung around in the faint hope that the three players ahead of him overnight – Mickelson, Bjorn and Elkington – might come back to him and that Vijay Singh, Love and Retief Goosen would not go past him.
Every piece of that particular jigsaw did not fall into place for the Masters and Open champion, so he just missed out on becoming the first man in golf history to win three majors in a season twice.
Since he was second in the US Open, a mere two strokes behind shock winner Michael Campbell, it has been a year to remember for the world number one, who began it as number two behind Singh.
He will not allow himself to dwell on “if only” thoughts.
“If I did that then playing golf would drive me into a mental ward,” he said. “Every guy who plays golf if they did a ’what if?’, especially out here on tour, you’d drive yourself crazy.
“Only thing you can do is take a learning experience from it – positive and negatives – and apply them to the future.
“What did you do right, what did you do wrong. I did a lot of things right this week, but unfortunately I did a few things wrong.”
Woods had three penalty drops – one from a ditch at the 18th in round one, one from the lake at the fourth in round two and one from bushes at the sixth in round four – and he had five three putts, as he did at the US Open.
Yet, above all else, this was one remarkable effort. He was 113th after his opening 75, 62nd after a 69 (he had to birdie the last hole to make the cut), 20th after adding a Saturday 66 and then not out of it when it went into an extra day.
The day began with Lee Westwood and Greg Owen holing out on the 18th green - and conducting a Mexican wave.
They were out of it. When Owen missed his 14-foot putt he had to sign for an 80, but at least Westwood made his 10-footer for a 75 and 17th place. Owen slumped to 47th.
Westwood and Owen both suffered bitter disappointment after they started the closing 18 holes only three behind Mickelson and Love.
A shocking Sunday for them saw Owen had a triple bogey, a double bogey and seven bogeys and Westwood eight bogeys. Yes the course was tough, but others coped better than they were able to.
For Owen it had ramifications. He needed a top-five finish to climb into the world’s top 50 and qualify for this week’s NEC world championship in Akron.
Since that also counts for the European Order of Merit it would have helped him get closer to the 11 tournaments he has to play to remain a member. So far he has appeared in just five.
The 33-year-old from Mansfield, enjoying himself so much in his first season on the American circuit, is now almost certain to resign his membership – and that would means he does not qualify for Ryder Cup points when qualifying starts next month.
And he could not be a wild card next year either unless he rejoins.
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