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Mickelson: Winner

Westwood has finished the year strongly, a year in which he will have played in over 30 tournaments, a year in which he has won twice. Back in the world's top 25, he has many more wins left.

Ewen Murray
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I don't know who wrote the script for last Sunday's final round of the HSBC Champions event, but whoever he or she is, they have a great future in writing fiction novels!

In all the years of playing and speaking about golf, I have never witnessed a last nine holes like the one at She Shan Golf Club on the outskirts of Shanghai.

When a player is 12 shots behind and 11 holes to go, he can be excused for thinking his chances of winning have gone. Lee Westwood was in that position and three hours later, was one of three players in a sudden death play-off.

Lee came home in 30, Phil Mickelson took 40, and young Ross Fisher took five shots to get down from the edge of the par-five 18th to join them on the 73rd tee.

Fantasy golf? Not far from it.

In Fisher's case, he was unfortunate. Standing over his 35-yard pitch at the 18th, a mobile phone went off at just the wrong time and having hit his pitch too hard, he found the water.

Mickelson had hit his second in the lake, and after a seven from Ross and a six from the World No. 2, Westwood's best of the day 67 left them all at 10-under-par. Some way to start the 2008 European Tour!

I had spoken to Butch Harmon on the phone before that final round saying how well Mickelson had performed over the first three days. Butch was concerned his star pupil was in fact not swinging at his best. That concern was confirmed with a scrappy performance on Sunday. In the end, despite five penalty shots, Phil got the job done somehow.

Impressed

It was a rare international appearance from the American, but a hugely successful one. Phil endeared himself to a gallery that is fairly new to the game and they loved the way he smiled, had time for autographs, and the sponsors were more than impressed when he went to their corporate hospitality tents to talk with invited guests after each round.

Yes, he was getting a handsome sum for travelling to China, but he gave full value. I hope now that his family are growing up and he has his own jet, we see more of him at our events.

Westwood has finished the year strongly, a year in which he will have played in over 30 tournaments, a year in which he has won twice. Back in the world's top 25, he has many more wins left. I spoke to him on the Friday night and he was saying how jaded he felt.

His golf on Sunday was reminiscent of his superb last round 65 at the Belfry a couple of months ago when he took the British Masters title. When in position, Westwood knows what to do, but even he was surprised when he had to put the spikes back on for the play-off.

He was standing beside Richard Boxall by the 18th green as the top three have to attend the prize-giving. Richard had lost a bet with him about the winning score and handed over £20.

At that time he said to Lee that he could still be involved as the 18th pin position had caused a lot of problems over the day. Lee replied: "If I'm in a play-off, you can have your £20 back." Ten minutes later the note was handed over with the words written on it, "would you believe it!"

For Fisher, 2007 has been a year in which he has come of age as a tournament professional. His first win came in Holland and on last week's showing, he will not have to wait too long before the next one. A more experienced player would have laid up at 18 simply because of where the pin was and with the firmness of the green.

Positive

He should however, not be criticised for being positive. In the last year he has played in the later stages of events with Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in South Africa, Tiger Woods in Dubai and Mickelson in Shanghai. On each of those occasions, he has looked more than comfortable, and the experience he has gained along the way will help him enormously in the future.

That future begins with his wedding this week, and his cheque for over £200,000 has come at an opportune time. We send him through this column from all of our golf team, our very best wishes.

On Monday, Richard, Bruce Critchley and myself made our way from Shanghai to the enchanting city of Hong Kong for their Open this week. The Fanling Country Club is the venue, a half-hour train ride to the north. It's a lovely old course, not that long, but tricky in many places.

Jose Manuel Lara defends. Many great names are on the trophy, including Greg Norman and five-time Open winners Peter Thomson and Tom Watson.

Daniel Chopra, who claimed his maiden victory on the PGA Tour in Florida last month, is in a strong field that includes Goosen and KJ Choi. Last year, Chopra encountered a strange incident here at the 10th hole.

Playing with Michael Campbell, an eight-foot snake slithered between his shoes whilst trying to recover from the rough! Now there is an incentive to find the narrow fairways this week.

In closing, China will play a huge part in the future of the European Tour which has now effectively become a world tour. A couple of years ago, the HSBC had but just a few spectators. Last week we enjoyed a healthy gallery at one of the best-run events I have seen.

The course was set up perfectly with firm fast greens, and they were rewarded with a fine champion. I don't know who will triumph this week, but I hope we have the same script writer!