Phil Mickelson fired a final round 65 Sunday to earn a one-stroke victory in Phoenix, Bernhard Langer secured the sixth Charles Schwab Cup of his career.
Monday 15 November 2021 06:11, UK
Phil Mickelson added to his victory tally at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the final event of the year on the PGA Tour Champions, as Bernhard Langer topped the season-long standings.
The reigning PGA champion birdied three of his last four holes to close a six-under 65 at Phoenix Country Club and end the week on 19 under, a shot ahead of New Zealand's Steven Alker.
Starting the day three strokes behind Jim Furyk, Mickelson got up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the first and took advantage of the par-five seventh, before hitting the flag with his approach at the 11th to set up a tap-in birdie to move within one of the lead.
Mickelson birdied the par-three 15th and moved ahead by holing from close range at the next, with a four-foot birdie at the par-four last enough to give the six-time major champion a one-shot victory.
"I'm hoping to use the opportunity to play and compete here as a way to keep my game sharp and have a few special moments on the regular Tour like I had this year in May," Mickelson said. "If I could have a couple more of those, that's really what motivates me to work hard, to get in the gym in the offseason, put in the time and the effort to have those special moments."
The latest win is Mickelson's fourth in just six starts on the PGA Tour Champions since turning 50 in June 2020 and sees him end the Schwab Cup campaign in 12th spot, as Langer secured the season-long points race for the sixth time in his career.
Langer followed a third-round 63 with a two-under 69 on Sunday to end the week in 17th place, which was enough to stay ahead of Furyk when the American - needing a top-two finish - carded a final-round 71 to finish in tied-fifth.
"I'm literally overwhelmed with emotion," Langer said. "It was an up-and-down week for me. I had back issues earlier in the week, could barely swing the club. I was this close to pulling out and ground through it and made it and started playing a little better, so that was just incredible."
Darren Clarke carded a final-round 64 to end the week tied-third alongside David Toms, while Miguel Angel Jimenez claimed a share of seventh to finish the season third in the standings.
