Phil Mickelson shot a brilliant final round of 64 to secure victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
Lefty shoots 64 in final round to win Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Phil Mickelson shot a brilliant final round of 64 to secure victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
The four-time major winner was six shots off the lead heading into the final round but six birdies and an eagle saw him finish the tournament on 17-under par, two shots clear of Charlie Wi.
Wi began the day with a three-shot lead but four-putted the opening hole for a double-bogey and never fully recovered, although three straight birdies at the end of his round showed what might have been.
The victory means Mickelson becomes only the ninth player to reach 40 career wins on the PGA Tour.
Tiger Woods had seemed poised to make his move as he entered the day just four shots off the lead but a dismal final round of 75 dropped him way out of contention.
Mickelson and Woods were paired together for the last round and the difference in their performances could not have been greater as Mickelson completed the 18 holes in 11 fewer shots.
Ricky Barnes grabbed third place on 13-under after carding a 67 on Sunday, while Aaron Baddeley finished one shot further back in fourth after completing the final round in the same score.
Kevin Na and Dustin Johnson were tied for fifth after final rounds of 70 left them both on 11-under, with Woods eventually coming home in a share of 15th place.
A delighted Mickelson said afterwards: "I felt like my game was so close heading into the season, and yet my scores didn't reflect how I felt I was playing.
Feels terrific
"I put it together this week and especially the final round and it just feels terrific. It gives me a lot of confidence but also inspires me because I believe now that what I'm doing is correct and that I'm able to play some of my best golf."
Mickelson drained two long par-saving putts on the back nine to stay on track for victory
"I seem to make more and more putts," he said. "I still miss putts, but from the last couple of years where I wasn't making hardly any, now I feel like I'm making a bunch.
"I don't worry about stroke and have not now for the last six weeks. I didn't have any mechanical thoughts, because I had confidence in my ability to roll it. I believed I was going to make these 30 and 40-footers."
Mickelson will also line up in this week's Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles before taking a family vacation.
A disappointed Woods said: "What was frustrating is I had a chance. All I had to do was get off to a good, solid start today and I didn't do that.
"I figured I needed to shoot 65 or 66 to win the golf tournament and it ended up being I had to shoot 66 just to get into a playoff with Phil."
