Mickelson perseveres to win first Players Championship

Last Updated: Sunday, May 13, 2007 | 11:47 PM ET

CBC Sports

What a difference a new coach makes.

A rejuvenated Phil Mickelson posted a three-under 69 on Sunday to finish at 11-under-par for the tournament and win his first Players Championship by two strokes at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Phil Mickelson shakes hands with Sean O'Hair after winning The Players Championship golf tournament on Sunday at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
(Chris O'Meara/ Associated Press)

Since hiring Butch Harmon as his coach just three weeks ago to help his game, Mickelson has earned third-place ties at both the Byron Nelson Championship and Wachovia Championship, and has now won the Players Championship.

The victory, which moved Mickelson up to second in the world rankings, was his second of 2007 after a win earlier in the season at Pebble Beach. Mickelson also earned $1.62 million US thanks to the lucrative tournament, which offers the richest purse on tour at $8 million.

"I owe a lot to Butch for taking over from here," said Mickelson. "It's an individual game, but it takes a lot of support from a lot of people."

Sergio Garcia made a late charge on Sunday with birdies on four of his last five holes to shoot a 6-under 66 but fell short, taking second place at 9 under par.

Sean O'Hair held a four-stroke lead over eight players entering play on Sunday, but his lead would be short-lived.

Mickelson got out of the gates quickly in the final round, knocking down birdie putts at the first and fifth holes to chip away at the lead. He would eventually grab the lead outright at the seventh with a birdie putt from 14 feet.

O'Hair refused to go away quietly, however, knocking down a birdie of his own at the ninth to pull into a tie with Mickelson.

But the three-time major winner would begin to make his move on the back nine — saving par on 10 while O'Hair hit an errant tee shot into a bunker en route to a bogey.

Despite hitting into the rough on 11, Mickelson managed to lay up and pitch within three feet of the hole to extend his lead to two strokes with a birdie.

After both players missed birdie chances at the 12th and 15th holes, O'Hair holed a clutch par save at 14 but then missed a short four-foot putt to cut Mickelson's margin to one at the par-five 16th.

Turning point

The infamous island green at 17 then provided the turning point for Mickelson.

O'Hair used too much club off the tee as his shot sailed over the green and into the water. His next shot from the drop zone also hit the water and resulted in a quadruple-bogey 7.

That disaster put O'Hair six strokes behind Mickelson, Garcia suddenly was in second place at just three strokes back.

"I missed a putt on 16 and I'm not playing for second. I was two behind with two to play," said O'Hair. "I have to get aggressive on that. If I make the putt on 16, I play for the middle of the green on 17 and take my par.

"I can't let that hole take away from my week."

After a disappointing start to the tournament, Tiger Woods rebounded nicely on Sunday — posting a 5-under-par 67 in the final round and tied for 37th place at even-par 288.

"The last two days I've had 12 lip-outs, eight feet and out," said Woods. "I'm just thinking if I just make a few putts, I'd be all right. I knew I could shoot a round in the 60s here if I'd just make a few putts, and I did today."

Woods double-bogeyed his fourth hole but rebounded right away with a 10-foot birdie putt at five before rattling off four birdies in a row from the eighth. The current money PGA money leader then made an eagle on the par-five 16th hole to end his weekend with his best round of the tournament.

Stewart Cink carded a 6-under-par 66 and tied Jose Maria Olazabal, who shot a 67, for third place at 8 under par. Jose Coceres managed a 2-under 70 on Sunday to take fifth at 7-under-par 281.

Robert Karlsson (66), Adam Scott (67), J.P. Hayes (70), Jeff Quinney (73) and Peter Lonard (73) tied for sixth place at 6-under-par 282.