eFans Login
email
password
Login as Team or Athlete
BASKETBALL
FOOTBALL
BASEBALL
HOCKEY
TENNIS
SOCCER
 
View News

Mickelson leaves Woods behind, wins Pebble Beach
Admin
Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:29:00 GMT 

Pebble Beach (AP) - He knew his game was getting close, and he broke through with flair yesterday in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.

That turned out to be Phil Mickelson, not Tiger Woods.

In a big, big way.

Mickelson went from a six-shot deficit to a two-shot lead in just six holes, closed with an 8-under-par 64 for a two-shot victory over Charlie Wi, and gave Woods a Sunday thrashing not many saw coming.

Mickelson and Woods played in the second-to-last group, and Mickelson beat him by 11 shots. He won for the fourth time at Pebble Beach, and became only the ninth player in PGA Tour history with 40 wins.

“Pebble Beach . . . it feels awesome no matter what number it is,’’ Mickelson said.

It was anything but that for Woods, who was reduced to a supporting role on a cool, overcast day along the Pacific. Right when it looked as though Woods might still be in the game after holing a bunker shot for birdie on the par-3 12th, Mickelson answered by pouring in a 30-foot par putt.

Mickelson seized control for good with a 40-foot par save on the 15th hole, and he played it safe - Mickelson is capable of that every once in a while - on the 18th hole and still made birdie.

Wi, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, four-putted for double bogey on the opening hole and never quite recovered. He closed with back-to-back birdies for an even-par 72 and his fifth runner-up finish on tour.

Woods had been taking big strides with his game over the past few months, and he looked poised to break through after a 67 in the third round at Pebble Beach got him to within four shots of the lead.

But he failed to make birdie on the easy opening stretch at Pebble Beach, and even when he made his first birdie at the par-5 sixth, Mickelson poured in a 20-foot eagle putt to take the outright lead.

“I didn’t hit it as bad as the score indicated, but I putted awful,’’ Woods said. “As good as I felt on the greens yesterday, I felt bad today. Anything I tried to do wasn’t working. Consequently, I made a ton of mistakes on the green.’’

Mickelson finished at 17-under 269 and earned $1.152 million for his first win since the Houston Open last year. He will move to No. 11 in the world rankings.

Ricky Barnes closed with a 67 and finished third. Kevin Na tied for fifth and earned a spot in the Match Play Championship in two weeks at Arizona.

American teenager Jessica Korda won the Women’s Australian Open in Melbourne for her first tour title, holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a six-player playoff.

The 18-year-old Korda completed a two-sport, father-daughter Australian double with the breakthrough victory. Petr Korda won the 1998 Australian Open tennis tournament, also in Melbourne.

Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Julieta Granada, So Yeon Ryu, and Hee Kyung Seo also were in the playoff, played in threesomes on the par-4 18th. All six players made par on the first extra hole. On the second playoff hole, Lewis, Lincicome, Granada, and Seo made par and Ryu had a bogey.

Rafael Cabrera-Bello won the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates, shooting a 4-under 68 to beat Lee Westwood and Stephen Gallacher by one shot for his second tour victory.

In Boca Raton, Fla., Corey Pavin made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Peter Senior and win the Allianz Championship for his first tour title.
Comments | Share
 
Archive News
May, 2013
April, 2013
March, 2013
February, 2013
January, 2013
December, 2012
October, 2012
September, 2012
August, 2012
July, 2012
June, 2012
April, 2012
March, 2012
February, 2012
January, 2012
December, 2011
November, 2011
October, 2011
August, 2011
July, 2011
June, 2011
May, 2011
April, 2011
March, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
December, 2010
November, 2010
October, 2010
August, 2010
July, 2010
June, 2010
May, 2010
April, 2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
December, 2009
November, 2009
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
April, 2009
March, 2009
August, 2008
July, 2008
April, 2008
February, 2008