Mickelson triumphs with late birdie

FORT WORTH, Texas: American world No 2 Phil Mickelson conjured a magical birdie with a 140-yard wedge approach on the final hole to win his second Colonial Invitational title by a shot on Sunday.

After pushing his drive into the left rough behind a clump of trees, the left-hander struck his second shot to nine feet before sinking the putt for a 2-under-par 68 at Colonial Country Club.

Mickelson, one ahead of the pack overnight but two behind with nine holes to play, punched his fist in celebration after clinching his 34th PGA Tour victory with a 14-under total of 266.

Australia's Rod Pampling, who had forged two strokes clear midway through the final round, bogeyed the 17th on his way to a matching 68 and a tie for second place with South African Tim Clark (66).

Clark, seeking his first PGA Tour title, birdied two of the last three holes to secure his sixth runner-up spot on the world's most lucrative circuit.

"I'm as surprised as anybody I was able to make a three from over there," Mickelson, 37, told reporters of his remarkable shot through and over trees at the last. "I was just lucky.

"It wasn't like it was an easy shot, but it just came off perfectly. It was one of my more memorable ones."

Known for his creative and often bold on-course strategy, Mickelson ranked his wedge approach as "probably top five" among the best shots of his career.

For much of a hot and humid day at Colonial, Texas-based Pampling appeared to be in control after vying for the lead with playing partner Mickelson over the first five holes.

The American left-hander was fortunate not to bogey the par-4 sixth, where he found the right rough off the tee and flew sideways off a tree with his second shot into the middle of the fairway.

From there, he struck a superb approach from 77 yards which screwed back to three feet from the hole.

Moments later, Pampling rolled in a 50-foot birdie putt from the fringe of the green to re-join Mickelson at 12 under.

The 38-year-old Queenslander grabbed the outright lead at the seventh, hitting his wedge approach to seven feet and calmly rolling in the birdie putt.

He then doubled his lead after striking an exquisite second shot to four feet at the ninth to set up his fourth birdie.

Mickelson, out in level-par 35, picked up his second shot of the day at the par-5 11th after reaching the green in two and two-putting to cut the deficit to one.

Pampling did well to salvage par at the 16th from an awkward lie in a greenside bunker off the tee before getting up and down.

However, he pushed his drive right at the par-4 17th and had to take a penalty drop after his ball ended up on the other side of a concrete water drain.

He struck his third shot into a greenside bunker en route to a bogey five and a three-way tie for the lead at 13 under before the title was decided by Mickelson's moment of magic at the last.

"That's what number twos in the world do," Pampling said. "Those guys make those kinds of shots. I thought I was in great position. I am obviously disheartened."

Agencies

(China Daily 05/27/2008 page22)