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Mickelson wins but Tiger tops FedEx Cup
Mon, 28 Sep 2009Mickelson wins but Tiger tops FedEx Cup
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 PGA Tour Championship | Round Four | 28 Sep 2009
Tiger Woods may have the FedEx Cup and the accompanying riches but Phil Mickelson reminded everyone of what may well lie ahead in 2010 with a resounding three shot win at the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
At one point during Thursday’s opening round, Mickelson was languishing at 4 over through 16 holes after a quadruple bogey at the par four 14th that day had threatened to ruin his chances of challenging for the title. Surely that was too much of a start to give a field of this quality?
Mickelson saw it differently. After a second round of 67 his confidence in his putting was building.
“Last week, I called up Dave Stockton who’s putted a lot like I’ve always putted,” said Mickelson after round two. “He was in town for the LPGA event at Torrey and spent two days with him. It just reaffirmed the way I’ve putted since I was a kid. I’ve gone right back to it, and it just seems to feel much more natural, much more comfortable. I’ve been rolling the ball great and making a lot of putts.”
A third round of 66 had him within four of Kenny Perry’s lead and within two of the man who appeared the likely winner, Tiger Woods.
In today’s final round Mickelson played in the second to last pairing with Sean O’Hair and amongst the leading 15 players he would record the best final round by a massive four shots. Again the putting was superb. A front nine of 31 had Mickelson at 8 under and he had the lead by two.
Mickelson put the nail in the coffin at the par four 16th when after just missing the green right he pitched in for birdie from 20 feet to move to 9 under and the title was effectively his. Woods needed to birdie his last three holes or alternatively hope for a Mickelson collapse but none was forthcoming. A par from short of the green at the last assured Mickelson of the title.
Woods finished alone in second position, Sean O’Hair was third while Padraig Harrington staged a remarkable comeback to finish in share of 4th with Kenny Perry.
Several players had chances during the final round to win the FedEx Cup, more especially the eventual winner, Woods and Steve Stricker. At one brief point Sticker actually took the lead in the race for the US$10 million annuity but two late bogies by him and a birdie at the 15th by Woods gave Woods the biggest monetary prize in individual sport.
Don’t feel too sorry for Mickelson and Stricker however who finished 2nd and 3rd in the FedEx Cup race. In addition to the US$1.35 million Mickelson earned for winning the event, he secured another US$3 million for finishing runner up in the FedEx Cup. Stricker earned US$2 million for his share of the bonus purse.
John Senden finished best of the three Australians this week, sharing 10th position. Geoff Ogilvy finally got going late in the tournament with a third round of 64 and a final round of 70 to finish 16th while rookie Marc Leishman finally ran out of steam after a brilliant run in the Playoffs with a last round of 78 to finish 28th.
Senden’s finish takes him past US$2 million in official season earnings for the first time in his career.
Ogilvy was the leading Australian in the FedEx Cup however finishing 13th, Leishman was 20th and Senden 24th.
