Mickelson ends drought
Golfer wins in Mexico for his first victory since the 2013 British Open, a stretch of 101 tournaments.
Phil Mickelson ended the longest drought of his career with a playoff victory over Justin Thomas on Sunday in the Mexico Championship, capping off a final round that included Thomas holing a wedge for eagle on the last hole of regulation.
Mickelson, who closed with a five-under-par 66, won for the first time since the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, a stretch of 101 tournaments.
“I can’t put into words how much this means to me,” Mickelson said. “I knew it was going to be soon — I’ve been playing too well for it not to be. But you just never know until it happens.”
Thomas was coming off a playoff victory at the Honda Classic and he delivered the biggest moment at Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City. Tied for the lead, his shot to the 18th from 119 yards landed in front of the pin and spun back into the hole for an eagle and a 64.
Thomas, who said Thursday he had never felt worse over the ball, had a 62-64 weekend and a two-shot lead.
Mickelson, who turns 48 in June, responded with a two-putt birdie on the parfive 15th and a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th to tie Thomas.
Mickelson won his third World Golf Championships title and, only a month after being on the verge of falling out of the top 50 in the world for the first time in two decades, moves to No. 18.
Wie wins LPGA event in Singapore
Michelle Wie made a 36foot birdie putt from just off the 18th green to win the HSBC Women’s World Championship and capture her first title since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.
Wie closed with a sevenunder 65, and then had to wait to see whether it would stand at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.
Nelly Korda, the 54-hole leader whose older sister won last week in Thailand, had an eight-foot birdie chance on the final hole to force a playoff. She failed to make birdie over the final eight holes and closed with a 71. Danielle Kang had a longer birdie chance on the 18th and missed.
They finished one shot behind, along with Jenny Shin (65) and Brooke Henderson (67).
Wie, who started the final round five shots behind, finished at 17-under 271 and won for the fifth time on the Tour. A year ago, the 28year-old from Hawaii had the 54-hole lead in Singapore until fading on the last day.
Stricker earns f irst Champions title
Steve Stricker finally hit the 18th fairway on Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course — and has his first PGA Tour Champions victory to show for it.
Stricker came through in the Cologuard Classic a year after hitting left into the water on No. 18 to blow a chance for a victory in his senior debut, and a day after another three-wood drive rolled into the water in a closing double bogey.
The 12-time PGA Tour winner birdied the par-five 15th and closed with three pars for a four-under 69, hitting another three-wood on the par-four 18th. He finished two strokes ahead of Jerry Kelly (65), Gene Sauers (70) and Scott Dunlap (71).
Stricker, 51, finished at 14under 205.
Stricker won in his eighth start on the 50-and-over tour. He has six top three-finishes, tying for second two weeks ago in Florida in the Chubb Classic. He was second in Tucson behind Tom Lehman last year, losing a two-shot lead on the final three holes.