Mickelson, Wie end droughts

Major champs had not won titles since 2013 and 2014, respectively

Phil Mickelson ended the longest drought of his career with a playoff victory Sunday over Justin Thomas in the Mexico Championship, capping off a final round of lustrous cheers in thin air that included Thomas holing a wedge for eagle on the final hole of regulation.

Mickelson, who closed with a 5-under 66, won for the first time since the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, a stretch of 101 tournaments worldwide.

“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 last week, 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.

In the playoff, Thomas went long on the par-3 17th hole and chipped to just inside 10 feet. Mickelson’s 18-foot birdie putt for the victory swirled around the cup, more agony for a 47-year-old who has seen plenty of it since his last victory. But Thomas never got his par try on the right line. Wie breaks through: Michelle Wie made a 36-foot birdie putt from just off the 18th green to win the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore and capture her first LPGA title since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

Wie closed with a 7-under 65, and then had to wait to see if it would stand at Sentosa Golf Club.

Nelly Korda, the 54-hole leader, failed to make birdie over the final eight holes and closed with a 71.

Wie, who started the final round five shots behind, finished at 17-under 271 and won for the fifth time in her LPGA Tour career. A year ago, the 28-year-old from Hawaii had the 54-hole lead in Singapore until fading on the last day.

“Winning is everything. I mean, there is no better feeling than when you think you sink that winning putt. It’s a high, for sure,” Wie said. Stricker claims first Champions title: Steve Stricker finally hit the 18th fairway on Omni Tucson (Ariz.) National’s Catalina Course — and has his first PGATour Champions victory to show for it.

The 12-time PGA Tour winner birdied the par-515th and closed with three pars for a 4-under 69.