Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Monday 5 March 2018
Mickelson ends longest drought with playoff win in Mexico

By DOUG FERGUSON He finished with consecu-
AP Golf Writer tive bogeys for a 74, six
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Phil shots behind in a three-way
Mickelson ended the lon- tie for ninth. That will leave
gest drought of his career him on the bubble at No.
with a playoff victory Sun- 66 in the world for making it
day over Justin Thomas in back to the next World Golf
the Mexico Championship, Championship, the Dell
capping off a final round Match Play, in three weeks
of lustrous cheers in thin air in Texas. Sharma first flies
that included Thomas hol- home for the Hero Indian
ing a wedge for eagle on Open next week.
the final hole of regulation. Hatton tied for third with
Mickelson, who closed Rafa Cabrera Bello, who
with a 5-under 66, won for holed a bunker shot for
the first time since the 2013 eagle on the opening hole
British Open at Muirfield, a and was among six players
stretch of 101 tournaments who had at least a share of
worldwide. the lead.
"I can't put into words how Mickelson was the first play-
much this means to me," er who appeared to seize
Mickelson said. "I knew it control with a birdie on No.
was going to be soon — I've 10 to take the lead, and
been playing too well for it facing a reachable par 5
not to be. But you just never and a drivable par 4.
know until it happens." Instead, Lefty made it as
Thomas was coming off a Phil Mickelson, of the U.S., poses with his Mexico Championship trophy at the Chapultepec Golf entertaining as ever.
playoff victory at the Hon- Club in Mexico City, Sunday, March 4, 2018. Going for the green in light
da Classic last week, and Associated Press rough with the ball below
he delivered the biggest his feet, he hooked it deep
moment at Chapultepec into the bushes right of the
Golf Club. Tied for the lead, be true. Thomas, who said in June, responded with the final group with Mick- green, and played his next
his shot to the 18th from 119 Thursday he had never felt a two-putt birdie on the elson, was stride for stride. one when he could bare-
yards landed in front of the worse over the ball, had a par-5 15th and a 20-foot He capped off a 3-3-3-3 ly see the golf ball. That
pin and spun back into the 62-64 weekend and sud- birdie putt on the 16th to tie stretch on the back nine stayed in the trees, and his
hole for an eagle and a 64. denly had a two-shot lead. Thomas. with an eagle at the 15th. fourth shot narrowly missed
It almost was too good to Mickelson, who turns 48 Tyrrell Hatton, playing in But on the final hole, Hat- another tree before settling
ton missed the green to the 10 feet away. He made bo-
right, chipped 10 feet by gey, and just like that, it was
and missed the par putt for a sprint to the finish 7,800
a 67 to fall out of a playoff. feet above sea level.
The sudden-death playoff Brian Harman and Kiradech
— the sixth in eight PGA Aphibarnrat both had
Tour events this year — chances until dropping
didn't last long. shots at the wrong time.
Thomas went long on Thomas made a bogey
the par-3 17th hole and on the 17th hole twice on
chipped to just inside 10 Sunday. He missed a 5-foot
feet. Mickelson's 18-foot par putt in regulation that
birdie putt for the victory dropped him out of the
swirled around the cup, lead, only to respond with
more agony for a 47-year- the perfect shot at the right
old who has seen plenty of time. It just wasn't good
it since his last victory. enough.
Thomas, however, never Mickelson, now with 43 vic-
got his par attempt on the tories on the PGA Tour and
right line. 46 around the world, made
They finished at 16-under good on his pledge earlier
268. this year that more victories
Mickelson won his third were in store for him. He has
World Golf Championships four consecutive top 10s for
title and, just a month after the first time since 2005.
being on the verge of fall- That also was the last time
ing out of the top 50 in the he had won in a playoff.
world for the first time in two It all seems so long ago
decades, moves to No. 18 — playoffs, trophies, con-
in the world. sistent play. Now he's just
Shubhankar Sharma, the more than a month away
21-year-old from India who from the Masters, and feel-
started with a two-shot ing invigorated.
lead, didn't make his first And feeling like a winner.
birdie until the 12th hole. q