Phil Mickelson has won his first tournament of the season, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, in Arizona, after leading from start to finish. The American signed at the TPC Scottsdale in Phoenix a final round of 67 strokes (4 under par) to finish with a total of 256 (28 under par), 4 ahead of compatriot Brandt Snedeker. It was the Golden Lefty’s 41st title on the U.S. Tour, the PGA Tour.
The 42-year-old Arizona native started the tournament with a stratospheric round of 60 strokes (11 under par), followed by rounds of 65 and 64, which gave him a six-stroke lead on the final day over his nearest challenger. The 256 strokes and 28 under par he accumulated over the four days was two strokes shy of the PGA Tour record set by Tommy Armour III at the 2003 Texas Open.
And Mickelson also managed to take the win in style, as it was the first time a golfer had led all four rounds in a PGA Tour tournament since Norway’s Rory McIlroy, the current world number one, scored his big win at the 2011 U.S. Open.
“I played really good golf. That’s how I’ve been playing for a while now and it feels really good when things go your way when you’re in a big tournament,” Mickelson said.
“It’s an important victory for me because it’s been quite some time since I won a tournament and I wasn’t among the contenders to do so,” he added.
Before this victory in Phoenix (the American’s third in this tournament), Mickelson had experienced a difficult start to the season, with a 37th place finish at La Quinta (California) and a 51st at Torrey Pines (California).
A week after Tiger Woods’ clear victory at Torrey Pines, Mickelson’s showing in Phoenix shows that the PGA’s biggest stars are ready for a big season.
The tournament was endowed with 6.2 million in prize money, of which just over $1 million went to the winner.
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