American Phil Mickelson has pulled off a dramatic last hole win at the final major golf tournament of the year. Mickelson won the 87th PGA Championship in Springfield, New Jersey by one stroke to win his second major and lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
Twelve players had to come back to the Baltusrol Golf Club for a fifth day of play Monday. They had to finish the last few holes after rain and lightning caused organizers to halt play Sunday late in the final round.
Phil Mickelson returned to the 14th hole and made a one-meter par putt to hold onto his one shot lead. But he bogeyed the 16th to fall into a three-way tie with Steve Elkington of Australia and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark.
Mickelson came to the par-five 18th hole needing a birdie to win. He talks about his thoughts as he walked up the fairway after making his tee shot.
"I knew that I needed to make birdie, I thought probably to tie," he said. "And then as I walked off the tee I saw that Elkington had made par. I did not know what Thomas Bjorn, who was also at three-under, had done. So I asked as I was coming up and when I hit the second shot I knew that I needed a birdie to win."
Phil Mickelson's second shot went into the deep rough surrounding the 18th green, but his perfect chip out landed just 60 centimeters from the cup.
"You know, I've struggled with [getting] out of the rough here this week because it is very difficult," he added. "But I tried to just remember some of the shots that I hit as a kid in my back yard out of the thick stuff. And I went in aggressive, I hit it aggressively, the ball popped up beautifully and landed softly and rolled up there within a couple of feet."
Mickelson calmly tapped in the winning putt to claim the second major tournament of his career, after last year's Masters victory.
The American ended the day with a two-over-par 72, for a four-under total of 276. Bjorn also finished with a 72, while Elkington carded a final round of 71. They tied for second place one stroke back. World number-one Tiger Woods fired a 68 to finish another shot back in a fourth place tie with fellow American Davis Love III.
