golfwholesalerau 2012-02-13
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Phil Mickelson had good reason to be oozing with confidence Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am -- even if he did enter the final round trailing by six shots.
"I love playing with him, and he brings out some of my best golf," Mickelson said. "I just seem more focused. I know that his level of play is so much greater when he's playing his best than anybody else's, that it just forces me to focus on my game more intently, and hit more precise shots."
That's exactly what Mickelson did with a dazzling 8-under 64 that included three birdies and an eagle over his first six holes as he sped to a two-shot win over Charlie Wi, who led overnight but shot just even par.
Whether it was with his putting -- he missed seven putts from inside 10 feet, including three from inside 3 feet -- or his iron play -- he hit just nine greens in regulation, easily his fewest all week -- Woods never gave himself a chance.
"It was frustrating," said Woods, who began the tie in a tie for second and ended it tied for 15thafter a disastrous 75 that included three straight bogeys to close out the front nine. "I was looking for 2-3 under though the first six or seven holes, and Phil is the one who got off to that start.
"I thought I had a chance to get up there in the middle of the round and instead I went the other way."
Next:Bradley to Hold Fire After Twitter Users Left Spitting Mad
Previous:Steve Stricker Wins First PGA Tour Event of 2012
