Big Phil finally lands second major

THE AGONY and ecstasy of sport were etched on the faces of the principles as Phil Mickelson finally captured his second major championship at Baltusrol yesterday.

The brilliant left hander completed the remaining five holes of the delayed final round in three pars, a bogey at the short 16th and the decisive, all-important birdie at the 18th to finish on four under par, one ahead of Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington.

As Mickelson chipped to 18 inches at the 18th to add the PGA Championship to the 2004 Masters, Elkington and Bjorn looked on from the locker room, their facial expressions signposting their disappointments.

Like Mickelson, they had also stood on the 18th tee needing a birdie to win. The Australian failed because of a hooked drive, the Dane because he wildly pulled his second from 217 metres into a bunker.

The American succeeded largely because of the magic of his short game. Having come out to about 25 feet, Bjorn saw his putt rim the hole and somehow slide a couple of inches by. “It was on a perfect line and a foot from the hole it was going nowhere else but in the hole,” he said.

Mickelson was a worthy winner of a championship that he lit up with his opening rounds of 67 and 65 before succumbing somewhat to the pressures through the weekend when he was relieved to find a couple of 72s were sufficient to finish off the job.

Each of the previous three winners of Baltusrol majors had birdied the 18th and Mickelson maintained the tradition. He even touched the Nicklaus plaque in the middle of the fairway before hitting his second and when it was all over, he embraced and kissed almost everybody in sight led by his wife Amy, children Amanda, Sophia and Evan, his parents and coach Rick Smith.

Mickelson resumed his fourth round at 10.05 yesterday morning by tapping in from two feet at the 14th to stay out in front at four under. However, he was in a tie with Elkington when he plugged his tee shot in a bunker at the short 16th and Bjorn made it a threesome on three under when he rolled in a15 footer for a birdie at 17.

However, the 18th sorted them out, much to the liking of the New York/New Jersey galleries who adopted Mickelson as one of their own. Although his second shot finished in a grassy lie to the right of the green, he played an exquisite chip to two feet and was already punching the air in triumph before lining up and tapping in the winner.

“I had played that shot tens of thousands of times in my backyard where we have some pretty tough rough,” he explained. “I had been a bit tentative over them through the first few days, especially when I took six at the first on Friday, but this time I hit a good, aggressive shot and it was great to see it come out just the way I wanted. It was an emotional boost to me when I realised that neither Thomas nor Steve had made birdie at the 18th. I thought I would need birdie to tie but then it was my tournament to win and that’s a different feeling.

“It was a fun week and the New Jersey fans have been fantastic but it was also a very stressful week because I was either in the lead or tied for the lead every night and of course there was also an extra night,” he said.

Once dubbed the best player never to have one a major, Mickelson should now be up and running having captured his second and removed another niggling monkey from his back. Asked if he was now focusing on the US and British Opens and the completion of the career grand slam, he responded:

“It’s hard for me to look that far ahead at this moment. Of course, it will be a long-term goal but for now I just want to savour this victory. It’s difficult to compare it with winning at Augusta because there I was charging from three shots back on the final day whereas here I was out in front and trying to stay there,” he said

The generosity of spirit demonstrated by Thomas Bjorn in his latest moment of deep disappointment at the end of a major championship will be one of the abiding memories of the week. Time and again, he spoke of how Mickelson deserved it.

“He is not a one major man, he’s a 10 major man, and from now it will be easier for him,” he lauded.

Bjorn also insisted that one day a major championship is going to break his way. “I’ve had some really big knocks over the years but I have a strong belief in my game, always had and always will, and if I keep sticking my nose in there, it will happen. My only problem is that it is such a long time to next April.”

Elkington readily acknowledged that his failure to put pressure on Mickelson by failing to birdie the 18th was crucial. However, for a player who has had to cope with an inordinate amount of injuries and illnesses that have blighted, and indeed interrupted his career for lengthy periods, it was a fine performance by the 42-year-old from Sydney now based in Texas.

“It would have been nice to be able to make a four at the last and so put pressure on Phil rather than giving him a free shot at a birdie,” he said.

“The extra day was like being in an exam ... you get prepared and you’re ready to go and someone says, stop, we’ll come back and finish the test in the morning. It’s a bit of a strain.”