Phil Mickelson finally back in winner’s circle at WGC-Mexico Championship
Phil Mickelson outlasted Justin Thomas in a wild finale at the WGC-Mexico Championship, earning his first victory since the 2013 Open Championship.
Phil Mickelson’s five-year drought is over, at long last.
The 47-year-old has been playing some of his best golf in years. While it wasn’t easy, there was no more “Phil” way for it to go, either.
Mickelson opened Sunday’s final round at the WGC-Mexico Championship facing a two-stroke deficit. Trailing Shubhankar Sharma, he still found himself in the final grouping, somewhere he hasn’t been much in the last half decade.
Sharma fell off the pace early, and as he realized he couldn’t win, the 21-year-old fell apart. With four bogeys in his final six holes, the up-and-comer from India was a nonfactor when the most important putts fell.
Who was on top? Surprising basically nobody, Justin Thomas once again found his way to the top of the leaderboard. Through 15 holes, Thomas was six-under for the round, battling for the lead with Mickelson and Tyrrell Hatton. Then, this happened.
https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/970431761137176577
The magnificent eagle by Thomas gave Mickelson and Hatton plenty to work on, but they didn’t disappoint in the drama department. Hatton missed the green on 18, and his par putt to at least stay in a playoff hopped and stopped short.
The stage belonged to Mickelson. His approach to 18 came in short and left, and while he had a good line on the birdie putt, the shot came up short. A simple tap-in, and we were on to No. 73.
Phil Mickelson harnesses his emotions to take down a white-hot Thomas
With as well as both Mickelson and Thomas were playing, the playoff could have gone on for hours. Nobody would have complained. Probably not even the two players, who are both consummate competitors.
Heading back to the 17th tee, Thomas seemed to be channeling his inner Tiger Woods, circa 2002. The usually genial smile gave way to an icy stare, and the game was on. Thomas drew first and had honors on the penultimate par-3.
As intense as the competitors were, the contest didn’t last long.
Thomas’s wedge from the tee of the 170-yard hole flew the green. Mickelson was conservative by comparison, leaving a 16-footer just to the right of the cup.
As the pair walked up to the green, the atmosphere from the gallery was incredible. If there was a single person in that crowd not cheering for Phil, they were hard to find.
After an absent-minded cameraman nearly stepped on Thomas’s ball, the 24-year-old chunked his chip. The door was wide-open for Mickelson.
Lefty lined up his 16-footer, struck it pure…and the ball skirted the hole. That same thing happened several times for Phil on Sunday, so why would this be any different?
The tension heightened, but dissipated quickly. Phil tapped in for par, and when Thomas left his par putt high – it never had a chance – Mickelson was back in the winner’s circle.
Phil Mickelson is playing the best golf he has in years. Is Augusta next?
Mickelson had told us this moment was coming, it was just that none of us knew exactly when it would be. In seven starts this year, he’s finished in the top ten in four. He kept improving as the new year opened, and he could have just as easily won any of his last three starts.
"“I can’t put into words how much this means to me,” Mickelson said. “I knew it was going to be soon — I’ve been playing too well for it not to be. But you just never know until it happens.”"
We shouldn’t be surprised, really, that it came this week. In last year’s debut of the WGC-Mexico, Phil finished tied for seventh, four shots behind the buzzsaw that was Dustin Johnson. He shot a Sunday 71, even par, when so many others were under par.
This week was the perfect storm. Playing some of the best golf he has in years, and understanding how to attack Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mickelson had every tool in the bag.
All he needed was an opportunity. One by one, they fell away. Sharma, Hatton, Rafa Cabrera Bello, and finally, Thomas himself.
Mickelson has remained positive through the years, despite a litany of reasons for most players in their mid-40s to lose some hope. The game was getting younger, after all, and Phil wasn’t.
Next: Tiger Woods to make first trip to Valspar Championship
Then again, golf is a game for a lifetime, and Phil is a star for not just one, but now two generations.
For those of you who (somehow) don’t have your calendars marked, the Masters is just 32 days away. I’m not saying that Mickelson will definitely win the green jacket. But the handoff from Sergio to Phil would be a scene for the history books, wouldn’t it?