Phil Mickelson mounts from 17 to 11 in golf rankings
With his iconic victory at the 40th PGA Tour, American golfer Phil Mickelson was not only able to secure a convincing win at the Pebble Beach event at Montreal Peninsula, but simultaneously surged his position by six levels.
He was able to secure victory in the event after defeating the debutant Tiger Woods by 11 shots in the final round of the event.
However, before his encounter with his archrival, he was also able to chuck out US Open Champion, Charlie Wi, defeating him by two shots and shattering his dreams to compete for the title.
It is important to mention here that Mickelson’s entry in the Pebble Beach event was rather surprising.
He had marginalised himself from some of the mainstream events of golf and, hence, he was not expected to make much of a difference.
Moreover, this kind of performance came as much of a surprise for many because his presence was being overshadowed by players like Dustin Johnson, Charlie Wi and, most importantly, Tiger Woods.
Contrary to all expectations, Mickelson was able to top all his other opponents.
Commenting on the 40th win he has achieved in his PGA career, Mickelson said, "He seems to bring out the best in me and the last four or five years I've played some of my best golf playing with him".
Experts have repeatedly accentuated that it was pre-dominantly Woods wrist injury that paved way for Mickelson to make his mark on the game.
After getting a wrist injury, Woods was finding it difficult to tee it off effectively.
However, in the midst of all this, the effort and determination the Californian golfer invested in the game must not be neglected.
He further said that all he needed was to get off a good start. He knew that once he tees off well, he will be able to control his nerve throughout the game.
He said, "It feels just amazing. I felt like my game was there, but coming out the first couple of weeks, I posted some horrendous scores and started to question it. To be able to play the way I did the last 18 holes really means a lot".
It will be interesting to see how Mickelson maintains his top-notch position and how Woods will formulate a strategy to avenge his defeat.
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