Phil Mickelson steals the show at Pebble Beach
It is not easy to win 40 PGA (Professional Golf Association) Tour tournaments without having talent. Phil Mickelson is exactly the player who has what it takes to grab the headlines.
Mickelson proved his mettle last week. On the grand course at Pebble Beach, he produced a superb round of 64, which allowed him to win the 2012 edition of the National Pro-Am in an impressive style.
The big left-hander, who began his career as a professional golfer in 1992, had been good right from the start. He played a flawless round, which he called one of his best in life.
Mickelson grabbed the headlines due to his phenomenal putting skills and accuracy on the greens.
The American star has been in a tough battle with the former world number one Tiger Woods, who gave him a tough time in terms of world rankings and prize money.
However, Mickelson went through the evolution process in his game, mastering key skills needed to win a pro event. He once said that he takes Woods as a motivation for him.
Analysts have pointed out that the only player who can give Woods a hard time is certainly Mickelson.
The Pebble Beach, this year, was a scene of relentless battle. Mickelson outplayed everyone in the field, while his long-time competitor Woods finished tied for the 15th.
Throughout the final day, the strength of his strokes and precision of his putts were unusual, reminding his fans of his lost glory.
He did not miss chances, capitalising on his putting expertise. The final round saw him fire a massive 8-under 64. He appeared to be in good shape most of the day, but faltered little on a few holes.
There were several brilliant shots that allowed Mickelson to maintain the momentum of his round. The bogey-free round had a detrimental effect on his rivals, especially Woods.
"It just feels great to win this tournament,” the 41-year-old American said.
He went on, "It's a special place for me, Pebble Beach, and to have a win here, where my grandfather caddied, feels awesome. I felt like my game was so close heading into the season, and yet my scores didn't reflect how I felt I was playing”.
His moves on the greens were eye-catching. Reeling off a birdie on the difficult par-3 5th hole was applauded by the spectators.
He received appreciation once again when he carded a much-needed eagle, further strengthening his position on the leaderboard.
His rivals soon realised that this was Mickelson’s day and all they could do was see him rack up the prestigious title.
The triumph at Pebble Beach helped him boost his career earnings to over $65 million. Best of all, he has seen his world ranking take a steep jump, surging from the 17th to 11th.
Tiger Woods appeared to be a bit sad after the end of the match. His fans had pinned high hopes on him but he could not prove his worth in the strongest field.
His score of 75 in the final round does not necessarily reflect that he played so poorly because it was more about the green where he lost most of his shots.
Regretting his bad moves on the greens, Woods said that he did not know what happen because he tried his best to remain on the track.
"I didn't hit it as bad as the score indicated, but I putted awful," he said.
On the other hand, Mickelson said he was glad that he found his form once again. He has been struggling to fix flaws in his strokes and putting.
Now that he has recorded an amazing victory, he can map out plans for the upcoming events.
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