Woods wins, tightens hold on No. 1 ranking

VIRGINIA WATER, England, July 6 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods has run his reign as the No 1 golfer in the world to 213 consecutive weeks, rankings released Monday indicate.
Woods won his own tournament Sunday, which solidified his hold on the rankings' top spot. He defeated Hunter Mahan, who had a course-record tying 62 Sunday to get into contention while Anthony Kim finished third.
Woods has been the top-rated men's golfer for 555 weeks. Greg Norman (331 weeks) is the only other golfer to be No. 1 for more than 100 weeks in the 23 years of the rankings.
Phil Mickelson is still second on the current list with Paul Casey third, Kenny Perry fourth and Sergio Garcia in fifth.
Geoff Ogilvy, now sixth, switched places with No. 7 Henrik Stenson in the only change in the Top 10 this week.
Steve Stricker is eighth, followed by, in order, Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh.
Mahan's strong finish allowed him to improve 13 spots to a No. 26 ranking. Kim went from 15th to 14th this week.

When 62 isn't good enough

Even after 67 victories, Tiger Woods hadn't had a finish quite like Sunday's at the AT&T National.
Challenged by Hunter Mahan's record-tying 62 at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., Woods plotted his way along the back nine and delivered the decisive birdie with a 20-foot putt on the 16th green, closing with a 3-under-par 67 for a one-shot victory.
With three birdies in a five-hole stretch, Woods surged past Anthony Kim, who finished third, four shots back, in the high-charged final pairing. Mahan finished second after making six birdies on the back nine and tying Kim's course-record 62 set Thursday.
Woods had routine pars on the final two holes to finish at 13-under 267 for his third victory this year.
He won in his second try at the tournament he hosts, just as Jack Nicklaus won his Memorial in the second year.
"It was great shaking my hand today," Woods said.
The 68th victory of his PGA Tour career moved him to the top of the money list and FedEx Cup standings for the first time this year.
It was the ideal final pairing at Congressional - the world's No. 1 player and tournament host tied with Kim, a confident 24-year-old who was the defending champion.
"I had a lot of fun," said Kim, who didn't have a birdie on the back nine. "I know I'll be knocking on the door again. It's only a matter of time. I learned if you have a birdie putt, you better make it."
YI PREVAILS: Eunjung Yi squandered a six-stroke lead, then hit a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Morgan Pressel and collect her first LPGA victory in what might be the final Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio. The 21-year-old from South Korea, who had missed the cut in four of her seven starts this year and collected just more than $11,000 on her biggest payday, won $210,000 Sunday. Michelle Wie made a back-nine rush to finish 16-under, tied for third.
PLAYOFF WIN: Martin Kaymer hit an 18-foot putt on the first playoff hole to beat Lee Westwood and win the French Open in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a PGA European Tour event.

Woods Draws a Crowd at Congressional

Glover, Hoffman Get a Taste of What It's Like to Play With World's No. 1 Player

Tiger Woods was still three holes away, but the audience started to build at the 10th hole. Congressional's clubhouse balcony was full. Fans surrounded the tee boxes, crowded the rope along the fairway and fought for space at the green.
For Woods, the attention is standard. It is not as customary for the golfers he partnered with yesterday.
Lucas Glover and Charley Hoffman both said they enjoyed the hordes of onlookers that watched their round during the first day of the AT&T National. It helped that Glover won the U.S. Open in June, which enhanced his name recognition. Hoffman, with only one PGA Tour victory on his résumé, is not as renowned but did receive supporters wearing wigs that resembled his flowing golden locks.
"To see the support [Woods] gets every week, and see how he deals with it, it's pretty impressive," Glover said. "I tried to hang on to his coattails early, but couldn't keep up."
More so than the airtight crowd, the lasting impression for Glover and Hoffman was watching Woods's talent up close. Woods shot a 6-under-par 64 -- trumping Glover's 1-under 69 and Hoffman's 1-over 71. They were both impressed by Woods's consistency.
Hoffman noted that it was not the outstanding shot that helps Woods, but the infrequency of a bad shot. While Glover bogeyed four times and Hoffman double-bogeyed and bogeyed, Woods bogeyed just once.
"Any time you can play the best in the world, put your game against his -- and see it's not where his is at right now -- it's fun to watch," Hoffman said.

Yet when Woods is involved, it is not simply 18 holes that must be accounted for, but also the uncontrollable surroundings.
Wherever Woods goes, a mass of humanity both awaits and follows. The gallery turns silent as Woods prepares for his shot. Once he finishes his follow-through, cameras provide a chorus of clicks while the crowd reacts.
Even when Woods is not shooting, he remains the center of attention. At the seventh hole, camera clicks capturing an image of Woods speaking with his caddie disrupted Hoffman's putt. When the ball dropped, Hoffman turned and motioned toward the photographers.
"I wouldn't say that's playing with Tiger," Hoffman said. "That's camera people not doing their job."
Hoffman said it's actually easier to play with Woods. Because so many fans watch, it is not noticeable when a single person moves. By crowding the ropes, the fans provide a de facto fence. And a good shot while grouped with Woods in the first round can draw similar reactions to a good shot in the U.S. Open.
"The yells, the urges on and everything were okay," Glover said. "It wasn't a hassle, as it has been before. [The U.S. Open] helped me get used to it. It was a good experience, then and now."
The threesome will return to the 10th hole at 8:12 this morning, at which point Woods will again earn top billing at his tournament. But for Glover and Hoffman, it provides an opportunity to measure their game against golf's best -- and possibly gain some of his fans, too.
"You know you're going to see good shots from Tiger, you know the crowd is going to be rooting for Tiger," Hoffman said. "But you hope you can get some people getting on your side."

No Shame! When It Comes to Clubs

By BILL PENNINGTON
Published: June 28, 2009
If you are feeling embarrassed that a shot-saving club like a 7-wood has crept into your bag, or maybe a hybrid has replaced your 5-iron, you should know that Tiger Woods has faced the same situation and is not ashamed.
“I now have a senior club in my bag,” Woods said at a clinic recently. “It’s a 5-wood. I’m O.K. with my senior club.”
Woods did not win the United States Open last week, but he came close. All around him at Bethpage Black, other top professionals were using hybrids, 5-woods and even the occasional 7-wood. From the rough, these clubs are a godsend. And who is in the rough more than anyone? The average player, that’s who. So if you haven’t already, add one of these user-friendly weapons to your arsenal.As Woods said: “When I was a teenager, I hit a 1-iron. Then I moved down to a 2-iron. So now that I’m in my 30s, I’ve got the 5-wood. When I’m in my 40s, it will probably be a 7-wood. A decade later, it’ll be a 9-wood. And in my 60s, I’ll probably be playing an 11-wood. I have no shame; this game is too hard.”

WSU's Spears Leads US Open

by Bryan Holmgren

Day One of the US Open was mostly a wash - unless you're Wichita State alum Ryan Spears.
The 23-year old has never even played in a PGA event, let alone on one of golf's biggest stages, yet finds himself tied with three others at one-under par.
The catch: He only actually played three holes to get there. Spears birdied the second hole on a long putt from the fringe, shortly before the rains forced a stoppage of play Thursday morning at Bethpage Black. Over half of the field had yet to tee off, and even the earliest groups has only just made the turn.
None of that matters for Spears, a second team All-American for WSU, who snuck into the field as a qualifier and is a long shot just to make the cut. He's two shots ahead of Tiger Woods and a host of other world-class golfers.
Woods double-bogied his fifth hole but came back immediately with a birdie on the sixth to put himself in a 12th place tie at one-over.
Play is scheduled to resume early Friday morning. Officials were hoping to have the second round completed by the end of Saturday with the goal of playing 36 holes on Sunday. That may be overly optimistic with more rain expected over the weekend.

Tiger Woods makes TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list

If you can't be People's Sexiest Man Alive, here's a decent consolation prize.

This week TIME Magazine included Tiger Woods in its 2009 list of the top 100 most influential people in the world. Woods is included in the category of "Heroes and Icons," where he joins an eclectic collection of notables including Captain Sully, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and George Clooney. The only other athletes on the list are tennis player Rafael Nadal and Filipino boxer Manny Pacquino.

"You rarely see an athlete who single-handedly changes an entire sport," Woods's friend, fellow Right Guard pitchman and Nike brother Roger Federer writes in TIME. "When Tiger couldn't play last year because of an injury, golf ratings suffered. He has changed the way golfers train and prepare themselves and has brought huge numbers of new fans to the sport, including me. I never followed golf when I was younger. Now I do."

Looks like my invitation to the World's Most Influential People dinner must have gotten lost in the mail.

Tiger Woods Gives Simple Swing Advice

Tiger Woods, who most would agree was a pretty fair junior player, was asked recently at a clinic I attended how to teach a young beginning golfer some basics, like how hard to swing.

“Obviously, you can’t tell an 8-year-old to swing at 85 percent of normal,” Woods said.
“An 8-year-old doesn’t know how to gauge something like that in the middle of a swing, or how to interpret what 85 percent of some movement is. So when I was young, my father told me that I could swing as hard as I wanted, just so long as I was in complete balance when I had finished my swing.
“At the end of a shot, I couldn’t be swaying side to side, falling back or lurching forward. I had to be in balance. I still think it’s a great tip: swing as hard as you like so long as you can be in balance. It puts you in charge of managing the speed and pace of your swing.”
That advice still works for junior players. It would work, most likely, for everyone.

Looking back, 2009 Masters will go down as one of the best

Spectators who were fortunate enough to be at Augusta National for the final round of the 2009 U.S. Masters will never forget the experience as the birdie roars returned to the undulating, par-72 layout with a vengeance.
On a sun-kissed spring afternoon in Georgia, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods led the way with a sizzling display of shot-making, charging into contention after starting the last day seven strokes off the lead.
Although both Americans ultimately fell short of a three-way playoff eventually won by Argentina’s Angel Cabrera at the second extra hole, they attracted arguably the biggest crowds ever seen at Augusta with the fans massing 30 deep around some of the greens.
Throw in a few late fireworks by overnight leaders Cabrera and American Kenny Perry and Sunday’s final round proved to be one of the most unforgettable at the Masters.
Mickelson exploded out of the gate with six birdies in seven holes to reach the turn in a record equalling six-under-par 30.
Woods, although not at his very best, rammed in a 25-footer to eagle the par-five eighth before making birdie on 13, 15 and 16 to surge into contention for the title.
The game’s two leading players got to within a stroke of the lead before slipping back over the closing stretch.
Perry, meanwhile, struck his tee shot to a foot at the par-three 16th to forge two strokes clear before allowing Cabrera back into the tournament with a bogey-bogey finish.
The messy finale to the opening major of the season — Cabrera clinched his first Green Jacket by simply parring the two playoff holes — will undermine the argument made by many that this was one of the most unforgettable finishes ever at the Masters.
However, probably only two other editions over the last 30 years at Augusta can lay claim to being more memorable.
In 1986, the 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus shot a final-round 65 featuring an explosive back nine of 30 to win his sixth Green Jacket. He eagled the par-five 15th, almost aced the 16th and birdied the 17th to complete a stunning comeback and a one-shot victory.
In 2004, Mickelson scuppered the hopes of South African Ernie Els after the pair had duelled in an epic battle of shot-making in the final round.
Els, who had led by two strokes with five holes to play, closed with a five-under-par 67 but had to settle for second place after left-hander Mickelson birdied five of the last seven holes.
The Masters has long established a reputation for the resounding birdie roars on the back nine during the final round with much of the drama focusing on the two par fives — 13 and 15.
Cold and windy conditions in 2007 and 2008 had conspired to leave Augusta strangely silent but Mickelson, Woods and company, helped by glorious weather, changed all of that in spectacular fashion in 2009.

Ping Rapture V2 Driver Review

Ping is introducing several new club families for its 2009 product lineup, clubs that will complement the existing G10 Series, i10 irons, and the i-Series and Karsten Series putter lines.
The new series are the Rapture V2, which includes driver, fairways, hybrids and irons; the S57 irons; and the iWi putters.
All the new club lines are multi-material in construction, but Ping chairman/John Solheim says in a news release, "The common material throughout all of the new products is tungsten. From the driver to the putters, we've utilized the density of tungsten in strategic locations to optimize weight distribution and maximize performance. Plus, they all offer multiple fitting variables to ensure golfers can be properly fit for every club in their bag."
Here is a thumbnail look at the new-for-2009 Ping clubs, which will begin shipping in late September, 2008:

Ping Rapture V2 Driver
Materials: 460cc titanium body with external tungsten weight pads located in back, near heel and toe.
Specifications: Available in lofts of 9, 10.5, 12 and 13.4 degrees. Standard shafts are the Ping TFC939D (in flexes of Ladies, Soft R, R, S, and X) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue (in flexes of R, S and X).
Fitting variables: Loft, shaft flex/type, shaft length, grip size/type, swingweight.
MSRP: $500 (graphite only).

Ping says:
"Tungsten weight pads position CG for lower spin and high launch with higher MOI for improved distance and accuracy. Plasma-welded, machined, variable thickness face for increased ball speed. Taller face and aggressively tapered crown. Double-Rapture alignment aid on crown."

Cobra S9-1 Driver 2009 Review

CG is the name of the game for the new Cobra S9-1 Driver. The all titanium driver has been downsized to take advantage of each loft. In addition to the optimized CG, rather dramatic changes have been made from last year’s model such as slightly narrower face and less crown surface area. The weight has been reduced by almost 6 grams to increase club-head speed - this to me is a biggie. I am an advocate on stripping unnecessary weight to increase club-head speed. This is the name of the game to gain additional yardage.
Other notables for the Cobra S9-1 is the new Hotter 9 Points technology to further increase clubface efficiency. What is this? It’s the design of the driver to maximize COR using a Dual Rhombas insert to promote higher ball speed and a more consistent ball flight across the entire club face.

Comes in three different models (excluding the S9-1 Pro): S9-1 M for swing speeds of 87-108 and ball speeds of 125-155, S9-F for swing speeds of 97 or less and ball speeds of 140 or less and finally the S9-M (offset) for swing speeds of 97 or less and ball speeds of 140 or less.

Cobra S9-1 Spec Sheet-

Face Height…….. 53 mm

Shaft Length…… 45.5

Face Area……….. 43.7

Heel to Toe…….. 107 mm

Front to Back…… 120 mm

MOI……………….. Very High

Actual Player Feedback-

“I had no slice whatsoever on any shot”
“Feels great and goes straight”
“Absolutely SWEET!”

Pros/Positives-

Absolutely great looking driver. Cobra has always come out with stellar drivers and this one is no exception. Very high MOI and balanced face makes this one of the straighter drivers on the market today. Excellent custom shaft selection such as Graphite Design, YS-6+ and YS-7+, Aldila DVS, Aldila NV, Grafalloy Prolaunch, Proforce V2, Fujikura Speedax, Rombax, and the Mitsubishi Diaman to name a few.

Cons/Negatives-

Driver is probably more geared for the average player. Lacks lower loft selection (starting at 9.5) unless you go to the Cobra S9-1 Pro model. These are not negatives to the majority of players however…
Overall Rating-
The Cobra S9-1 is definitely a great driver for the average to better than average golfer looking for distance and accuracy. A high launch driver that’s straight and long, this is the general consensus. Made Golf rating in the Golf Digest Driver reviews for 2009′. This is definitely a driver putting on your short list this spring.
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TaylorMade 2009 Burner Steel Iron Review

The TaylorMade 2009 Burner Iron is the best looking, best performing iron the company has ever produced. TaylorMade’s designers changed their approach to irons by looking at short, middle and long irons differently and the result is a set of irons that performs throughout the bag. The long irons feature Inverted Cone Technology to ensure distance remains consistent on even off centre hits and the clubface has been thinned to make each club more flexible and faster.

The clubhead is larger and combined with a wider sole to both increase MOI and lower the CG location. The result is longer irons that are as easy to hit as TaylorMade’s Rescue club but with the added benefit of accuracy and control that only irons can bring.

These advances in iron technology were also used to create the 2009 Burner middle irons which are more accurate and longer than any previous TaylorMade iron. Short irons were designed to deliver responsive, controlled clubs that kept the classic prescision looks of traditional short irons.

The result is short irons that are both classic in design but which also score highly on all counts of accuracy, forgiveness and feel. The real beauty of the TaylorMade 2009 Burner Irons is that, despite the separate design processes, the whole set combine to give the golfer a powerful weapon.

Distance gaps between each iron are even leaving no difficult, unbridgeable gaps between clubs and, throughout the bag, the 2009 Burner Irons deliver high, soft landing ball flight combined with accuracy and carry.

Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider Putter Review

Just like the original Rossa Monza Spider, only smaller? Almost, but not quite.
TaylorMade's Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider putter is, at a glance, just a smaller version of the original. The Itsy Bitsy is 20-percent smaller than the Monza Spider, to be exact. It's a mid-sized, rather than an oversized, mallet.
But the Itsy Bitsy does have a couple differences, beyond its smaller size, that show up on closer examination:
The "wings" - where the Moveable Weight Cartridges are located and used to adjust weight and feel - don't stick out as much on the Itsy Bitsy.
The alignment decal on top of the Itsy Bitsy putter head is an abbreviated version of the "full-court alignment" decal on the original. Hence, TaylorMade refers to this one as the "half-court alignment" decal. The Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider has the same steel wire-frame head construction as the original, larger putter; an aluminum core; and the Moveable Weight Technology ports on the wings. Combined, these features allow for the repositioning of weight around the perimeter, pulling the center of gravity rearward and increasing MOI.
The Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider from TaylorMade will carry an MSRP of $240.

Rossa Core Classic Putters Review

The Rossa Core Classics from TaylorMade are four putters employing traditional shapes: Two blades (the Daytona and the Lambeau) and two mallets (the Fontana and the Suzuka).
All four employ Rossa's AGSI+ clubface insert, but a new version that TaylorMade says is 50-percent softer at impact. The four models are made of soft stainless steel with a Tuscan nickel finish.
In addition to the soft feel at impact, the AGSI+ insert is designed to mitigate backspin and promote forwardspin to get the ball rolling more smoothly off the clubface.
The Rossa Core Classic putters come with a new "big bird" black tour grip, which features the new Rossa logo prominently displayed. All models are available in right-hand; the Daytona (one of the blades) is also available in left-hand. The MSRP is $142 each.

TaylorMade Burner Plus Irons Review

TaylorMade counts a lot of clubs in its Burner series, including many iron sets. So what type of golfer is the target audience for the TaylorMade Burner Plus irons? These irons, the company states, are "developed for the 10+ handicap bomber who loves his Burner driver and wants an iron that shares the same personality and the same fast-and-long qualities."
The Burner Plus irons have the highest MOI of any irons in the TaylorMade stable, according to the company. That means increased forgiveness on mis-hits and less loss of distance on off-center strikes.
The muscular clubhead design has a thick topline with a wide beveled sole. In between is a thin clubface, significant perimeter weighting and a center of gravy very low and deep to help promote a high launch and trajectory.
The Burner Plus irons also have more offset than other TaylorMade irons, discouraging a fade and promoting a draw ball flight.
The Burner Plus irons are equipped with with 47-gram TaylorMade arrow grips and TaylorMade SuperFast RE*AX 60-gram graphite shafts in S, R, M and L flexes (or SuperFast 85-gram lightweight steel in S, R and M flexes).
Standard set configuration is 4 through attack wedge, which carries an MSRP of $799 with graphite shafts or $599 with steel shafts. The clubs are also available in a Combo configuration, which includes Burner Rescue hybrids 3 and 4, then 5-iron through pitching wedge. The MSRP for the Combo set is $899 with graphite shafts and $699 with steel shafts. And there is also a Ladies configuration of Burner Rescues 4 and 5, then 6-iron through attack wedge. The MSRP for the Ladies set is $899 with graphite shafts, $699 with steel shafts.

TaylorMade Tour Preferred Irons Review

TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons is the latest high-performance set from the company, which touts them as blending "modern technology with classic design."
Classic design: The Tour Preferred irons have a thinner topline than most current irons, and are shorter heel-to-toe than most contemporary irons. That gives them the smaller "players look" at address preferred by some golfers.
Modern technology: All the usual TaylorMade bells and whistles, such as inverted cone technology. The "tour-configured" sole has softened leading and trailing edges, which are designed to minimize resistance and discourage digging.
A shallow, undercut cavity allows for repositioning weight to the perimeter, and is also home to a "vibration-management sound badge," designed to help produce a solid, pleasing sound at impact.
The TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons are targeted at low- to mid-handicappers. The stock shaft is True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts, and the stock grip Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Available in 2- through 9-iron, pitching wedge, attack wedge and sand wedge. MSRP for a set is $899

Golfing for Novices: Part Two

By Rhys Jones
What to keep in your golf bag.There are many golf bags available; some are designed for fashion, some for utility and some that combine both features. There are big bags, bigger bags and bags so big that they would keep everything I need for a long week-end vacation in one of the side pockets!

As a rule of thumb, you only need a golf bag large enough to hold your clubs, spare balls, your glove, keys, tees, spare pencils, ball markers, a ball retriever, suntan lotion, a plastic mac, and an umbrella.

It is also recommended that you carry in your bag: some tissue paper, sticking plasters and, whether necessary or not, some insect repellant.

A small pack of baby wipes comes in very handy; in your bag they get warmed by the heat, so when you get sweaty or a sand trap covers you with sand, a nice warm wipe can be very refreshing.

I happen to be allergic to the stings of bees, hornets and wasps, so my Epipen is an important addition to my bag. I am also hypoglycemic so I carry Lifesavers, the packs of which have to be replaced several times throughout the year because they have a tendency to melt.

You should also switch off your mobile phone before stowing it away in one of your golf bag's side pockets to prevent it from upsetting other players. You have to be considerate to you fellow players and mobile phones on a golf course are considered a nuisance as they are in restaurants. Having these items in your golf bag should provide everything you will need, even in a minor emergency (like a blister) or a major inconvenience, like a sudden rainstorm. Being prepared makes the game a great deal more fun.
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Woods leads players in support of 2016 Olympics Golf bid

World number one Tiger Woods is one of 18 of the world's leading golfers to back the International Golf Federation's (IGF) bid to have the sport included in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Woods has written personally and sent a 32-page brochure outlining the bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member for the United States.
Ireland's Padraic Harrington, winner of two majors last year, Fiji's Vijay Singh, Europe's 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and Spain's Sergio Garcia, have also written to their respective IOC members to try and restore golf to the Olympic fold for the first time for more than 100 years.
"As we have consistently stated from the outset of the bid process, it is imperative that the best players in the world support golf's Olympic effort," Peter Dawson, chief executive of The R&A and joint secretary of the IGF, said.
Dawson said in a statement this would give golf "the best chance of being selected by the IOC to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games."
The IGF's Olympic committee, which represents golf's main organisations and tours, hopes to claim one of two spots for new sports available at the 2016 Games after golf missed out on the 2012 Games.
Dawson said last year that a strokeplay competition would be the proposed format for golf at the Games, with men and women taking part. The last time Olympic medals were up for grabs in the sport was at the 1904 Games in St Louis.
Golf faces competition from baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, softball and squash with the IOC's final vote taking place in October when the host city will also be chosen. Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are the contenders.

Dueling duds, Tiger Vs Phil

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A supercharged duel between the world's two best players ended with a thud Sunday at the Masters, leaving someone else to claim the green jacket. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson fell apart down the stretch as Angel Cabrera won the major in a three-way sudden-death playoff. Here's a look at the pairing between Mickelson and Woods:

The quotes
"We've had some good matches in the past. I've usually been on the wrong end of it."
Mickelson, on beating Woods by one stroke overall Sunday.
"I was pretty much dead from there."
Woods, on his bogey on No. 17 after climbing within a shot of the lead before unleashing two errant drives.
The history
Sunday was the third final-round pairing between Woods and Mickelson. The others:
2001 Masters
Woods went into Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Lefty and wrapped up an unprecedented fourth straight major title -- the Tiger Slam -- with a 68. Mickelson shot 70 and settled for third, three strokes behind.
1997 PGA Championship
Their other final-round pairing in a major saw both shoot a 75 in a tournament won by Davis Love III.

Tiger woods Snubs McIlroy who will be the next Major winner

When Tiger Woods declined to play a practice round with Rory McIlroy this week, his friend Mark O'Meara told the teenager to take it as a compliment.
It meant the world No.1 already regarded the Ulsterman, who watched Woods claim his first Green Jacket on TV in his pyjamas as a seven-year old, as a genuine threat.
The American superstar knows any player whose world ranking is lower than his age has got to be the real deal.
Woods, the winner of 14 Majors, does not like to share tips or banter with players he reckons are his direct competitors. He prefers players past their peak (O'Meara and John Cook) or journeyman pros (Bubba Watson and Sean O'Hair).
Players like Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, who never tee up with Tiger, have almost had their careers defined by losing to arguably the greatest ever player. But before playing his first Major since last June's US Open, Woods acknowledged the biggest danger to his domination will come from the next generation of players like McIlroy, Danny Lee and Ryo Ishikawa, who play without fear.
He admitted: "It's just a matter of time before these guys gain experience in Major championships.
That's something that they have not done yet. Once you start getting a taste of it, start getting a feel for it, it's just a matter of time.
"But you look at their games and they certainly have the talent. It's just a matter of gaining experience."

Gary Player to play 52nd and final Masters

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) — Nine-time major champion Gary Player will play his final Masters this week, the 73-year-old South African legend announcing Monday he will call it quits after his 52nd Augusta National start.
"I've decided I would like to make this my last appearance in the tournament," Player said. "This will be my last major championship that I will play on the regular tour."
Stretching the famed Augusta National layout to 7,435 yards over the past few years has proven too much for even the fitness-focused Player.
"I'm exercising profusely, but at 73 it's difficult to build strength," he said. "The course is so long there are very few holes I can hit an iron to. It's just too long for me."
Player won the Masters in 1961, 1974 and 1978 and he is one of only five men to capture a career Grand Slam, joining an elite group that also includes Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Tiger Woods, who did it at age 24.
"I think that's the greatest feat that has ever been accomplished in world sport - to win the Grand Slam at 24," Player said.
Player's other major titles include the British Open in 1959, 1968 and 1974, the 1965 US Open and 1962 and 1972 PGA Championship.
South African Ernie Els, who followed in his countryman's globetrotting footsteps, told Player that his best round at Augusta was not one to win a title but his 77 from round two in 2007 due to his age and the tougher course.
"I've managed to break 80 the last two years. It's getting to a stage where I don't know if I can do that any more," Player said. "I'm getting old and it's getting so much tougher."
Player joked that "I'm hitting the ball so short now I can hear it land" and "the hole is getting the size of a Bayer aspirin. You wonder if you can squeeze it in there."
Having become the first golf star to dedicate himself to playing tournaments around the world, Player will break his own record for the most Masters starts with number 52 on Thursday but says he expects his mark will one day fall.
"It will be broken," Player said. "We're in our infancy when it comes to the art of the mind and the body. We haven't had the big men playing golf yet. They are coming... You will find bionic men coming out in times to come."
Player said his greatest Masters memory was his rally to win in 1978, when he birdied seven of the last 10 holes to fire a 64 and recover from seven strokes off the pace to win.
His worst memory came in 1962 when he told his caddie, "We've won," only to watch Arnold Palmer sink a long putt and overtake him for the triumph.
"I've had it all. You can't be greedy," Player said. "I'm very grateful. I realize my talent is on loan.
"I prefer ranching to golf. I'm still going to come to this tournament. I'm not getting out of golf. But there comes a time. You will not see me come back and play."
Player, who cited his nine over-50 majors as a superior feat to his nine regular ones simply because of the shorter time frame in which to win them, sees his legacy in the faces of players from around the world who now find success in majors.
"It's possible my wins energized the international players to feel like they could win," Player said. "You will see a lot more players coming from China and India, where golf is booming."