Mickelson rolls back years
Padraig Harrington showed the pluck of the Irish yesterday as he battled back from a nightmare start at Pebble Beach to claim a fighting top-10 finish and achieve a unique double with his long-time amateur playing partner and close friend JP McManus.
After two victories together at Europe's Dunhill Links, Harrington and McManus, playing off 14, yesterday became the first pair to complete a prestigious set by claiming a share of America's AT&T National Pro-Am title.
The doughty Dubliner sank a 12 foot birdie putt at 17 to tie the lead in the team event with tour rookie Brian Harman and Illinois businessman Gregg Outiveros on 35-under and that's how it finished.
Importantly, Harrington showed the fire in his belly by bouncing back from an awful double-bogey seven at two to land four birdies at the next five holes, his closing 70 yesterday leaving him inside the top-10 on 10-under par.
Phil Mickelson, 41, romped to his 40th PGA Tour win; fourth in this event and his first since Houston last April with a phenomenal final round 64 to finish on 17 under par.
Six behind overnight leader Charlie Wi at the start of play, Michelson had leapfrogged to the head of the field through six with birdies at two, four and five before he burst clear by sinking a 21 foot putt for eagle three at six.
Mickelson played with Tiger Woods yesterday but the latter was a pale shadow of the man who won the AT&T and US Open here in 2000 as he flopped on Sunday for the second time in two weeks with a slipshod 75.
Irish Independent
