Monday, November 6, 2000
Mickelson stops another Tiger streak
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Tiger Woods had two incredible streaks going
this year. Phil Mickelson ended both of them.
If Mickelson had bothered to do his homework before the final
round of the Tour Championship, he would have had to flip back
through four years and 19 tournaments to find the last time Woods
had at least a share of the 54-hole lead and failed to win.
Trailing by one shot going into the final round Sunday, all Mickelson
cared about was putting pressure on the No. 1 player in the world.
“I didn't really expect him to win,” Mickelson said.
“I thought I had a pretty good chance. And I really like
the position I was in, being one group in front and having them
watch me make birdies.”
With four birdies on the front to take the lead and no mistakes
over the final five holes to keep it, Mickelson closed with a
4-under 66 and took advantage of sloppy play by Woods for a two-stroke
victory at East Lake Golf Club.
In the Year of the Tiger, Mickelson earned one distinction —
the only player to beat Woods twice down the stretch.
“It's a wonderful way to end the year,” said Mickelson,
who finished at 13-under 267 to break by one stroke the Tour Championship
record set by Tom Watson in 1987.
It was the first time in 20 tournaments, dating to his third tournament
as a pro in 1996, that Woods took a lead into the final round
and didn't hoist a trophy at the end of the day.
And it was the second time this year Mickelson was the man responsible
for stopping the streak. In February, he came on strong down the
stretch to win the Buick Invitational in San Diego and stop Woods'
tour winning streak at six.
Woods, who shot a 69, has one tournament left — the World
Golf Championship next week in Spain — to try to become the
first player in 50 years to win at least 10 times in one season.
As for his streak of protecting third-round leads, Woods figured
it had to end sometime.
“I've had a loot of good things go my way,” said Woods,
who was 1 over on the back nine. “I've been able to make
key shots at the right times, and it has added into victories.
Sometimes, I have played poorly coming down the stretch and have
somehow snuck out a win.”
This wasn't one of those days.
Poised to become the first back-to-back winner of the Tour Championship,
Woods struggled off the tee and missed all the important putts
he has made all year.
None was bigger than the par-5 15th.
Playing in the twosome in front of Woods, Mickelson took the lead
for good with an 8-foot birdie putt. This time, Woods couldn't
match him. He chipped 12 feet past the hole and his birdie putt
slid by.
“We were even with four holes to go, and that's where each
shot was critical,” Mickelson said. “To make that one
and force him to make birdie to tie is a lot different that forcing
him to make birdie for a one-shot lead. That turned out to be
a critical shot.”
Woods still had three more chances, but couldn't hit a fairway
to give a clean lie and a chance to hit it close.
The end came on the 17th. Woods pulled his 9-iron left of the
green into shin-high grass framing the lake. He chopped it out
45 feet past the hole and took bogey.
His last hope was to make a hole-in-one on the 239-yard closing
hole. Given the year he has had, no one put it past him.
Still, that was asking too much.
“That's the way it goes when you don't have your best stuff,”
Woods said. “I grinded my butt off just to give myself a
chance.”
Mickelson earned $900,000 from the $5 million purse and won for
the fourth time this year, two of those in Atlanta. Mickelson
also won the BellSouth Classic in a one-hole playoff over Gary
Nicklaus.
Masters champion Vijay Singh, tied with Woods at 10 under, fell
behind after a bogey on the first hole and dropped out of the
picture for good when he failed to make birdie on the par-5 ninth.
Singh had a 73 and finished in a tie for third at 273 with Nick
Price (67) and Ernie Els (69).
The last player to come from behind in the final round to beat
Woods was Ed Fiori in the Quad City Classic. Since then, Woods
has proven to be one of the greatest frontrunners in golf, finding
a way to win or letting those around him collapse.
Fiori is known in tour circles as “Tiger Slayer.” Add
Mickelson to that list.
He had the advantage of playing in the group in front of Woods,
staying away from the hype over a head-to-head duel, and getting
off to a fast start to put the pressure on Woods.
Mickelson holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the first hole and took
the lead when Woods failed to save par from the bunker on No.
3. He made the turn in 31 and took a one-stroke lead over Woods
into the back nine.
He never gave it back.
The 30-year-old left-hander was flawless on the closing holes.
Just like in San Diego, it was Woods who made the mistakes in
the closing holes.
It was the second time in his career that Mickelson had a four-victory
season. That's normally considered a stellar year, but pales in
comparison to the Year of the Tiger — nine victories, just
over $9 million in earnings, three major championships.
Woods can still become golf's first $10 million man by winning
at Valderrama next week. And he can still join Byron Nelson, Ben
Hogan and Sam Snead as the only players to win at least 10 times
on tour in one season.
“It would be nice if I did,” Woods said. “But the
fact that I won three majors in one year is not a bad thing, either.”
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