Twenty years later, far different result for Mickelson
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. -- The first time Phil Mickelson played in what is now known as the Northern Trust Open, he was a 17-year-old high school senior.
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The year was 1988. Chip Beck, who is now playing on the Champions Tour, won the tournament by four shots. Mickelson, who shot rounds of 76 and 72, wasn't even the low amateur -- that distinction went to Arizona's Mike Springer, who finished at 3 under.
On Sunday, some 20 years later, Mickelson finally won the elusive Northern Trust Open, beating Jeff Quinney by two strokes on a clear, crisp afternoon at historic Riviera Country Club. The win was his 11th in California and completed Mickelson's home state "slam."
When asked to contrast the feeling then, as he played in just his second PGA TOUR event, and now, Mickelson didn't hesitate.
"Well, then I was trying to make the cut, and this week I was trying to win," he said with one of those dimpled grins. "I like it better now."
And this time Mickelson didn't let it slip away, A year ago, he had also led entering the final round at Riviera only to bogey the 72nd hole and go on to lose a three-hole playoff to Charles Howell III.
Sunday, though, Mickelson hung tough.
When Quinney took the lead with a birdie to his bogey at the ninth hole, Mickelson pulled back into a tie with an 8-footer at the short, par-4 10th. The two matched birdies at the par-5 11th and pars at No. 12 before Quinney proceeded to wilt with three straight bogeys.
Mickelson was almost matter-of-fact in his reaction after tapping in for par at the 18th hole to the cheers of the partisan California crowd. There were handshakes all around on the green, and hugs and kisses for his wife, mother and mother-in-law as he climbed the hill to the mission-style clubhouse -- but barely a fist-pump in sight.
"I wouldn't say (it was) a relief," Mickelson said. "I think that heading in I really had a good feeling about this week. I felt like I had been playing well and I came so close last year that I didn't want to get ahead of myself.
"I felt I had the tournament won last year and I bogeyed 18. I didn't want to get ahead of myself. I wanted to try to play each shot smart coming down the stretch and not get too emotional."
The win was the 33rd of Mickelson's career moving him past Horton Smith to 13th all-time -- three behind Lloyd Mangrum and six shy of Tom Watson and Gene Sarazen. And with the victory, he moved into first in the FedExCup race with 8,069 points.
Mickelson had come close to another victory two weeks ago, making birdie on three of his last six holes in regulation before losing a playoff at the FBR Open to J.B. Holmes. And he opened his 2008 campaign with a tie for sixth at the Buick Invitational despite suffering the lingering affects of a respiratory infection.
"I do enjoy the West Coast," said the man who has won 16 of his 33 titles there. "And I love poa annua greens. I grew up on them. I'm excited to play golf and I practice very hard on the West Coast when the season is coming around and I haven't played for a while.
"I work hard on my game. I've got a lot of energy and I'm excited to get back out. I think all of these things, plus the fact that I grew up here, and used to walk these fairways on the outside and now that I'm on the inside, I just have a great love for the West Coast and I've been fortunate to play well here."
Mickelson estimates he's a week or two behind schedule, but is quick to point out "it shouldn't be a big deal." Even with that missed cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, though, the No. 2 player in the game appears to be hitting on all cylinders.
"I can see the difference or I can see the improvement, but it's not quite to where I believe I can get it," Mickelson admitted. "But I feel like it's been much better than in the past so I feel like I'm getting better.
"I can taste where I want to get to, but I'm not quite there yet."
Sunday's head-to-head battle with Quinney -- no one else came within three shots of the two of them on Sunday -- came at a perfect time for Mickelson. His next event is the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz. -- the only tournament contested on the West Coast that he has yet to win.
Mickelson is the top seed in the Gary Player bracket, and his opponent in Wednesday's opening round is another Arizona State product, Pat Perez. Mickelson has never gotten past the quarterfinals in eight previous appearances in the head-to-head competition.
"I think one of the coolest tournaments we have is taking place next week is the match play," the said. "We only get one day like that, really. I think Wednesday the first day is the most exciting because so many matches and upsets.
"The fact that we went head-to-head is kind of a perfect transition."
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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