The Daily Wrap-up, Round 4: Northern Trust Open
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Phil Mickelson nearly blew the biggest lead of his career, then had to scramble for par to avoid a playoff.
When his roller-coaster week at Riviera ended Sunday, the Northern Trust Open turned out to be one of his more satisfying victories.
After watching tee shots sail in every direction, turning a four-shot lead into a two-shot deficit with three holes to play, Mickelson recovered with back-to-back birdies and stepped to the 18th tee with a one-shot lead.
Then, he had to bury some demons.
Two years ago, Mickelson had a one-shot lead until making a sloppy bogey on the historic finishing hole and losing in a playoff. This time, he poured his tee shot down the middle of the fairway and two-putted for par from 60 feet, making a tough 6-footer for the win.
"I'll take a lot out of this," Mickelson said after closing with a 1-over 72. "To be able to heart it out on 16 and 17 with two birdies, then to make that par on 18 when two years ago I didn't, that meant a lot to me."
So ended his West Coast Slump.
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MICKELSON WINS, BUT GAME STILL NEEDS PLENTY OF WORK
By Helen Ross, Chief of Correspondents
LOS ANGELES -- Truth be told, it probably wasn't the kind of confidence-builder he was seeking.
Outwardly, though, Phil Mickelson was all smiles after winning the Northern Trust Open on Sunday. He was at his glass-half-full best during his interview after the tournament was over, too.
Look back on that round of 1-over 72, though, and there wasn't a lot to be happy about -- except for the fact that he played the final three holes like the player Mickelson knows he can be. The player he wants to become again before the Masters rolls around in six weeks.
"I'm pleased to be sitting here as the champion -- it was not easy," Mickelson said. "The bad of it came in that I needed to become a better frontrunner when I get a lead. ... The good thing was that I was able to fight hard.
"That meant a lot to me."
Mickelson entered the final round at Riviera, a course where he lost a playoff in 2007 and came back to win last year, with a four-stroke advantage. And when he rolled in a 38-footer for his third straight eagle at the first hole, the advantage was five.
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| Sunday's Best |
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The par-5 first hole at Riviera was the easiest with a Sunday scoring average of 4.284.
The par-4 18th hole at Riviera was toughest with a Sunday scoring average of 4.284.
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Tim Clark holed out from the fairway for eagle, while Phil Mickelson made a clutch birdie on the par-3 16th. 
Steve Stricker shot a 67 and at one point led during the final round before finishing second. | QUOTE OF THE DAY | ||
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INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers offers these observations from Saturday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.
Phil Mickelson can look back on his victory at the Northern Trust Open and have fond memories of the par-5 first hole. He went eagle, birdie, eagle, eagle during his four rounds. That's 7-under on a single hole. If Mickelson had done nothing but par every other hole at Riviera, he still would have tied for 25th place solely based on his play at the first.
Steve Stricker had the correct caddy in place for a possible playoff. Jimmy Johnson worked for Stricker this week. He also caddied for Charles Howell III two years ago when he beat Mickelson in a playoff at Riviera. Stricker was hitting balls on the driving range when the roar from the 18th indicated Mickelson had won the tournament.
Fred Couples might have said goodbye to Riviera this week. He has played 101 rounds on the PGA TOUR at Riviera, but turns 50 this fall and has indicated he will concentrate on the Champions Tour in 2010. If this is his final loop around the classic golf course, Couples certainly went down swinging with a tie for third.
| What the top finishers said... | ||||||||||||
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| Read full interview transcripts | |||
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| Live Essentials | ||||
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FOURTH-ROUND NOTEBOOK: NORTHERN TRUST OPEN
By John Bush, PGA TOUR Staff
LOS ANGELES -- Phil Mickelson posted a 1-over 72 on Sunday to finish 15-under 269, capturing the 2009 Northern Trust Open by one stroke over Steve Stricker (67). The victory is the 35th of Mickelson's career and comes in his 388th start on the PGA TOUR (370 as a professional). The win moves the left-hander out of a tie with Vijay Singh and into solo possession of 13th place on the all-time wins list.
• The victory for Mickelson is worth 500 points and moves him to No. 7 in the FedExCup standings with 535 points. Kenny Perry leads the list with 716 points.
• Mickelson becomes the seventh player to successfully defend a title at the Northern Trust Open, joining Macdonald Smith (1928-29), Ben Hogan (1947-48), Paul Harney (1964-65), Arnold Palmer (1966-67), Corey Pavin (1994-95) and Mike Weir (2003-04).
• Mickelson has now successfully defended a title five times in his career: Northern Telecom Open (1995-96), Buick Invitational (2000-01), Greater Hartford Open (2001-02), Bellsouth Classic (2005-06) and Northern Trust Open (2008-09).
• To read the remainder of this story, click here.
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