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Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were both able to flash winning smiles, Mickelson for claiming his 37th PGA Tour victory, Woods for seizing his second FedEx Cup. (Dave Martin/Associated Press) |
PGA spotlight is shared
Mickelson wins tourney, Woods takes FedEx Cup
ATLANTA - For 13 years now, they’ve been two of the most recognizable faces in professional golf, captivating an adoring audience with dramatic victories and memorable moments, occasionally at the other’s expense. Along the way, they’ve been rivals, adversaries, legendary ping-pong opponents, awkward and ill-fated Ryder Cup partners. Always competitive, mostly friendly.
Never before, though, had Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson shared the stage like this, flashing bright trophies, big smiles, and even bigger oversized checks simultaneously during a ceremony on the 18th green. In the third installment of the PGA Tour’s
Woods took home the larger cash prize - he won the $10 million bonus given to the FedEx Cup winner, while Mickelson received $1.35 million for winning the Tour Championship. But after what each has been through, providing both with their proper spoils seemed appropriate.
“I’m a little disappointed I didn’t win the championship because I was right there,’’ Woods said. “But to win the FedEx Cup and to be as consistent as I have been all year is something that I’m very proud of.’’
Said Mickelson: “You know, I like the way [yesterday] went. I was two back of him, I beat him by three. He gets the $10 million check and I get the [$1.35] million. I’ve got no problem with that, I just love holding this [trophy[ finally.’’
Ever since his wife, Amy, and his mother, Mary, were diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, Mickelson had become increasingly familiar with words like diagnosis, radiation, chemotherapy, recovery time. One thing that had been missing from the vocabulary since then, not surprisingly, was champion. Aside from an emotional runner-up finish at the US Open in June, Mickelson’s results since news of the cancer broke had been pedestrian at best: 58th, 73d, 52d, 27th, 30th.
He came to the Tour Championship low on the FedEx Cup points list (14th) but high on confidence, especially after spending two days last week consulting Dave Stockton on his putting, a longtime strength that had suddenly turned into Mickelson’s nemesis. A quadruple bogey was the only blight in his opening 73, but nobody went lower after that, Mickelson’s 67-66-65 closing kick the lowest by six strokes. Over the final three rounds, he beat Woods by nine.
“I’ll have some good weeks where I’ll putt well, and I’ve won a couple tournaments each year. But it hasn’t been as consistently solid on the greens as I expect,’’ Mickelson said. “So that’s why I’m excited now, I feel like I have the right direction to get that back.’’
Mickelson started the final round tied for third, four shots behind Kenny Perry (who finished tied for fourth after a 74) and two behind Woods. But a 16-foot birdie putt on the third hole started a blistering run with Mickelson’s putter: nine consecutive one-putts, including additional birdies on Nos. 4, 8, and 9. By the time Mickelson made the 12-footer on No. 9, he had grabbed the lead at 8 under. Eight pars and a chip-in for birdie on No. 16 helped him maintain a comfortable cushion. The win was his 37th Tour victory, the fifth time he’s won in Georgia, and the second time he’s won the Tour Championship at East Lake. This one, though, was special.
“It means a lot to finish the year off on such a good note,’’ he said. “You know, we’ve been through a lot, and I’m very proud of my wife and my mom on the fight that they’ve been through, and we’ve been fortunate in the long term. We’re in good shape.’’
The final margin was three, and as much as Mickelson can credit his putting (25 yesterday), Woods felt like blaming his.
“I hit the ball well enough to make a few more birdies, and I just didn’t make any putts this week from about 10 to 20 feet. I missed a lot of putts,’’ Woods said.
Yesterday presented a unique, and convoluted, game within a game. Year-end FedEx Cup projections were updated with each birdie and bogey, giving Woods two competitions of which to keep track. The points leader coming into the Tour Championship, for a brief time during the final round Woods was slated to finish second, behind Steve Stricker. But two Stricker bogeys, and birdies from Woods on Nos. 15-16, provided Woods with the season-long consistency prize, instead of the four-day ribbon.
Starting the year unsure how much or how well he’d play after reconstructive knee surgery, Woods put together another dominanting campaign, winning six tournaments, with three second-place finishes.
“Winning takes care of everything. I’m trying to win a golf tournament, I’m trying to beat Phil, he’s trying to beat me,’’ Woods said. “Come tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll feel a lot better.’’
For starters, $10 million is hardly a consolation prize. Two years ago, Woods won the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup on the same day. But even he admitted after the final round yesterday that, while it felt a little strange to have two winners celebrated, golf is better when Mickelson plays well.
Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com 
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