Worldwide Golf

PHIL Mickelson secured his third Masters victory with a sublime three-stroke victory over England’s Lee Westwood at Augusta National.

Mickelson carded a second consecutive 5-under-par 67 to overhaul Westwood’s one-shot lead and slip in to the coveted Green Jacket for the third time.

“I love this place,” beamed Mickelson after finishing on 16-under-par. “I love coming here. I love Sunday at Augusta. Back in the 1990s it was the most nerve-wracking day. It still is, but I’ve just come to love and cherish it and to play some of my best golf this week as well as today just feels incredible.”

Mickelson started the day level but after a steady 1-under-par front nine was one ahead of Westwood after two birdies and three bogeys by the Englishman left him 1-over. From there on out it was the Mickelson show as a series of sensational shots saw him card back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 and then a birdie on 15 extended his lead to three strokes.

Westwood fought back and went bogey-free on the back nine but could only manage birdies at 13 and 17. With a two stroke lead heading up the last Mickelson played conservatively, placing a 3-wood up the left hand side before launching his approach to eight feet. After Westwood missed his birdie putt Mickelson stepped up and sunk it to the jubilation of the crowd and his watching wife Amy who was stood in front of the scorers’ hut behind the green. It had been an emotional year for the 39-year-old and his family after both his mother and wife had contracted breast cancer and he called the victory “one of the best things we’ve gone through”.

“To walk off the green and see her was very emotional for us,” he added. “It’s been a difficult year, and to come out on top in this tournament is very emotional.”

For Westwood it marked a third consecutive top-three finish in a Major and he vowed to keep on plugging away as he seeks to win his first grand slam event. “One of these days the door’s going to open for me. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing,” said the European No.1. “I have finished third-third-second in my last three Majors so I think I am doing the right things. Phil said in the scorers’ hut that he has been that man. He has hung around at the top of leaderboards at Major championships and not got anything and there he is today sitting there with four of them.

“He told me to keep plugging away and that I was playing far too well not to win one of these.”

American Anthony Kim, who won the Shell Houston Open a week earlier finished shot a stunning 65 to finish third on his own at 12-under-par. South Korean K.J. Choi and the returning Tiger Woods finishing tied fourth on 11-under-par with 50-year-old Fred Couples one shot further back in sixth.