Mickelson cruises home at Sawgrass

Phil Mickelson completed a near-flawless final round to secure an emphatic two-stroke victory at the Players Championship.

In just his third tournament since sacking long-time instructor Rick Smith to work solely with Butch Harmon, Californian Mickelson hardly hit a bad shot in a three-under-par 69 in perfect conditions at the Sawgrass TPC.

He took the lead for good at the 10th hole and was never seriously troubled down the stretch, a meaningless bogey at the final hole the only blemish on his card as he finished at 11-under 277.

Mickelson collected 1,620,000 US dollars (£816,156) for his first victory at this event, his 31st on the US Tour, and he improved to second on the world rankings behind Tiger Woods.

Third-round leader Sean O'Hair was Mickelson's only challenger, but his hopes drowned at the infamous par-three 17th, where he put two balls into the water surrounding the island green.

He said: ‘I'm not playing for second. I was in a good spot to win and unfortunately I got kicked in the teeth.

‘I had an opportunity and it didn't happen. I'm not going to let this bother me.’

O'Hair bogeyed the last to shoot 76 and fall all the way to 11th, as Sergio Garcia claimed second after a sizzling six-under 66, with fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal (67) and American Stewart Cink (66) another shot back in a tie for third.

Garcia was delighted with his finish, which included four successive birdies from the 14th.

After hitting all but one green in regulation he said: ‘I got really hot.

‘I barely missed a fairway, barely missed a green the last two days.

‘I'm very pleased with that. I felt comfortable all week with my swing.’

However, he could only rue the double bogey he made to end the third round, wondering what might have been.

Luke Donald, the only British player within striking distance at the start of the day, never got his charge off the launch pad, shooting 74 to finish equal 16th at three-under 285.

Ian Poulter (69) was two shots further back, with Irishman Padraig Harrington (70) equal 52nd on two-over 290.

Mickelson was in fine form early, splitting the fairway with three of his first four drives.

He birdied the first two holes and added further birdies at the par-four seventh and par-five 11th to put a little distance between himself and O'Hair.

Meanwhile, Woods finally produced the sort of form that had eluded him all week, shooting a five-under 67.

It was too little, too late to have any real meaning.

But, to listen to Woods, his long game was in pretty good shape all week, not that he could say the same about his putting.

After finishing equal 37th, 11 stokes off the pace, he told reporters: ‘I knew I could shoot a round in the 60s if I'd just make a few putts, and today I did.

He was in a considerably better mood than after his third round, when he did not stop to talk to the media, or anyone else for that matter.

He continued: ‘I was just tired of hitting good putts and having them all lip out, because I didn't feel like I was playing that poorly.

‘I had eight lip-outs yesterday. I was tired of it.

‘Good putts weren't going in. I was really frustrated.’

Woods decided to take less time reading the putts during the final round, and it seemed to pay off as he made as he made five birdies and an eagle.

He added: ‘Because the greens are new, I'm not used to reading them yet.
‘Today, I just said “go with your first instinct and hit it and be aggressive”.

‘I went for a more aggressive approach and I started making putts.’

Woods claimed his long game was better this week than at last week's Wachovia Championship, which he won.

He also revealed his left knee, on which he had surgery more than four years ago, was bothering him, both while walking and during his swing.