After starting the weekend eight strokes behind the pack of leaders in the Phoenix Open, Phil Mickelson needed a superb performance Saturday at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale to get back in contention.
The outlook appeared bright for the former ASU standout when he stuck his second shot eight feet from the pin on the par-four 10th hole. But a bending putt pushed centimeters wide, setting the tone for Mickelson's round.
"I lipped out a lot of putts," Mickelson said. "It was a good sign in my mind though because I hit them where I wanted to at the right speed. I just misread them."
Mickelson's long game was on all day, as he constantly hit fairways and greens, giving him plenty of opportunities to shoot low scores. The Scottsdale resident had the lift of his hometown crowd behind him with many of the 164,900-person gallery following him throughout the course. However, Mickelson missed several short putts for birdies on five different occasions.
"I've had a tough time putting well on the greens since they changed over," he said.
The TPC of Scottsdale recently underwent a transformation in grass on the greens. The previous surface of Bent grass that once layered the greens was replaced with Bermuda grass. According to Mickelson, the transition made reading the line of his putts more difficult. However, Mickelson's inability to sink birdie putts set him back for the weekend.
"I didn't score well enough to get me into position for the championship," Mickelson said Saturday after firing a one-under 70.
Mickelson finished with a three-under 68 on Sunday, tying him for 23rd overall in the four-day event. His 276 total left him nine strokes behind winner Chris DiMarco, who fended off a late surge by Kaname Yokoo. The 29-year-old Japanese sensation finished one stroke off the lead after birdying six of the final 10 holes. The second-place finish was the best of his PGA Tour career, topping last year's sixth-place finish in the Texas Open at LaCantera.
Kenny Perry tied Yokoo for second place and would have forced a playoff with DiMarco if his 25-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 hadn't shoved by the hole, missing by inches. After Perry's miss, DiMarco tapped in for par from less than two feet away, giving him the win and the $720,000 purse that went with it.
The victory was DiMarco's third career PGA Tour win and first since capturing last year's Buick Challenge. Although he struggled early in his final round, DiMarco capitalized late. A birdie on the 16th, coupled with a Perry bogey on No. 17, allowed DiMarco to surge back and grab a lead that he never relinquished.
Although Mickelson was not discouraged, despite not performing as well as he would have liked before his hometown fans.
"I really enjoyed this tournament and this week," he said.
Mickelson played in his first event in five months last weekend after taking an extended break from the tour when his second daughter, Sophia, was born. In impressive fashion, Mickelson won the five-day Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, marking his 20th career win. Mickelson is among the PGA's elite, but the one niche he wants off his back is the title of "best golfer without a major victory," a goal he will shoot for in mid-April at the Masters.
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
