Phil Mickelson capped a difficult season by surging to victory in the Tour Championship on Sunday, while Tiger Woods collected the US$10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup playoff series winner.
Mickelson carded a five-under par 65 on Sunday for a nine-under winning total of 271.
Woods closed with a 70 that put him second behind Mickelson on 274, and his runner-up finish was enough to deliver the FedEx Cup title after he came into the tournament atop the points standings.
The FedEx title rewarded a year that included six tournament victories for Woods.
Mickelson, who regained the world No. 2 ranking with the victory, earned a US$3 million FedEx Cup bonus — in addition to his US$1.35 million tournament winner’s prize — as the second-placed finisher in the points.
He started the tournament 14th in the standings, and would have needed Woods to finish eighth or worse to have any chance of seizing the top playoff prize.
Mickelson quipped that it just didn’t seem right that runner-up Woods was walking away with a US$10 million prize.
“Let me see if I get this straight,” Mickelson said. “I shot 65 and he shot [70], and he gets a check for 10 million?”
“I’m just kidding,” Mickelson added. “I didn’t play well in the first three [playoff] events to give myself a chance.”
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AFP, SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, FRANCE
Victorious Vivendi Trophy skipper Paul McGinley paid tribute to tournament creator Seve Ballesteros on Sunday, and likened the Spanish great to Elvis Presley for making golf sexy.
McGinley led his Great Britain and Ireland side to a 16.5-11.5 victory over Continental Europe and took time out from the celebrations to praise Ballesteros’ impact on the game.
“He called me on the golf course today to congratulate me once the final putt went in,” McGinley said. “I said it to him; to me, he’s the Elvis Presley of golf. He brought rock and roll to golf.”
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