PGA TOUR
PGA Championship
Mickelson Makes History at PGA Championship
Life begins at 50! Just ask Phil Mickelson who won the 103rd PGA Championship at Kiawah Island at the tender age of 50 years, 11 months and 7 days old. It is the first time in the history of 456 major championships in the men’s game a player has won at that age. Julius Boros was the previous oldest player to win a men’s major when he claimed the 1968 PGA Championship at the age of 48 years, 4 months and 18 days.
Mickelson scored the ‘win for the ages’ victory at the PGA Championship by two shots over compatriot Brooks Koepka and South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen. The Hall of Famer hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time after claiming the PGA Championship in 2005. Mickelson joins Lee Trevino and Nick Faldo with sixth major titles. His previous major victory came at The Open in 2013.
Mickelson began the final round with a narrow one-shot lead over Koepka and a two-shot advantage over Oosthuizen. It was the third time in his career he held the outright third round lead at a major championship.
‘Phil the Thrill’ entertained the galleries over the front nine going out in 36 shots with three birdies, three pars and three bogeys. He produced the ‘shot of the tournament’ at the par 3, 5th hole, when he holed a difficult bunker shot for a birdie. He took two-shot lead over Koepka and Oosthuizen into the back nine. Mickelson held a comfortable five shot lead with six holes to play before back-to-back bogeys at the 13th and 14th holes reduced his margin to three shots. Moments later Oosthuizen made a birdie at the par 5, 16th hole to get within two shots. Mickelson responded with authority by bombing a 366-yard tee shot at the par 5, 16th. It was a major statement as he produced the longest drive of the day by the field at that hole. He would end up with a tap in birdie and restore his three-shot lead with two holes to play. Mickelson secured his historic victory with a bogey at the 17th hole and a par at the last hole. He posted rounds of 70, 69, 70 and 73 to reach 6-under. The win was his 45th PGA Tour success and came 30 years on from scoring his first PGA Tour win at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open as an amateur.
Koepka and Oosthuizen were joint runners up at 4-under. Oosthuizen matched his best finish at a PGA Championship with a final round 1-over 73. The 38-year-old was T2 in 2017. Koepka, who owns two PGA Championships, signed for a final round 2-over 74.
Four players finished in a tie for fourth place at 2-under—Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington, Harry Higgs and Paul Casey. Lowry and Harrington, who played together, fired 3-under 69 in the final round to jump 19 places to get into the top 5.
Defending champion Collin Morikawa fired a 4-under 68 final round to finish at 1-under and in a tie for eighth place with nine players. One of those players was Rickie Fowler who was granted a special invitation by the PGA of America to play this week. He earns an automatic start at next years contest at Southern Hills Country Club, Oklahoma after finishing inside the top 15 and ties. Rising star Will Zalatoris was another player to finish at 1-under for the event. The 24-year-old closed with a final round 2-under 70 and was once again impressive at a major championship. It is his third top 10 finish at a major from just four starts. Zalatoris was runner up at The Masters in April and came T6 at the US Open last year.
Jordan Spieth, who was chasing the career Grand Slam with a victory at Kiawah, finished at 2-over and in a tie for 31st place.
Jason Scrivener was the best-placed Australian at 1-over and in a tie for 23rd place. The 32-year-old, who was playing in his first PGA Championship, carded a final round 3-under 69.
Notables Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia along with Australians Marc Leishman and Adam Scott missed the 36-hole cut of +5 by one shot.
The PGA Tour moves to Fort Worth, Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. American Daniel Berger is the defending champion.
Final Scores
PGA Championship
1. Phil Mickelson -6
T2. Brooks Koepka -4
T2. Louis Oosthuizen -4
T4. Shane Lowry -2
T4. Padraig Harrington -2
T4. Harry Higgs -2
T4. Paul Casey -2
Australians
T23. Jason Scrivener +1
T30. Matt Jones +2
T44. Jason Day +4
T59. Cam Davis +7
T59. Cameron Smith +7
T71. Lucas Herbert +9
MC. Marc Leishman
MC. Adam Scott
Photo credit: Gregory Shamus /Getty Images
