PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — In his third week with a new coach, Phil Mickelson suddenly looks as good as ever.
Mickelson added a mini-major to his collection Sunday by winning The Players Championship with control that had been lacking the last three months, closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory that returned him to No. 2 in the world and pointed him in the right direction with the U.S. Open approaching.
Sergio Garcia birdied four of his last five holes for a 66, but he was a ceremonial runner-up.
The real victim was Sean O'Hair, and the familiar culprit was that island green on the par-3 17th at the TPC Sawgrass. O'Hair was two shots behind until his 9-iron flew the green into the water. He went to the drop area and watched another shot bounce over the green, and finally walked away with a quadruple-bogey 7.
O'Hair bogeyed the final hole for a 76 and went from second place to 11th, the difference of $747,000.
Mickelson finished at 11-under 277 for his second victory this year, and the 31st of his career. He earned $1.62 million from the $9 million purse, the richest in golf.
What mattered more was how he played. Mickelson missed only two greens in the final round during a well-played duel with O'Hair. This was hardly "Phil the Thrill." In fact, the only excitement came on the 18th, when the tournament already was decided. Mickelson's approach landed on the edge of the water, and stayed dry by about a foot.
He finished with his bogey, the first one on his card in 27 holes.
It was a harsh ending for the 24-year-old O'Hair, who went toe-to-toe with Mickelson along the back nine and hit a shot on the 17th that looked perfect until he could no longer see it.
LPGA TOUR: At Williamsburg, Va., Suzann Pettersen became the first Norwegian winner in LPGA Tour history, making a 1 1/2-foot par putt after Jee Young Lee missed one from about 2 feet on the third extra hole in the Michelob Ultra Open.
Both players parred the par-4 18th on the first two extra holes, and Lee seemed to have the upper hand the third time around when she hit her approach to about 12 feet while Pettersen's ball rested against the high grass at the edge of the fringe.
Pettersen's putt rolled just past the cup on the right side, leaving 1 1/2 feet, and Lee's attempt at the victory missed to the right, leaving a short putt for the tie.
Lee quickly went to knock her ball in, seemed to rush and it skated by on the right as the crowd gasped and she looked up, astonished.
Pettersen, making her 82nd career LPGA Tour start, then stepped up, made hers for the victory.