Mickelson rallies to win HSBC Champions

By DOUG FERGUSON | AP Golf Writer • Published November 08, 2009

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SHANGHAI – Phil Mickelson won the HSBC Champions on Sunday by rallying against a familiar foe. Only it wasn't Tiger Woods. Mickelson made an 18-footer to save par on the 16th after whiffing on a flop shot, then holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th to close with a 3-under 69 and overcome a late charge by Ernie Els, who was in the lead until hitting into the water and making bogey on the final hole.

Woods was never a factor in the final World Golf Championship of the year, falling six shots behind on the front nine and doing well to stay on the leaderboard the rest of the way. He hit into the water with his third shot on the par-5 18th and had to scramble for bogey to close with a 72 and tie for sixth, five shots behind.

It was the third time in his last four tries that Woods played in the final group without winning.

Mickelson finished at 17-under 271 and earned $1.2 million in winning his second WGC event of the year. It was the first time he won a tournament while playing in the final group with Woods.

As clutch as Mickelson was down the stretch, Els was the opposite.

The South African, devastated when Mickelson beat him with a birdie on the final hole of the 2004 Masters, was 10 under for his round and had a one-shot lead playing the 538-yard 18th. From the middle of the fairway, he went at the green with a fairway metal and landed in the middle of the lake.

Els had 218 yards to the front of the green on a downslope in the fairway, not enough for him to hit 4-iron, while a 3-iron might go over the green and down the bank into the water. He opted to hit a high cut with his 5-wood and "basically duffed it."

"But I can't think about that," Els said, who started the round seven shots behind. "For me to come back all the way, to actually share the lead at that point, was quite nice. I'm disappointed about that, but I'm going to really think about the 63 I shot."

Els settled for a share of the course record at Sheshan International, a 9-under 63 matched earlier in the day by Rory McIlroy, who finished fourth, and Daisuke Maruyama of Japan.

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