Sunday's golf: Phil Mickelson wins finale; Bernhard Langer takes 6th Schwab Cup title

Phoenix — Phil Mickelson stood on the 18th green at Phoenix Country Club, a wide smile across his face as he held yet another PGA Tour Champions trophy.

Next to him was 64-year-old Bernhard Langer, grinning just as broadly as he hoisted the Charles Schwab Cup trophy at an age when most players are playing from the front tee boxes, not fighting for championships.

One ceremony, two champions with vastly different styles.

Mickelson birdied three of the final holes Sunday to win the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Langer held on to win his sixth PGA Tour Champions season points title.

“It’s so fun for us to come back and play in front of everyone and then to come out on top here was a special week,” said Mickelson, who played collegiately at nearby Arizona State. “I want to congratulate Bernhard because he really is the gold standard for work ethic, discipline as well as talent and a great golf game. At 64, to win the season-long championship, that’s pretty impressive, pretty inspiring.”

For Mickelson, it’s always been about flash and creativity, pulling off shots few others would consider attempting. He did it through six major titles and 45 PGA Tour victories, and has kept it going on the senior circuit.

Mickelson was at his creative best at Phoenix Country Club, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 65 in the final round to join Jack Nicklaus as the only player to win four of his first six starts on the 50-and-over tour.

Lefty showed off his short-game skills to avoid bogeys and poured in six birdies in Sunday’s final round, the last an up-and-down from short of the par-5 18th to reach 19 under.

“It’s been fun for me to play out here and see so many guys that I grew up and spent decades with life-long friends,” Mickelson said. “Then to play well and have some success is very meaningful.”

Langer made a name for himself with precision and toughness through a stellar career, winning two Masters and 64 times internationally. The German star became unstoppable once he turned 50, winning 11 major championships and 42 tournaments overall.

Langer needed lean on that toughness to get through four rounds at Phoenix Country Club. He nearly withdrew two holes into the tournament due to intense back pain and battled as the discomfort lessened slightly each day.

Langer shot under his age for the first time in the third round, a sterling bogey-free 63 with bookend eagles that moved him within six shots of Jim Furyk’s 16-under lead. He pulled within two shots with birdies on Nos. 1 and 4, then rolled in a 15-foot eagle putt on the 306-yard par-4 fifth to reach 14 under.

Langer struggled getting putts to fall the rest of the way, laboring through a 2-under 69 to finish at 12 under. He finished 17th, but was still in position to win the Schwab Cup after playing all 39 PGA Tour Champions events.

“I’m just overwhelmed, you know, at 64 to win this thing six times,” Langer said. “It will probably be my last one, I’m almost sure of that, but it’s very, very special.”

He had to wait a bit to get it.

Furyk needed to win the tournament or tie for third and have Langer end up worse than eighth to win his first PGA Tour Champions series title. He dropped in a long birdie putt on the par-4 17th to pull within two of the lead, but Mickelson’s birdie on No. 18 made it three shots.

Needing an eagle to win the Schwab Cup, Furyk pulled his second shot into the grandstand left of the 18th green and and had to drop in mulch. His next shot across the green into the rough and he got up and down for par. Furyk shot 71 to tie for fifth at 16 under.

“How exciting was it coming down the stretch?” Langer said. “Literally, came down to the last shot. If he would have eagled 18, he would be standing here lifting the Charles Schwab Cup trophy and he would be the winner. I’m overwhelmed with emotion.”

New Zealander Steven Alker, a PGA Tour Champions qualifier just three months ago, shot 67 to finish second at 18 under. Darren Clarke had a 64 and David Toms a 65 to tie for third at 17 under.

Alker had no status after turning 50 in July and qualified for the Boeing Classic in August. He strung together top-10 finishes every week to keep playing and become eligible for the postseason, including a win last weekend at the TimberTech Championship in Florida.

Alker kept the roll going on Sunday, overcoming a bogey on the par-3 second with five birdies to finish one behind Mickelson.

LPGA

An epic duel between Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson turned into a stunning meltdown by both of them. Korda at least managed to recover and win a four-way playoff in the Pelican Women’s Championship in Belleair, Florida.

Korda won for the fourth time this year on the LPGA Tour, none of the others this wild.

Korda fell out of the lead on the 17th hole at Pelican Golf Club by chopping her way to a triple bogey to fall two shots behind. She answered with an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 1-under 69 and got into a playoff when Thompson made a second straight bogey for 69.

They were joined at 17-under 263 by defending champion Sei Young Kim (67) and Lydia Ko (66), neither of whom expected to be playing extra holes until Thompson and Korda imploded over the final two holes.

Korda ended it quickly with her second birdie on the 18th hole, this one from 12 feet.

She secured her spot at No. 1 in the women’s world ranking, and moved 12 points ahead of Jin Young Ko for LPGA player of the year going into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship next week in Naples.

PGA

Jason Kokrak had reason to believe he shot himself out of the Houston Open on the back nine Saturday morning. He played it 10 shots better when it counted Sunday afternoon, making four straight birdies for a 5-under 65 and a two-shot victory in Houston.

Two shots behind with six holes to play, Kokrak delivered all the right shots to pull away from a fading Scottie Scheffler and Martin Trainer and win for the third time in the last 13 months.

Kokrak couldn’t help but think back to Saturday morning, when he returned to complete the second round and went the other direction. He played seven holes in 7-over par for a 41 that left him 10 shots behind after 36 holes.

What a turnaround on Sunday.

Kokrak’s run of four straight birdies began with a 12-foot putt on the 13th hole and ended on the par-5 16th hole when he laid up because of mud on his golf ball and hit wedge to 5 week.

By then, he was on his way and finished at 10-under 270.

Scheffler, going after his first PGA Tour victory, had a two-shot lead when he made the turn. He didn’t hit a green in regulation until the 15th, making three soft bogeys that left him too far behind to make a late run. He shot 69 and tied for second with Kevin Tway (68).

Europe

Joachim B. Hansen on Denmark closed with a 4-under 68 to hold off Francesco Laporta and Bernd Wiesberger by one stroke to win the Dubai Championship and qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

Hansen, who finished at 23-under 265, won for the second time in as many years on the European Tour. He moved to No. 43 in the Race to Dubai, with the top 54 eligible next week.

Laporta, who shared the 54-hole lead, was one shot behind playing the par-518th when he missed the green to the right and narrowly missed a long birdie putt that would have forced a playoff. He shot a 69. Wiesberger shot a 65.

Defending champion Antoine Rozner led after the second round and was one shot behind the leaders overnight, but finished in a four-way tie for fourth with Jazz Janewattananond, Andy Sullivan and Scottish Open winner Min Woo Lee of Australia.

Hansen became the fourth Dane to win on the European Tour this year, joining twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard and Jeff Winther.