A Few Dollars More for Phil

Phil Mickelson shot a flawless eight-under-par 64 to overturn a six-shot deficit and win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am by three shots on 16 under par.

The American hit three birdies and an eagle in his first six holes to wipe out the overnight lead of Charlie Wi, who dropped four shots early on.

Wi closed with three birdies to finish with a 72 to end second on 15 under.

Tiger Woods bogeyed the final three holes on the front nine on his way to a 75 as he dropped back to eight under.

"It just feels great to win this tournament," Mickelson, 41, said.

"It's a special place for me, Pebble Beach, and to have a win here, where my grandfather caddied, feels awesome.

"I felt like my game was so close heading into the season, and yet my scores didn't reflect how I felt I was playing.

"To put it together this week, especially the final round, just feels terrific. It gives me a lot of confidence but also inspires me because I believe what I'm doing is correct and that I'm able to play some of my best golf."

The former world number one opened with five pars and a birdie but a run of bogeys on the seventh, eighth and ninth left him struggling after his playing partner Mickelson had enjoyed a fast start.

Mickelson birdied the second and fourth holes to draw level with Woods. A further birdie on the fifth, followed by an eagle on the sixth, catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard as Wi, who four-putted the first to drop two shots, let further shots go on the fifth and sixth.

Woods rolled in a 13-foot putt for par on the 10th to stop his run of bogeys, then looked set to make a significant inroad into Mickelson's lead on the 12th.

The 14-time major winner holed a bunker shot for a birdie on the par-three but his hopes of a two-shot swing were abruptly ended when Mickelson drained a 30-foot par putt to stay four clear of his playing partner.

Mickelson then knocked in birdie putts from two and six feet on the next two holes to further extend his advantage, while Woods bogeyed the par-five 14th after a wayward approach.

“I just could not see my lines, I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't get the blade to swing. Anything that I tried to do wasn't working”Tiger Woods

Woods dropped another shot on the 15th to drop back to eight under, while Mickelson rolled in another long putt for par to maintain his bogey-free round.

And the left-hander finished with a flourish with a four-foot birdie on the last.

"I didn't hit it as bad as the score indicated but I putted awful," said Woods. "As good as I felt on the greens yesterday was as bad as I felt bad today.

"I just could not see my lines, I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't get the blade to swing. Anything that I tried to do wasn't working.

"And consequently I made a ton of mistakes on the greens."

South Korean Wi closed with a trio of birdies to jump above American Ricky Barnes, whose five-under 67 saw him finish third on 13 under.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington overcame a double-bogey seven at the second to finish with a two-under 70 - and tie for seventh on 10 under.

American Kevin Streelman had a run of five birdies in eight holes to briefly threaten but he bogeyed the 16th and 17th before dropping two more shots at the last to fall back into a tie for ninth alongside England's Greg Owen (70) on nine under.


Final Leaderboard

Pebble Win for Padraig and JP

Padraig Harrington shot a 70 and finished the tournament tied in sixth spot, six shots behind the winner. 

Harrington’s weekend was further improved by clinching victory in the Pro-Am portion of the tournament, along with playing partner JP McManus.

Speaking to the media afterwards Harrington said: "We have been playing together, this is probably close to 20 of these at this stage, we have played Dunhills in Europe and the AT&T now for a seventh year, and this is the best I've seen him play."

"He really hit the golf ball great and hit some putts, he put it at times that pros would liked to have put it. He holed some great pressure putts and the last two days we were leading and it's always tough when you are leading, you're a little bit more cautious and you're a little bit safer."

"Even though we had a big lead, you knew it was going to come right down to a stretch, his birdie on 16 was exactly what we needed at the time."

"We got one on 17 and obviously 18 was a little bit of a struggle after a while, but it worked out."

"There's a great atmosphere now around us. It's fantastic for the TOUR players that we get to mix with the big stars. We come out, and guess who I just had breakfast with. It is a buzz for us to be here. And it's nice, every week we play 72 hole stroke-play events, so it's nice to do something different."

"Again, I have a set amateur partner that comes with me every time, so I'm going to enjoy the week regardless of how I play or regardless how we do as a team. It's been a bonus, we have won the Dunhill twice, so nice to put this one on, as well."

Playing partner JP McManus added his thoughts in the winners enclosure: "I knew I needed birdie because I screwed up big time. I was in good shape for my drive. And, listen, I never doubted Padraig, that he would get it up-and-down."

Harrington Slips After Round 3

Padraig Harrington appeared to have placed himself strongly in contention for the title after he too enjoyed a profitable day through 15 holes at Pebble Beach. However, Harrington undid all his good work with a bogey and double bogey in two of his final three holes to fall back to eight-under.

Tiger Woods began his charge towards the top of the leaderboard during the third round of the AT&T National Pro-Am, firing his best score of the tournament to move within four strokes of leaderCharlie Wi.

Woods showed how dangerous he can be when the putter is working by registering a five-under-par 67, lifting him to an overall score of 11-under. The round takes him two shots closer to the leader as he heads into Sunday.

The world No. 1 actually produced his worst performance of the event off the tee, hitting less fairways than in either of the first two days. But a tally of 27 swings of the short stick testified to his improved work around the greens, resulting in a run of five birdies in six holes between 13 and 18.

Wi remains the pace-setter after consecutive 69s lifted him to 15-under. Operating on the Spyglass Hill course, Wi stayed flawless for a round of three birdies thanks to some accurate approach work.

Separating Wi and Woods is Ken Duke, who equalled his compatriot's effort with a five-under round to move to 12-under. Duke tackled the Monterey Peninsula on Saturday and, like Wi, avoiding making bogey in an excellent round of golf.

Phil Mickelson may have left himself too much to do after he finished on nine-under. The big-hitting American did not find consistency in any area of the game throughout his round, but he cobbled together a formula that yielded a two-under 70 to place him in the top five. Mickelson is joined by compatriots Kevin Naand Brendon Todd, as well as defending champion Dustin Johnson.

England's highest-placed player was Greg Owen, who trailed Harrington by one stroke after the final hole. Meanwhile Ian Poulter looked set to avoid the cut on one-under.


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Padraig Battles Beach Weather

Padraig Harrington moved into a share of third place at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California, as Charlie Wi opened up a three-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard.

Avoiding the worst of the afternoon weather at Pebble Beach, South Korean Wi holed a wedge for eagle on the 13th en route to a 69 that lifted him to 12 under.

Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner of this event, went round Spyglass Hill in 72 to lie second, while Harrington recorded five birdies in his first seven holes before eventually signing for a 66 at Pebble.

He was one of five players on eight under, along with New Zealander Danny Lee, who followed his opening 63 with a one over 73 at Spyglass.

Former World Number One Tiger Woods was a further two shots back, having managed just a 68 at Monterey Peninsula, the easiest of the three courses.

Woods told the PGA Tour website: “Drove it good again today, unfortunately just didn’t make enough birdies.”

Lying in a tie for 16th, Woods added about the deteriorating weather: “The golf course got a little interesting coming in.

“I was hitting the ball in the wrong spots. And the greens started to get a little bumpy with the softer conditions.”

Commmenting on his round at Pebble, Wi added: “The greens were very firm, and the guys that shot eight or nine under out there, I was very surprised how well they played. Some of the pins were really tricky.

“I said, `Gosh, how did they shoot nine under out there?' And for me to shoot three under today, I was very pleased.”

England’s Greg Owen added a 67 to his opening 68 to sit in a nine-way tie for eighth at seven under.

Pebble Time for Harrington

Tiger Woods has dominated the build-up to the AT&T National Pro-am at Pebble Beach this week. Not surprising given the momentum he has created in his last four tournaments.

For Irish eyes though it is the appearance of Pádraig Harrington’s in the United States that is of the most interest, having not played on the other side of the Atlantic since September.

Ireland’s three-time major winner almost certainly has to win on Sunday to book himself a place in the first world championship of the season. Any failure to do that will damage his hopes of retaining his Ryder Cup spot later this year at Medinah

Harrington has played every Accenture Matchplay apart from the inaugural one in 1999, but he stands 93rd in the world and has to climb back into the top 65 to make the trip to Tucson later this month.

The Dubliner has turned to Dave Alred – the man who has linked up with world number one Luke Donald and rugby star Jonny Wilkinson – to help him this season They worked together for the first time in Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago.

Harrington came only 35th and wrote afterwards about Alred  “I am very excited about working with him and I can’t wait to get to see him again. I was asked about what he does. The best way I could explain it was that he doesn’t have new answers or questions, he merely asks the same questions but in a different way.

“He observed what I do and then gave his thoughts on how I could do it better. He has totally changed the way I will practice by giving it more meaning. The changes will have a huge effect for the rest of the year.”

Harrington plays in Pebble Beach with racehorse owner JP McManus and start on the Monterey Peninsular course on Thursday.

Woods will tee off at Spyglass Hill.