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Mickelson edges clear in final round

PGA TOUR : Phil Mickelson survived a lost ball to move three-shot clear through 13 holes of the final round in the Pebble Beach…

Mon Feb 12 2007 - 00:00

PGA TOUR: Phil Mickelson survived a lost ball to move three-shot clear through 13 holes of the final round in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am yesterday.

The Masters champion, tied for the overnight lead with fellow American Kevin Sutherland, mixed four birdies with a double-bogey five to reach the turn at 16 under overall.

That left him a stroke in front of PGA Tour rookie John Mallinger, who was two under for the day after 10 holes, and two ahead of playing partner Sutherland, who double-bogeyed the ninth after hitting his approach out-of-bounds.

Britain's Greg Owen, boosted by an eagle-three at the sixth, was a further two shots adrift at 12 under in a tie for fourth after completing 12 holes.

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Matt Kuchar set the clubhouse target at 11-under-par 277 after a final round 66 while Padraig Harrington shot a final round of 68 for a total of five-under-par 283. Paul McGinley shot a level par 72 for a 287 total.

LET TOUR: Australia's Karrie Webb won her sixth ANZ Women's Masters and her second title in as many weeks with a final-round 68 at Royal Pines Resort on the Australian Gold Coast.

The 32-year-old from Ayr in Northern Queensland, who won the previous week's MFS Women's Australian Open at Royal Sydney, finished on a total of 19-under-par 269, two strokes ahead of 18-year-old Ji Yai Shin of South Korea.

America's Cristie Kerr claimed third position on 16-under-par after a final round 68 while Sun Ju Ahn of South Korea, who led the tournament's first two rounds, had a 70 for fourth place on 14-under-par.

Webb, who won this event four times in a row from 1998-2001 and then again in 2005, became only the second player to win the same Women's European Tour event six times after Sweden's Annika Sorenstam won the Swedish Open in 1997 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Her perfect start to the 2007 season suggests that she is back to her best form. "I am probably playing as close to as well as I have ever played," said Webb.

The Ladies European Tour season resumes with the Tenerife Women's Open at Golf Del Sur, San Miguel de Abona, from May 3rd-6th, and some of Europe's top players are already looking forward to the start of the European season.

Becky Brewerton, of Wales, who finished in a tie for eighth place with Jo Young Ran of South Korea, Italy's Veronica Zorzi and Australia's Rachel Hetherington in the ANZ Ladies Masters, was one such player.

She said: "After a great start to the season with the World Cup and two good finishes I just want to keep playing. I wish we were starting now!"

CHAMPIONS TOUR: A final round of four-under-par 68 saw England's Mark James hold off Jay Haas to win the Allianz Championship in Florida yesterday.

Four birdies in the first eight holes held James to finish on 15-under-par 201 - two ahead of Hass and three clear of RW Eaks, Morris Hatalsky and Brad Bryant. Des Smyth finished on 10-under-par 206 after a final round of 68.