Given the high number of blowouts suffered by Phil Mickelson coming down the stretch in major championships, incidents that have helped create an image of someone lacking the required fortitude when pressure is applied, it is probably worth highlighting his play-off record on the US Tour - and wondering, have we got him all wrong? asks Philip Reid

Mickelson's win over David Berganio in Sunday's Bob Hope Classic was the fifth time in six career play-offs that he has achieved victory by that route, hardly the sign of someone who doesn't know how to finish a job. It gave him his 20th title on the US Tour - although he has yet to win a major - and further cemented his position as world number two, even though this was his first outing in five months after taking time out for the birth of his second daughter.

"It's only been five months. It is not that long away. I have played golf for 29, 30 years, so it's not like I'm going to forget now," he remarked after a first-hole sudden-death win over Berganio, where his opponent hit his second shot into the water.

Mickelson birdied the final three holes in normal play for a closing round 64 to force a play-off, and then put his 80-yard wedge shot to within inches of the hole for a winning birdie in extra time.

Indeed, Mickelson has used his time away from competitive play wisely. He has worked out with weights and, if it were possible, has sharpened his short game even more. "I can't practise hard enough, I don't have enough time on the range. I'm very excited about the year coming up and a lot of that is due to the fact that I've taken so much time off," he said.

"I feel like I have become more consistent from 130 yards in, and more efficient. That's why I am so excited to have won the tournament, because what I've specifically worked on has paid off," added Mickelson.

This latest play-off win wasn't as dramatic, or farcical, as his most previous effort. In last year's Buick Invitational at San Diego - his home city - he beat Frank Licklier with a double-bogey on the third extra hole (after Davis Love was eliminated on the second). Mickelson had to hit three tee-shots after seeing his first shot enter a canyon and another headed that way until it kicked off a tree.

That aside, his play-off record is extremely impressive and does much to refute suggestions that he chokes under pressure. His first play-off win came in the Mercedes Championship in 1994 when he beat Fred Couples with a par on the second extra hole. In the 1996 Phoenix Open - an event he is competing in this week - Mickelson beat Justin Leonard on the third extra hole and, then, in the 2000 BellSouth Classic, he beat Gary Nicklaus with a birdie on the first extra hole.

Mickelson's only play-off defeat came in the 2000 Byron Nelson Classic when he exited a three-way shootout also involving Jesper Parnevik and Love at the second tie hole. Parnevik went on to win at the third extra hole.

Although Mickelson's latest win has earned him a lifetime exemption on the US Tour there are other statistics which confirm that the player is no choker. On 15 occasions since his debut tour win in the Northern Telecom Open in 1991 (as an amateur) he has either led or shared the lead going into the final round of a tournament and, on 12 of those occasions, he has actually gone on to win.