Destiny has a way of calling it's chosen few. Sometimes, it likes to torment; on other times, it dispenses its favours more willingly. Yesterday, in a final round that captivated and tested the mettle of those chasing the 68th US Masters title, Phil Mickelson - tormented more than anyone else down the years by the wicked twists of fate - finally discovered the fulfilment of capturing a major championship.

Comedy has no place at Augusta National, whether in the colonial clubhouse or on the course itself; and, certainly, the task of winning a major is serious business. Yet, for the past few weeks, US television has been running a series of advertisements with two of the world's best players acting out comedy roles a far cry from the physical and mental demands of trying to win the Masters coming down the home stretch.

One has Tiger Woods, with day old stubble a la the greenkeeper in the film "Caddyshack", trying to catch a gopher but eventually using his AmEx credit card to employ someone else to do the job, while the other commercial has Phil Mickelson doing the unexpected in an ad for Ford that has the catchline of, "WhatwillPhildonext?".

Yesterday, we discovered what Phil had planned, as he acted out the role of is dreams. After failing to win a major in any of his previous 46 major appearances, the American with the hearty jaunt and winning smile - the people's champion - finally came good.

And he did it with a round that combined mature course-management with brilliant shot-making, firing a round 69 for a nine-under-par total of 279, one shot clear of South African Ernie Els, who had mounted a final day charge that included two eagles in the space of five holes.

Indeed, it was a final round that captivated and invigorated. It produced the extraordinary, with two holes-in-one within the space of 10 minutes - from Padraig Harrington and Kirk Triplett, both on the 16th - with some spectacular golf from those eyeing the green jacket. Sergio Garcia mounted a run that saw him cover his last 12 holes in eight-under, finally signing for a tournament best 66 for 285, to finish alongside Bernhard Langer as leading European.

For Padraig Harrington, the day brought anguish and joy. Troubled by a neck injury, he struggled to get any momentum going but still had the delight of claiming a hole-in-one on the 16th as he finished with a 72 for level par 288, leaving him in tied-13th position.

But this was Mickelson's moment, he was wonder-Phil, if you'll excuse the play on words. Having started out tied for the lead with Chris DiMarco on six-under, two shots clear of their nearest pursuer, Mickelson found himself involved in a fight with Els from an early stage. Mickelson bogeyed the third, fifth and sixth holes and, when he reached the turn in 38, he had fallen a shot behind Els. When Els eagled the 13th, the gap momentarily increased to three. But Mickelson's response was to birdie the 12th, and thereafter he responded brilliantly.

Mickelson, in fact, strung together three successive birdies - on the 12th, 13th and 14th - and, then, kept the best 'til last, rolling in a 15 footer on the 18th to edge ahead of Els - a three-time major champion - for the first time in hours. Critically, it was a putt that sealed his own fate, casting him in the role of hero rather than loser. After finishing third in the three previous Masters tournaments, Mickelson had finally found deliverance.

"Daddy's won, can you believe it?" he remarked to his two children as he hugged them coming off the 72nd green. It was almost as if he couldn't believe it himself.

Meanwhile, it was a strange old day for Harrington.

Out on the range before his final round, Harrington was discomforted by the recurrence of a neck twinge that first manifested itself at the US PGA two years ago. "I couldn't swing the club properly on the range and it distracted me on the golf course," he conceded. "I'd had problems with my right side all week, but that doesn't affect you swinging the club. You don't coil on the right side."

However, the knock-on effect of the strain was that, on Saturday, it started to affect his left side; and that's the problem he carried out with him on to the course yesterday and resulted in him pushing his first two drives of the day into trees on the right. On each occasion, he managed to salvage par - but it wasn't the start he had wanted if he was to mount a final day charge. Around Amen Corner, Harrington's round took a turn for the worse when he bogeyed the 11th.

"I was annoyed with myself," he admitted, and uncharacteristically proceeded to carry that annoyance with him to the 12th tee and hit his seven-iron into Rae's Creek on the way to a double bogey five. Yet, on a day of twists and turns, Harrington's day got better on the next short hole, the 16th where he went down the shaft on a six-iron and holed out for his fifth hole-in-one, the third of his professional career.