Mickelson seals second Major with birdie on 18

Australian Steve Elkington, the 1995 champion at Riviera, carded a 71 to share second place with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (72) with world No.1 Tiger Woods a further stroke back in a tie for fourth, having closed with a 68 on Sunday.

With Elkington and Bjorn in the clubhouse at three under par, 2004 U.S. Masters champion Mickelson stepped on to the par-five 18th tee needing a birdie to seal his second Major championship.

He launched a huge drive down the middle and, after twice tapping the Jack Nicklaus plaque embedded in the centre of the fairway for good luck, might have hoped for better fortune when his second shot sailed right into deep greenside rough. There was no panic, however, as the ice-cool Mickelson responded with a perfect flop shot to leave him a straightforward three-foot putt for the title. As the sun broke through the cloud cover to bathe the 18th green in sunlight, Mickelson drained the putt and acknowledged his first U.S. PGA title with a small fist pump and a big sigh of relief.

“I’ve really enjoyed myself and the people here in New Jersey just treated me and my wife amazing,” said a tearful Mickelson after being surrounded by his wife Amy and oldest daughters Amanda Brynn and Sophia Isabel. To win here, where Jack Nicklaus has won a couple of times, makes it a memorable and very special week for me. I knew I was hitting the ball well and I just gave that plaque a little touch for some good karma.”

The plaque on the 18th fairway marks the spot from where Nicklaus struck a superb one-iron approach to 22 feet to seal a four-shot victory at the 1967 U.S. Open.

“When I hit the second shot on 18, I knew I needed a birdie to win,” added Mickelson, who moved ahead of Ernie Els to number three in the world rankings with his triumph. I had been a little tentative on some shots out of the rough earlier in the week, I didn’t go in aggressive enough,” he said of the situation he faced with his third shot at the last.

“The lie was okay; wasn’t bad but it was sitting down a little bit. I went in aggressively and the ball popped up beautifully and trickled by the hole. It was a great feeling to see it come out the way I wanted it to.”