Haas Wins Northern Trust Play-off

Bill Haas knows anything is possible from even the most dire positions. Remember, this is the guy who only five months ago saved par with his ball partially submerged in a lake and won the FedExCup.

Not even Haas could have imagined such a stunning conclusion Sunday at Riviera.

In thick rough behind the 10th green, the second hole of a three-man playoff with Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, Haas smartly played away from the flag with hopes of making par and going on to the next hole.

He wound up holing a 45-foot birdie putt across the green to win the Northern Trust Open.

"A part of me was saying, 'I've done this once, let's do it again,'" Haas said. "Another part of me was saying, 'Don't screw this up.'"

Mickelson and Bradley worked their own heroics just to get into the playoff.

Haas, who closed with a 2-under 69, was on the practice range at 7-under 277 as he warmed up for a playoff only he thought might happen. He was trying to convince himself that Mickelson or Bradley -- maybe both -- would make birdie on the 18th hole, even though it had yielded only six birdies all day.

With tournament executive director Jerry West -- "Mr. Clutch" from his days with the Los Angeles Lakers -- looking on, Mickelson rammed in a birdie putt from just outside 25 feet, pointing his putter and slamming his fist as the gallery packed into the hill below the stately clubhouse let out a cheer that could be heard down Sunset Boulevard.

Mickelson bumped fists with Bradley and told his protege, "Join me."

That he did. Bradley's birdie putt from just outside 12 feet took one last, slow turn at the cup and disappeared, setting off another enormous cheer. No one had to tell Haas what was happening.

"You heard the cheers," he said.

They started the playoff on the 18th, and Bradley had the best look at birdie with a 15-footer from just off the back of the green that touched the right side of the cup.

It was decided on the 312-yard 10th hole, regarded as the best short par 4 in America, certainly among the most interesting holes in all of golf. It can be reached with a drive, but it's all about position -- and none were in a particularly good spot.

Haas went long into thick rough, with enough of the back bunker in his way that he smartly played out to the right and left himself a long birdie putt that at least would assure him par.

Mickelson and Bradley each came up short, a horrible angle. Mickelson's flop shot landed near the hole and rolled into the back bunker. Bradley was in the bunker, and did well to blast out to 15 feet, just through the green.

Haas ended the suspense with his putt.

"I never expected to make a 40-footer, especially in that situation," Haas said. "A little luck was involved. I guess it was meant to be."

Bradley, who closed with a 71, missed his birdie putt after Mickelson, who also had a 71, failed to hole his bunker shot.

"I didn't think he was going to make that one," Bradley said. "I should have known, though, because he's a great putter and a great player."

Mickelson, who rallied from six shots behind with a 64 to win last week at Pebble Beach, was trying to become the first player since Tiger Woods in August 2009 to win back-to-back on the PGA TOUR.

"Bill hit a tremendous putt," Mickelson said. "We're thinking it's a very difficult 3. It's a defensive hole. You're just trying to make 4, believe it or not."

Haas went one better with his putt across the green.

"That's going to do it," Mickelson said.

Mickelson missed three straight putts from just inside 10 feet on the back nine -- two for par, one for birdie -- but atoned for it with his birdie on the 18th, the longest putt he made all day.

"I kept fighting, and I was giving away shots and was trying to let it go and move on and see if I could capture one, and I finally got one to go on 18," Mickelson said. "It felt great."

The feeling only lasted two holes.

Haas captured his fourth career PGA TOUR title and moved to No. 12 in the world.

"To beat guys of that caliber is amazing, something I will never forget," Haas said.

Mickelson seized control early with the best shot he hit all week. With pin tucked in the back right corner on a new green at the fifth hole -- a deep swale behind it and to the right -- Mickelson hooked a 9-iron that started out toward the gallery and wound up 4 feet away for birdie.

That put him at 9 under, two shots clear of Haas, who had birdied the par-3 sixth two groups ahead. Jonathan Byrd, who had been tied for the lead, made double bogey on No. 5 with a hooked tee shot into the hay.

All it took was a pair of mistakes by Mickelson to turn the back nine into a shootout, with a half-dozen players in the mix.

He missed the dual fairway on the eighth and couldn't reach the green, chipped 6 feet by the hole and missed the par putt. Then, he failed to clear the fairway bunker on No. 9 and had no chance of getting home. His wedge was 20 feet short, leading to another bogey. The game was on.

Haas started the back nine with a birdie to take the lead, only to give it back with consecutive bogeys when he came up short on the 12th and missed the fairway left on the 13th. Bradley and Mickelson each made birdie on the 11th to reclaim a share of the lead, then took turns falling out of the lead -- Bradley missed the green to the left on No. 13 for bogey, Mickelson with a three-putt from 50 feet on No. 14.

Mickelson three-putted again from 70 feet on the 15th, but Bradley also missed a 7-foot par putt on the same hole.

Four players had at least a share of the lead throughout the final round.

Dustin Johnson was not among them, though he stayed in the hunt until the end. Needing a birdie to match Haas, he leaked his approach to the 18th and then bladed his chip across the green. He had to scramble for bogey and a 71, putting him in a tie for fourth.

Garcia never had a chance to win, though the Spaniard sure made it interesting.

He hit 3-wood to 10 feet for eagle on No. 11, holed a 4-iron from 207 for eagle on No. 15 and birdied the 18th for a 30 on his opening nine. When he holed a birdie putt across the third green, he was 8 under for the day through 11 holes, and only three shots behind.

His momentum ended with a bogey on the par-3 fourth, and he had to settle for a 64, the best round of the tournament.

Winning never entered his mind.

"Everything had to be absolutely perfect for me," Garcia said. "I obviously couldn't make any bogeys. It's not that easy."

Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, struggled after the opening round and closed with a 78.

Mickelson and Bradley Share Trust

One shot clipped an ash tree and kept Phil Mickelson out of worse trouble than he was in. Another landed behind a Bottle Brush, blocking his path to the 10th green at Riviera. On yet another hole, Mickelson had to thread a 9-iron through the limbs of five eucalyptus trees.

So when he walked into the gallery to find his tee shot on the 15th hole and saw a man flat on his back, Mickelson assumed the worst.

"It wouldn't be the first time, so I thought for sure I took him out," Mickelson said Saturday.

Instead, the spectator was being still because the ball was inside the hem of his shorts.

Despite all these adventures, Mickelson managed a 1-under 70 Saturday to share the lead with PGA champion Keegan Bradley at the Northern Trust Open.

On a day when "routine par" was not part of his vocabulary, Phil was thrilled.

"This was a great round for me because I did not play well, and I shot 1-under par and I'm atop the leaderboard," Mickelson said. "Usually when I win, I'll have two good rounds and I'll have two rounds that aren't so great that I've got to keep somewhere in it to give myself a chance."

The last two days weren't his best. He still has a great chance to end his West Coast Swing with back-to-back wins.

The toughest part might be ahead of him.

Bradley took only five putts over the last five holes, including a 10-footer for par on the last hole that got him into the final group, for a 5-under 66 and his best chance at a win since he captured the PGA Championship in August.

What made the par so meaningful was getting a chance to play with Mickelson, whom he considers a mentor. Mickelson invited Bradley in on one of his money games before THE PLAYERS Championship, where Mickelson graciously showed him the nuances of the TPC Sawgrass, until they reached the last green and the cash was on the line.

Mickelson told Bradley and Brendan Steele to get out their wallets, and then he poured in a putt.

"He's a very competitive guy, but he's very helpful at the same time," Bradley said. "I thank him for his advice and help. But he's going to try to beat me tomorrow, and I'm going to have to try to do the same."

Even so, this is hardly a two-man race at Riviera.

Mickelson and Bradley were at 7-under 206, one shot ahead of Pat Perez (70), Jonathan Byrd (69) and Bryce Molder(66). Mickelson wasn't the only player on a wild ride along the fabled course off Sunset Boulevard.

Molder one-putted the last eight greens, five of them for par. Perez three-putted from 10 feet on No. 3, and on the next hole took four putts from 60 feet on the fringe, the last three from inside 5 feet. Byrd took only 21 putts in 18 holes, courtesy of only hitting six greens in regulation.

"My short game was marvelous," Byrd said.

Defending champion Aaron Baddeley had a 66, while Dustin Johnson chopped up the end of his round before a birdie on the 18th that gave him a 67. They were in the group two shots behind, along with FedExCup champion Bill Haas, who had a 68.

Johnson three-putted from just outside 3 feet on the par-5 17th and made bogey.

"I'm going to come out tomorrow and give it everything I've got," Johnson said.

Twelve players were within three shots of the lead, so it could be anyone's game on Sunday. Mickelson still likes his position.

"I was six back last week, so I would prefer where I'm at this week," he said.

Mickelson rallied with a 64 in the final round at Pebble Beach, and a win at Riviera would make him the first player to win consecutive PGA TOUR events since Tiger Woods in August 2009.

Mickelson's only regret was not taking advantage of birdie putts, missing from inside 8 feet on the ninth and 16th holes, and not giving himself a chance on the par-5 17th when his wedge rolled off the front of the green.

Nothing was more entertaining, however, than his journey into, through and over the trees.

He pulled his tee shot so far right on the par-3 sixth that it was headed for the ivy-covered fence until clipping the ash tree and dropping down. Then, instead of hitting a lofted chip that could run to the pin, he chose to chip some 25 feet past the hole, have it run up the bank and come down. It rolled 12 feet past the hole, and he made it for a par.

On the par-4 eighth, which gives players the option of two fairways, Mickelson found his own route. He blasted a tee shot so far left it went over a white fence and landed at the base of the stairs of a corporate tent. After getting a free drop, he threaded a 9-iron through five eucalyptus trees to 12 feet.

It would have been one of the more amazing birdies in his career, except he missed the putt.

He was introduced to a Bottle Brush on the 10th. That was the name of the tree between the pin and where his tee shot landed. Mickelson caught a tiny branch and didn't reach the green, but hit a skillful pitch to 3 feet for par.

"I'll get it turned around," said Mickelson, who spoke to Butch Harmon after his round and headed to the practice range before his private jet commute home to San Diego. "Today was a big day, because if I didn't fight hard and make pars from some of the places I was at, then I'd be trying to play catch-up to a lot of guys.

"Now, there's a lot of players that are right in it, within a couple of shots of the lead," he said. "And it's going to take a good round tomorrow. But I'm pleased that I put myself in it."

NT Open Leaderboard

Mickelson Holds Riviera Lead

Despite having only two birdie chances inside 15 feet, Mickelson holed out from the eighth fairway for eagle and chipped in for birdie on the par-3 16th. That carried him to a 1-under 70 and a one-shot lead over Pat Perez in the Northern Trust Open.

Mickelson made three par saves from outside 10 feet, starting with his opening hole at the par-4 10th. He went from the front bunker to the back bunker, blasted out safely to 18 feet and curled in the par putt.

That set the tone for a day that only looked good on the scorecard.

"I probably didn't play the greatest today, but I was able to kind of salvage a good round and had a good break on eight where I holed out from the fairway," he said. "That was a nice little bonus."

Perez had a tournament-best 65, without a bogey on his card, and he saved his best shot for the final hole. He hit his tee shot on the 18th and was too far right, the green blocked by the eucalyptus trees. Perez cut a 6-iron, hopeful of finding the green, and it wound up 12 feet away for a birdie he wasn't expecting.

"I didn't hit it like you'd think I would," Perez said. "I didn't drive it all that great. I just scrambled well. I put myself in the right places to make par or birdie."

Mickelson was at 6-under 136, assured of being atop the leaderboard for the third straight round.

The group at 4-under 138 included Jimmy Walker (66), Carl Pettersson (70), Jonathan Byrd (70), Marc Leishman (69) and Matt Kuchar (69), who had a solid day without too much excitement until he drilled his tee shot to a back left pin on No. 6 and left himself 5 feet for birdie.

Before he could putt, he was stung by a bee in his arm.

"I haven't been stung by a bee in probably 20 years," Kuchar said. "I had stopped being scared of bees. The thing got me, and it was really painful. It was not much fun."

Bubba Watson had a 69 and was in the group another shot back, while world No. 1 Luke Donald had a 72 and was only six shots out of the lead.

As usual, the 144-man could not finish before darkness. Eight players will have to return Saturday morning to finish, with the cut likely to be at 3-over 145.

Mickelson and Perez will be in the final group, both of whom grew up playing each other in San Diego. This is different. Perez hasn't missed a cut this year on the West Coast Swing, but has only one career win. Mickelson is going for his 41st, and trying to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win consecutive TOUR events.

Mickelson is coming off a big win last week at Pebble Beach.

"He's playing well, and I'm going to have to play awful well to beat him this weekend," Perez said. "I'm not worried about him. It'll be fun to play with him, but I know that I have to play well out there to beat everybody else, as well."

Joe Ogilvie delivered the shot of the day, making an ace on the 16th hole with a 7-iron. It was his third hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR, and he has yet to win a prize. At least at a TOUR event, he didn't have to buy drinks.

"There were 10 guys up there that looked like they could drink 1,000 beers," he said. "I'm glad I didn't do this at my club."

He shot 71 and was at even-par 142.

Mickelson was on the ropes early until his great bunker-bunker par save on No. 10. The trouble was getting the ball close. Mickelson tried to hit a pitching wedge on the 13th and have it run toward the hole, but it checked up and left him 50 feet. On the 15th, he hit 8-iron to stop near the whole, and it released some 40 feet.

Lefty couldn't get anything right until he got to the 16th, with a tee shot that just ran off the green about 30 feet away. He studied the chip from every angle, and before hitting the shot, leaned over to analyse a section of the green. It was softer, so that became his target with a low pitch that hit the ground quickly and ran to the cup like a putt.

"If I flew it another 5 feet, it was going to be firm, so if I flew it 5 more feet and brought it in higher, I thought it would have raced 15 feet by," he said.

He ended both nines by missing par putts inside 5 feet, but the eagle atoned for that. Wary of how the greens were earlier in the round, Mickelson said he couldn't afford his wedge on No. 8 to go long, so he played it out to the right with side spin, and it spun back into the hole.

"I put myself in contention heading into the weekend, which is what my initial goal was," Mickelson said. "And so with 36 holes to go, I'm right in the thick of it. I've got to go out and shoot some low scores, because they're out there. But I gave myself an opportunity."

Tim Clark, meanwhile, was headed home after an 82 and a smile. It was his first tournament since THE PLAYERS Championship because of elbow surgery he had five months ago.

"I felt pretty good, to be honest," Clark said. "I'm quite surprised with how my body actually felt. I wasn't able to score at all. In terms of the arm, and how the body felt, I was quite encouraged.

"The fact I could get through 18 holes without having any pain is quite nice."