South Africa’s Retief Goosen birdied four of the last six holes on Monday to lift himself and Phil Mickelson past top-ranked Tiger Woods and John Daly five and three at California’s Battle at The Bridges.
Mickelson made five birdies in 13 holes to help spark the triumphant duo, who split $1-million while Woods and Daly shared $400 000 in the seventh annual made-for-television event featuring Woods.
Goosen and Daly, who shared third at the European Players Championship in Hamburg on Sunday, flew from Germany overnight to southern California. While long-hitting Daly struggled, Goosen showed no sign of fatigue.
”Goose played unbelievable good,” Woods said. ”I thought the jet lag might kick in, but he was just too good.”
Eight days after winning his 10th major title at the British Open, Woods found himself unable to sink the key putts while Mickelson, a member at the host club, paired well with Goosen and offered putting advice where needed.
”I started a little bit shaky but I had Phil to guide me around here,” Goosen said. ”We made some good putts and it went really well.”
Mickelson said he felt like throwing away his putter at the United States Open but felt like kissing it here.
”It’s nice knowing the surface,” Mickelson said. ”It was smooth putting all around the course.”
Mickelson and Goosen went one-up by winning the fifth hole and kept that edge through the turn.
Woods lipped out a six-foot birdie putt at the 10th, failing to match Goosen and falling two holes down. Mickelson and Goosen took two of the next four holes with birdies to go four-up with four to play, and Goosen closed it out with a final birdie.
Mickelson and Woods each birdied the first hole. Woods birdied again on the par-three second to give his duo their only lead, but Mickelson answered with a 10-foot birdie at the par-three fourth to level the match.
Goosen missed the first three greens while Daly found the water off the fourth tee, saying: ”I feel like diving in there to wake up. That’s horrible.”
Daly also found the gallery off the fifth tee and afterwards yelled: ”Sorry.”
Daly refused to blame jet lag for his season-long woes continuing.
”I’m feeling a little weak,” Daly said. ”But it’s no excuse for playing that bad.” — Sapa-AFP