Howell takes down Mickelson in Nissan playoff

Golf Betting Lines

02/19/2007 - Pacific Palisades, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charles Howell III got up and down for par on the third playoff hole Sunday to defeat Masters champion Phil Mickelson and win the Nissan Open.

Mickelson birdied the 17th hole in regulation to lead by one heading to the final hole. However, Mickelson came up short of the 18th green and could not save par. The bogey capped a round of three-under 68.

Howell, who played one group ahead of Mickelson, birdied three of the final five holes to fire one of the best rounds of the day at Riviera Country Club. He closed with a six-under 65 to join Mickelson at 16-under-par 268.

"I'm speechless. Starting out the day, I thought I had shot myself out of it Saturday, especially with Phil ahead," said Howell, who collected $936,000 for the win. "To finally catch him there in the end on 18, wow, that par putt was the longest par putt I hit in my life."

The duo returned to the 18th tee for the first extra hole. Mickelson found the left rough, then knocked his approach into the rough just off the right edge of the green.

Howell was in the right rough off the tee and hit a pitching wedge over the green with his second. Mickelson putted within inches of the hole from about 60 feet and tapped in for par. Howell chipped to seven feet and rolled that putt in for par to extend the playoff.

The second extra hole was the short par-four 10th. Mickelson knocked his tee ball short of the green in the fairway, before Howell hit his tee shot left of the green.

Howell played off a cart path with his second, but he left that shot short in the rough. He pitched his third to two feet. Mickelson hit his second a little heavy and left himself 21 feet for birdie. He two-putted for par, then Howell tapped in his par putt.

"The first thing I asked about was the (playoff) rotation, cause I just wanted to get past the 10th hole. Obviously, I lost the last playoff on that hole and on top of that, it's such a tough hole," said Howell, who lost a playoff to Mike Weir there in 2003. "Anything can happen on that hole."

At the par-three 14th, both players came up short of the green. Mickelson putted his from the fairway, but came up 10 feet short. Howell then pitched his to three feet. Mickelson rolled his par try past the right edge and knocked in his putt for bogey.

Howell drained his three-footer for par and his second tour title.

World Nos. 2 and 5, Jim Furyk and Ernie Els, each closed with rounds of four- under 67 to share third place with Robert Allenby (68) at 13-under-par 271.

Sergio Garcia took sixth at minus-11, while Padraig Harrington, who shared the first-round lead with Mickelson, ended in seventh at 10-under-par 274 after a final-round 73.

Mickelson birdied the first and second to move three clear of the field. A four-foot birdie putt on five maintained his three-shot lead over former PGA champion Rich Beem.

After three pars, Mickelson seemed to stumble at the ninth. He was on the green, but chose to chip his third due to the contour of the putting surface. He chunked the chip, then two-putted for bogey to slip to 15-under.

"Where I was at, I couldn't get close to the hole," Mickelson explained. "I'd have to play 20 feet to the side and I didn't want to do that. I didn't think it was that hard of a shot."

Mickelson responded by making birdie putts of 21 feet on 10 and 18 feet on 11. He led by two at that point, but dropped a shot on 13 when his par putt lipped out.

Howell, meanwhile, traded a birdie for a bogey from the first. Back-to-back birdies from the fifth moved him to 12-under. Howell collected birdies on 11 and 14 to move within two at 14-under.

The 27-year-old Howell birdied the 16th and made it two in a row as he sank a three-foot birdie putt on 17 to get to 16-under and a share of the lead.

Mickelson, now 7-2 in playoffs, regained a one-stroke cushion when he two- putted for birdie on the par-five 17th. However, his bogey at the 18th forced the playoff.

"I was trying to play a little draw off the tee, but it stayed straight," said Mickelson of his tee shot on 18. "If I had hit one more club for my second, it was right on the correct line, it would have been on the green and I would have made par."

Coming off his win at Pebble Beach last week, Mickelson was trying to win back-to-back starts for the fourth time in his career and third time in three years. He did it last year at the BellSouth Classic and The Masters after winning the FBR Open and Pebble Beach in consecutive starts in '05.

Howell, now 1-2 in career playoffs, managed to break through for his second tour win, despite some struggles early this season. He led by one with nine holes to go at the Sony Open, but could not close out the win, as he lost to Paul Goydos.

Two weeks later, he was in a tight battle with World No. 1 Tiger Woods at the Buick Invitational. Howell closed with a 68, but ended two behind Woods.

"Sony was a bitter one because I had a lead with nine holes to go. That was extremely disappointing," Howell stated. "To finally win here, I'm the luckiest guy in the world right now."

Pat Perez, like Howell, closed with a 65 to take eighth place at nine-under- par 275.

Tour rookie Anthony Kim fired the low round of the day with a seven-under 64. That moved him from a share of 46th into a tie for ninth at minus-eight. He was joined there by Rocco Mediate, Jeff Quinney and 2006 champ Rory Sabbatini.