50 & Glowing:Mickelson Wins US PGA C'ship to Become Oldest Major
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Asher-Smith QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune wins as QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune Diamond League storms into action at Gateshead TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021 PAGE 14 50 & Glowing: Mickelson wins US PGA C’ship to become oldest major champion Phil Mickelson celebrates with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course of Ki- awah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina on Sunday. (GETTY Images/AFP) WOODS congratulaTES history-MAKING PHIL Tiger Woods congratulated “truly inspirational” Phil Mickelson after the American made history at the US PGA Championship on Sunday. Mickelson defied form and age to capture the PGA Championship in history-making fashion following his two-shot triumph over Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka. Not since February 2019 had Mickelson won on the PGA Tour, while the 50-year-old’s last major triumph came at the Open Championship in 2013. But Mickelson became the oldest major champion in golf history in South Carolina, where he secured a sixth major title and 45th Tour trophy. Watching from the sidelines as he continues to recover from a car crash in February, 15-time major winner and famous foe Woods used social media to hail Mickelson. Woods wrote via Twitter: “Truly inspirational to see @PhilM- KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA: Phil Mickelson of the United States is followed up the 18th fairway by a gallery of fans after hitting his approach shot during the final round of ickelson do it again at 50 years of age. Congrats !!!!!!!.” After the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Sunday. (GETTY Images/AFP) reigning supreme, Mickelson - who has enjoyed a great rivalry with Woods - said: “This is just an incredible feeling because INE days after accept- the US Open - which he needs damage to a single shot. I just believed that it was possible but yet everything was saying ing a special exemp- to win to complete the career I hope that this inspires some to just put in The gap was down to three it wasn’t. I hope that others find that inspiration. It might take a Ntion for next month’s grand slam - gets under way at that little extra work, because there’s no reason when Mickelson also dropped little extra work, a little bit harder effort, but gosh, is it worth it US Open, Phil Mickelson ren- Torrey Pines. a shot on the 14th and con- in the end.” (DPA) dered it unnecessary in amaz- Julius Boros had been the why you can’t accomplish your goals at an older tracted even further as Oost- ing fashion by becoming the previous oldest major champi- age. It just takes a little more work. huizen birdied the 16th, ago- oldest winner in major cham- on, claiming the US PGA title nisingly missing from 15 feet Leaderboard pionship history. in 1968 at the age of 48. Phil Mickelson for eagle. Mickelson held his nerve Mickelson took a slender Koepka had also kept his PGA Championship (Top 4) during a pulsating final round lead over Koepka into the final prisingly missed from two feet. Mickelson’s birdie on the hopes alive with a birdie on POS PLAYER TO PAR SCORE R1 R2 R3 R4 TOT at Kiawah Island on Sunday to round but there was immedi- Mickelson rubbed salt into 10th and a bogey from Koepka the 15th and hit a thunderous 1 Phil Mickelson 6 70 69 70 73 282 win his sixth major title in the ately a two-shot swing, Mick- the wound on the par-three was the fifth multiple-shot drive of 361 yards (330 me- 103rd US PGA Championship, elson three-putting the first fifth, holing out from a bunker swing between the final pair tres) on the par-five 16th, only T2 Louis Oosthuizen 4 71 68 72 73 284 16 years on from lifting the from long range and Koepka for birdie after Koepka had hit and gave Mickelson a four-shot to see Mickelson amazingly hit T2 Brooks Koepka 4 69 71 70 74 284 Wanamaker Trophy for the holing from 12 feet (3.6 me- a superb tee shot to 25 feet, lead with eight holes to play. his five yards further. T4 Padraig Harrington 2 71 73 73 69 286 first time. tres) for birdie. but Koepka responded with With Koepka’s challenge Both men made birdie and The 50-year-old carded But that was eclipsed min- a tap-in birdie on the next as crumbling rapidly after an- Mickelson was happy to play left clear for Mickelson to two- National last month. a closing 73 amid euphoric utes later as Mickelson got up Mickelson failed to save par other dropped shot on the par- conservatively for a bogey on putt for par and complete an “But that’s a great feeling scenes around the 18th green, and down from over the third from right of the green. five 11th, Oosthuizen took up the 17th after his tee shot ran extraordinary victory. to have, feeling like I was close finishing six under par and green for a birdie and Koepka The tie for the lead did not the chase thanks to a timely through the green into thick Open champion Lowry to having a great chance this two shots ahead of Brooks missed the green with his ap- last long however, yet another birdie on the 12th, only to rye grass. and Ryder Cup captain Har- week. Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen, proach, duffed his fourth shot two-shot swing coming on the promptly dump his third shot Mickelson was almost rington had set the early club- “When Paddy chipped in with Shane Lowry, Padraig from a sandy waste area and par-five seventh thanks to a to the next into the water and mobbed by spectators after house target, the good friends on 14, I was like, ‘Ooh, Paddy Harrington, Paul Casey and eventually two-putted for a Mickelson birdie and clumsy run up a double bogey. hitting a superb approach to playing together and carding has got a chance here.’ I was Harry Higgs two strokes fur- double-bogey seven. Koepka bogey. If Mickelson was aware of the 18th and needed assis- matching rounds of 69. kind of trying to cheer him on ther back. Another two-shot swing Pars from both players on the situation he certainly did tance from security guards to “I went away from the and play my own game, but A 280-1 outsider at the looked certain on the third the eighth and ninth came as not act like it, taking on the flag force his way on to the green. Masters like this, and just a honestly playing with Paddy start of the week, Mickelson after Mickelson made bogey something of a welcome chance on the same hole and also find- Koepka could not finda little bit more so this week, today was one of the best will celebrate his 51st birth- with Koepka in close, but the to pause for breath, but the lull ing the water, but a favourable birdie to at least increase the feeling ‘What if?’” said Lowry, rounds of golf I’ve ever had. It day on June 16, the day before former world number one sur- in action was short-lived. drop allowed him to limit the pressure and the stage was who finished 21st at Augusta was so much fun.” (DPA) Mickelson, Brady, Hopkins and others prove age is merely a number hil Mickelson’s astonishing we remember some of the then in April 2014 - at the age to Essam El Hadary, who was her become the oldest female PPGA Championship triumph greatest sporting achievements of 49 - defeated Beibut Shu- 45 when he played in Egypt’s slam winner of all time. at the weekend could inspire by those of advancing years. menov to add the WBA’s belt to final group-stage match against In the men’s game, the hon- many athletes to keep going his collection. Saudi Arabia in 2018. our does not belong the three even when thoughts of winding BRADY BUCS THE TREND But the Italy legend does hold aforementioned modern-day down begin to form. AT SUPER BOWL LV FANGIO FINDS THE FORMULA the record as the oldest player greats (though who would bet The old adage suggests life be- When Tom Brady ended his TO SUCCESS to win the World Cup when he against one of them doing it gins at 40, and in sports there lengthy association with the Revered by many as the great- lifted the trophy aged 40 years, one day?). That benchmark lies have been several instances New England Patriots, some est Formula One driver of all four months and 13 days in a with Ken Rosewall, who was 37 of stars celebrating glorious doubted whether he could emu- time, Juan Manuel Fangio 3-1 victory over West Germany years, two months and one day triumphs in the twilight of their late his unrivalled success at certainly has a record to stack in 1982 in front of a bumper old when he won in Melbourne career. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. up against the best. crowd of 90,000 in Madrid. in 1972. Phil Mickelson became the Those people were wrong. The Argentinian had seven full latest history maker on Sunday Already the oldest quarterback seasons in F1 and was world ROSEWALL AND SERENA PHIL TOPPLES BOROS with a memorable US PGA to have won a Super Bowl ring champion five times with four ARE ACE In the context of Mickelson’s Championship victory at the with the Patriots two years different teams and runner-up Serena Williams and her sister triumph, it seems only fair to age of 50, making him the older prior, Brady’s memorable twice, while there were 24 wins Venus have made a mockery of mention the man who previous- male major winner of all time.