Mickelson pulls out Crowne Plaza win with miraculous birdie on final hole

Phil Mickelson was asked to describe the 72nd-hole birdie that gave him a one-stroke victory at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Well, it was a last-hole driver, and a wedge, 8 feet and make it for birdie," Mickelson said, with a smile.

Lefty only made it look that easy.

Having just gotten back into a share of the lead after playing partner Rod Pampling's bogey at No. 17, Mickelson hit his final drive Sunday well left -- into heavy rough and under the trees 140 yards from the hole. Pampling then drove into the middle of the fairway.

Play it safe and chip back into the fairway? Not Mickelson, who is second to Tiger Woods in the world rankings.

"I didn't see that option," he said. "If there is at all a chance, I'm going for it. ... You have to take some risks to win."

Mickelson hit a wedge shot under one tree and over another, the ball clipping branches while headed sky-high -- "it just came off perfectly," he said. But Mickelson couldn't see it through the trees, so he jogged into an opening just in time to see the ball fall back to earth near the flag.

"That's what No. 2s in the world do," Pampling said. "Those guys make those kinds of shots."

Pampling left his approach 38 feet away and his second putt went in after Mickelson had already made his birdie -- actually from 9 feet, but no need quibbling over a one-foot difference after that shot Mickelson called "probably top five" in his career.

"Just lucky," he said, with a smile. "I'm as surprised as anybody I was able to make a 3 from over there."

The miracle birdie closed out a round of 2-under 68 that got Mickelson to 14-under 266, a stroke better than Pampling (68) and Tim Clark (66) for his second victory at Colonial. Stephen Ames (70) finished fourth at 269, a stroke ahead of Ben Crane (67).

It was the 34th career victory for Mickelson, who also won the Northern Trust Open in February and is the only person on the PGA Tour with multiple victories in each of the past five seasons.

Champions Tour

Jay Haas overcame a shaky putter during a topsy-turvy final round to hang on and win his second Senior PGA Championship in three years Sunday at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.

Haas endured a five-bogey, one-birdie round of 74 to finish the tournament at 7-over 287.

Bernhard Langer, the third-round leader, finished second, a shot back after posting a 76.

LPGA Tour

Leta Lindley birdied the first hole of a playoff to win the LPGA Corning Classic in Corning, N.Y., for her first career victory in 295 starts on tour.

Lindley, who lost a two-hole playoff with Chris Johnson at the 1997 McDonald's Championship, won $225,000.

Sun Young Yoo (66) and Mi Hyun Kim (66) finished in a tie for third at 10 under.

-- The Associated Press