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After starting the final round at -14 - two strokes clear of Americans Tiger Woods and Nick Watney - it came down to a two-horse race with three time Major champion Ernie Els of South Africa that was decided in dramatic fashion and over the last three holes.

Trailing Els by one Mickelson hit his tee shot at the drivable Par-4 16th to the left of the green and was left with a tricky approach to a pin that was placed only a few feet behind a bunker.
He set-up for his famous flop and made a beautiful swing into a full finish…it took me a fraction of a second but I had to realize that he had gone right underneath the ball and had only moved it a few inches. He then punched his third shot onto the green’s collar but with Ernie Els one shot ahead and in the middle of the fairway after his tee shot on the 72nd hole, it didn’t look as if a happy ending was likely to happen for Lefty.

Els - who was playing two groups ahead of Mickelson - was at -10 for the day and seemed to be in perfect control of his game. But obviously there was too much pressure for the South African:
Looking for his first victory since the 2008 Honda Classic he made a complete mess of his second shot into the Par-5 and hit the fairway metal into the water hazard at least 20 yards short of the green. Only seconds later Mickelson pumped his fist after rolling in the long and breaking par putt on 16. He then hit his tee shot on the Par-3 17th to eight feet and made the birdie putt.

After Els missed a lenghty par attempt on the hole ahead it was clear that par would be enough for Mickelson to win his third World Golf Championship title.
However, despite taking three wood off the tee it would turn out to be a nervous final hole for Phil: He pushed his tee shot to the left into very thick rough and missed the short grass again with his lay-up. With water surrounding the 18th green on three sides a desaster was possible but Mickelson safely pitched on and two-putted for a one-stroke victory.

Ernie Els had to settle for a fourth round of 63 (the third course record of the day together with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Daisuke Maruyama of Japan) and second place.

Tiger Woods was never a factor in today’s final round as he missed several short putts and was four over par after seven holes. He managed to gather himself and collected five birdies over the next eight holes but his last hole was symptomatic for Tiger’s play: After missing the fairway with the driver he was forced to lay-up on the reachable Par-5. He then ran his ball through the green and into the water for a closing bogey. Tiger finished with a found of 72 (Even) and in a tie for sixth with Germany’s Martin Kaymer.

Mickelson now heads into a long winter’s break. Today was his final round of the year, and he now takes three months off before starting his 2010 season at Torrey Pines in late January.