I’m not sure how to analyze this one except give a name for each round: Hope, Revival, Anticipation and … (I’ll let you all come up with your own for round four).

Thursday was by no means spectacular but a nice even round and with only seven shots off the lead I still could give hope (even if it was a tie for 86th place).  Friday’s bogey free day at least put him 8 off the lead with a round of 67.  It was quite a few back but there were still two days left.  After an uneventful front nine at the start of the third round, birdies at 14, 15 and 18 put Phil back in the quest – now a mere five shots off the lead. The anticipation of Sunday’s round is reaching the crescendo – you can almost, just almost smell the anticipation of victory over the salty sea air!

And then the final day – with Steve Marino holding on strong to the top spot, Phil’s 34 in the first nine holes again put us on the edge of the seat waiting, and waiting, wondering could this be the day for #50.

Then it was like in the blink of an eye, after the 11th hole birdie, things just continued to spiral down further and further which led to bogeys on two of the final five holes and no birdies to be seen.  We will have to wait yet for another week for Phil Mickelson’s 50th PGA Tour victory as he finished at -8 under – in a four-way tie for 9th position, which was no match for D.A. Points’ -15.

Points (and his partner in crime Bill Murray) led the field in an outstanding final round of 67 with a double eagle from the fairway on the 14th, and a less than perfect chest-pump with Murray.  They also paired to win as the Pro Am team, something Murray has been chasing since he started playing the AT&T.  It was Points’ first win on the PGA Tour in 128 starts which earned him a 2 year exemption and also a trip to his first Masters.

Phil, Augusta is only a little over 3 weeks away – a nice warm-up with a win at the Northern Trust would make your fans go crazy with anticipation for the Masters. Come on and show us what we all know you can do to us!