US star Phil Mickelson won his third Masters title and fourth major crown in dramatic fashion on Sunday while Tiger Woods could only ponder his mistakes and wonder what might have been. Mickelson shot a bogey-free five-under par 67 to finish 72 holes on 16-under 272, defeating England's Lee Westwood by three strokes, in an emotional victory for wife Amy, who has been battling breast cancer for nearly a year.
"It has been an emotional year," Mickelson said. "I'm very proud of the fight and struggle she has been through. It has been very difficult and very emotional. To be on the other end and feel the jubilation is incredible." Mickelson made a tearful embrace with Amy behind the 18th green. She had been unable to travel to events where he played until this week and had been bed-ridden until Sunday when she came to see him at Augusta National Golf Club.
The contrast was stark between fan favourite Mickelson, who took time away from golf to be with his wife and mother during their fight, and Woods, whose return this week from a five-month layoff came after a humiliating betrayal of wife Elin, with more than a dozen women claiming sexual affairs.
Woods, whose wife did not attend, struggled to a final-round 69, sharing fourth with South Korean K.J. Choi on 277, one stroke behind third-place American Anthony Kim. Woods said he did not know when he might play again. "I'm going to take a little time off and re-evaluate things," Woods said. But when asked to judge the meaning of a week that began with Woods fearful of how fans might react to him, top-ranked Woods spoke only in golf terms, not about the path to redemption.
"I finished fourth. Not what I wanted," Woods said. "As the week went on, I kept hitting the ball worse. I only enter events to win. I didn't hit it good enough. Consequently I'm not there." Mickelson claimed a share of fourth on the all-time Masters win list, half the record total of Jack Nicklaus and one shy of Woods and Arnold Palmer. Mickelson fired three birdies in four holes starting at the par-3 12th when he curled home a long putt. He then hit an epic approach at 13, his view of the green blocked by a tree.