PGA Championship final scoreboard here
As much as the 2006 US Open was about Phil Mickelson double bogeying the 72nd to lose to Geoff Ogilvy, this one today was all about Phil, fit and fifty holding on, with a 73, -6 total when the rest couldn't to win his 2nd PGA Championship, his 6th major and his 45th PGA title on the forever tough Ocean Course, which was stealing the story, right until the end.
Wind specialist Louis Oosthuizen (73), who depises the spotlight as much as Phil craves it, was second with major specialist Brooks Koepka (74), both at -4.
The Ocean course at Kiawah, I wrote earlier this week was forecast to play easier than days gone by with a forecast of light winds, wrong.
Anytime you golf right on the very shores of the Atlantic Ocean, there is nothing to spare you from Mother Nature, and although the wind wasn't the one that brings Hurricane season, it was more than enough, combined with the figure 8 routing, trouble everywhere and treacherous greens of this Pete Dye legend to limit the very best to 6 under par over 72 holes.
CBS is still counting it's money this evening with Phil, making history a month shy of 51 adding to his glorious career as the oldest ever major winner in golf for goodness sake, topping Julius Boros (48) and even Jack at 46.
He will just be unbearable to deal with amongst his peers now, bragging rights forever, the TV tour to follow with all the bigs having called and booked him by now.
It was never a done deal on this Ocean Course, where par was very good, where you had to take your chances and bogey was waiting after every so so shot.
He made 3 of them on the front and another 3 on the back, heck so was everyone else, but Phil to his credit kept bouncing back with birdies, none more than the par 5 16th after what he calls "a bomb" of 370 yards albeit downwind, which put him 3 shots clear.
It was a great day for the game, one of it's all time entertainers making history on a historic venue on worldwide TV with no competition from the NFL. For once the shadow of Tiger was long since dimmed, the young guns were in awe, an American won a national title and in Hollywood style, the hero rode off into the sunset.
Corey Connors did himself proud opening with a 2 shot lead -5 67, and despite 5 bogey's in 6 holes to begin his 7.38am Friday start, he played well for a T17, 75 73 73 E, while Adam Hadwin toiled in obscurity T64 77 71 76 72 +8.
Consider this, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood and our own Mac Hughes were all at home watching.
Rory was never the story, T49 +5, DeChambeau T38 +3, Spieth T30 +2, all of whom had pre tournament volumes spoken and written, to no avail.
No, it was and is in the end of an enthralling week amongst the maskless COVID free fans gathered on Kiawah Island, all about one of the game's greats, Phil "the thrill" Mickelson, with the stage all to himself today, and who's to say he won't be in the spotlight again, maybe soon.
Bryan Angus
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