Final-round notebook – HSBC Champions
Ernie ElsSearching for his first win of the calendar year, Els was 10-under-par on the day holding a 1-stroke lead over Phil Mickelson before his second shot on the par-5 18th found the water hazard. Despite a bogey on the last, Els’ 63 still tied the course record set earlier in the day by Daisuke Maruyama and matched by Rory McIlroy.
Els has one career World Golf Championships title, the 2004 WGC-American Express Championship.
Phil Mickelson
Career International Victories (3):
1993 Perrier Open [Eur]. 2007 HSBC Champions [Eur]. 2009 HSBC Champions [Eur].
Earns $1,200,000 US for his victory.
Lone player this week to post four rounds in the 60s (69-66-67-69—271).
Four worldwide victories in 2009 -- Northern Trust Open, WGC-CA Championship, THE Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola, WGC-HSBC Champions -- putting his career worldwide professional total at 40.
Mickelson has 37 career US PGA Tour wins, including three official events in 2009 (Northern Trust Open, WGC-CA Championship, THE Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola). Mickelson also finished runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 2009 FedExCup competition.
First two-time winner of the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament.
Mickelson has bested Tiger Woods four of the last five times they have been paired together.
One of only two players (Tiger Woods) to post top-10s in three of the four 2009 World Golf Championship events.
Including his win at the 2009 WGC-CA Championship, becomes just the fourth player to win multiple World Golf Championships events, joining Tiger Woods (15) and Darren Clarke (2) and Geoff Ogilvy (3).
Joins Woods as only player to win multiple WGC events in the same season; Woods has accomplished the feat five times (1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007).
Three of his four worldwide wins this season have come when Mickelson held the 54-hole lead:
2009 Northern Trust Open led by 4 shots; shot 72 on Sunday and won by 1 (over Steve Stricker)
2009 WGC-CA Championship tied with Nick Watney; shot 69 on Sunday and won by 1 (over Watney)
2009 WGC-HSBC Champions led by 2 shots; shot 69 and won by 1 (over Els)
The last time Mickelson held/shared a 54-hole lead and did not go on to win was at the 2008 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He was tied with Lee Westwood and Vijay Singh after 54 holes, but shot 70 on Sunday to finish T4.
Phil Mickelson Career World Golf Championships performance
Tournament Starts Top-10s Wins
Accenture Match Play Championship 10 6 0
CA Championship 7 1 1
Bridgestone Invitational 11 5 0
HSBC Champions 1 1 1
29 13 2
Tiger Woods
Woods has two runners-up (2005, 2006) and a T6 (2009) in three career starts at the WGC-HSBC Champions event.
While this week’s HSBC Champions event is considered “unofficial” on the PGA Tour, Woods added a top-10 to his World Golf Championships resume and now has has 16 wins and 28 top-10 finishes in 31 World Golf Championships starts.
One of only two players (Phil Mickelson) to post top-10s in three of the four 2009 World Golf Championship events.
Daisuke Maruyama
Maruyama set the Sheshan International Golf Club course record (later tied by Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy) on Sunday, carding a 9-under-par 63, jumping from 32nd to T10 in the process.
Rory McIlroy
The 20-year-old McIlroy (4) reeled off five straight birdies (Nos. 4-8) en route to a front-nine 30 on Sunday. He totaled seven birdies on the front nine and finished with a course-tying 63 (set earlier by Daisuke Maruyama and matched by Ernie Els).
McIlroy compiled two top-10s in four WGC starts in 2009. In addition to his fourth this week, he finished T5 at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Ryan Moore
Ryan Moore finished third in his World Golf Championships debut this week at the HSBC Champions. Moore qualified by winning the Wyndham Championship, the final event in the PGA Tour Regular Season.
Miscellaneous
Paul Casey withdrew during the final round due to a rib injury. He will receive last place unofficial money.
Six players in the field have participated in all four of the previous HSBC Champions: Paul Casey, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Padraig Harrington, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lian-Wei Zhang.
Geoff Ogilvy, winner of three World Golf Championship titles, rebounded from a 72-74 start, posting rounds of 65-67 on the weekend to finish T10.
After carding just one birdie and one eagle in the first three rounds, Thomas Levet recorded seven birdies en route to a bogey-free 65 to finish T57.
HSBC Champions field and the Official World Golf Ranking:
4 of top 5
7 of top 10
15 of top 20
18 of top 25
Woods and Mickelson
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have been paired together 25 times in PGA Tour sanctioned events, including today’s final round.
Tale of the Tape (25 pairings):
Woods better score: 11
Mickelson better score: 10
Woods-Mickelson score tied: 4
Final round pairings: 7 (Woods-Mickelson tied at 3-3-1)
Final round-final group pairings: 4 (Woods leads 3-1)
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