With Scottish Open victory, Mickelson ends 20-year European title drought

Agencies/Inverness

Phil Mickelson heads to the British Open in the best form possible after ending a 20-year European winless drought with a play-off victory in the Scottish Open yesterday.

Mickelson, and the highest world ranked player in the field, captured his 50th pro career success after defeating South African Branden Grace with a birdie at the first extra hole.

Both players had ended regulation play tied at 17-under par with Grace posting a 69 and finding his way into the play-off when Mickelson horribly three-putted the last hole for bogey in a round of 68.  Danish rookie J B Hansen dropped four shots with a quadruple bogey at the second and then raced into a share of the lead with seven birdies over his next eight holes before ending with a 71 and tied in third place with third round leader Henrik Stenson (71) on 15-under par.

This is really cool,” said Mickelson, who claimed his first individual victory in Britain just four days before the start of the Open Championship at Muirfield.

“I have been coming here for some time and had some opportunities and I almost let it slip away today. To come out on top was terrific.

“I was so mad at myself for mentally losing my focus that I came out on that 18th pretty focused to make a four.”

Mickelson began his round with a double-bogey six on the first after topping his second shot and three-putting, but birdied four of his next five holes and also picked up three more shots at the start of the back nine.

A birdie on the 14th gave him the lead for the first time and three straight pars, including an excellent save on the 17th, had seemingly secured the £500,000 first prize.

However, the four-time major winner’s closing bogey meant a round of 69 to match that of Grace in the group ahead and a second Scottish Open play-off, the left-hander having lost out to France’s Gregory Havret at Loch Lomond in 2007. Overnight leader Henrik Stenson and Denmark’s JB Hansen shared third place on 15 under, Hansen having threatened to pull off one of the most remarkable victories ever seen.

The 22-year-old began the final round just two shots off the lead but his chances of a maiden European Tour title looked to have disappeared with a quadruple-bogey nine on the par-five second. However, Hansen bounced back with five birdies in succession, picked up another shot on the ninth to be out in 34 and when he birdied the 10th as well was suddenly in the outright lead. The Challenge Tour graduate also got back into a share of the lead after Stenson had overhauled him with birdies on the 10th and 11th, only to drop three shots in his last four holes.

A place in the Open was on offer to the winner of the tournament if not already exempt, but with Mickelson taking the title first reserve Scott Stallings gets the Muirfield berth.