Mickelson 3rd Place "Sixth Victory Cup Next Time~"... Taylor Wins

Final Day of AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Struggles with 2 Over Par, Strilman 2nd, Day 4th

Phil Mickelson is disappointed after missing a birdie putt on the 3rd hole during the final day of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Pebble Beach, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] The veteran Phil Mickelson (USA) failed to defend his title.

On the 10th (Korean time), at Pebble Beach Golf Links (par 72, 6816 yards) in Pebble Beach, California, USA, during the final day of the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (total prize money $7.8 million), Mickelson lost 2 strokes and finished 3rd (14 under par, 273 strokes). Nick Taylor (Canada) achieved a commanding victory by 4 strokes (19 under par, 268 strokes). This was his first win in 5 years and 3 months since the Sanderson Farms Championship in November 2014. The winner's prize money was $1,404,000 (1.68 billion KRW).

Mickelson started in 2nd place, 1 stroke behind, and recorded 4 birdies, 4 bogeys, and 1 double bogey. He had a good start with a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 5) followed by consecutive birdies on the 5th and 6th holes. However, the double bogey on the 8th hole (par 4) halted his momentum. His second shot overshot the green, and the third flop shot rolled down the slope, resulting in a critical '4 on 2 putts'. He made a bogey on the 9th hole (par 4) but recovered with a birdie on the 10th hole (par 4). However, consecutive bogeys on the 12th, 14th, and 16th holes distanced him from the championship.

This tournament is especially known as the 'Promised Land', where Mickelson has already collected five titles in 1998, 2005, 2007, 2012, and 2019. He was satisfied with securing world ranking points by finishing as runner-up for the first time in the 2020 season. Currently ranked 72nd, he is in a desperate situation where he must enter the 'Top 50' as soon as possible to secure a spot in the third major, the US Open, in June. For Mickelson, the US Open remains the last puzzle piece to complete the 'Career Grand Slam' by winning all four different majors.

Nick Taylor is cheering as his victory is confirmed on the 18th hole of the final day at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Pebble Beach, California, USA - Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz

Taylor completed a 'wire-to-wire' victory by adding 2 more strokes with 1 eagle, 5 birdies, 3 bogeys, and 1 double bogey. His early surge was notable with 8 under par at Monterey Peninsula (par 71) on the first day and 6 under par at Pebble Beach Golf Links on the second day. After touring three courses including Spyglass Hill Course (par 72) alongside world-class sports stars and Hollywood actors, he competed fiercely for the championship again on the final day at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Taylor is the player who made a splash by winning the Sanderson Farms in November during his fourth PGA Tour appearance after joining in 2014. It is surprising that he has not won since then. On this day, he struggled with a 61.11% green hit rate on iron shots due to the Pacific sea breeze hitting the Monterey Peninsula. Fortunately, his short game showed power with an eagle from a greenside bunker shot on the 6th hole (par 5) and a chip shot birdie from the rough on the 15th hole (par 4).

Kevin Streelman (USA) rose to 2nd place (15 under par, 272 strokes) with a 4 under par round, while Jason Day (Australia) fell to 4th place (11 under par, 276 strokes) due to a 3 over par slump. Jordan Spieth (USA) made headlines off the course by jumping to a tie for 9th place (8 under par, 279 strokes) with a daily best 5 under par. His 'stingy putting', his main weapon, is showing signs of revival with an average of 1.58 putts per hole. Dustin Johnson (USA), the two-time consecutive champion in 2009-2010, finished tied for 32nd place (3 under par, 284 strokes).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.