Golf Capsules

March 16, 2009

DORAL, Fla - No longer the best player without a World Golf Championship, Phil Mickelson won a spirited duel at Doral on Sunday to win the CA Championship and put himself in position to reach No 1 in the world.

Mickelson, taken to a hospital on the eve of the final round with heat exhaustion and dehydration, survived seven lead changes in 11 holes against Nick Watney before hanging on with seven pars for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot victory.

Mickelson won for the second time in four weeks and moved to No. 2 in the world ranking, as close to Tiger Woods as he has ever been. Depending on how Woods fares at Bay Hill, Mickelson might have a chance to go to No. 1 when he plays again.

Winning this tournament was all that mattered.

Four years ago, Mickelson lost a two-shot lead against Woods in a duel that ranks among the best ever at Doral. He didnt get his revenge against the worlds No. 1 player, but Watney gave him all he could handle.

Watney closed with a 2-under 70, holing an unlikely chip for birdie from behind the ninth green, then making an eagle on the 10th to pull into a tie for the lead. Needing a birdie on the 18th hole, which yielded only three in the final round, Watney thought his 30-footer was good until it stopped one turn away.

He pulled his cap over his face, and could only watch as Mickelson took two putts from 25 feet away for par and the victory.

PGA Tour

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico - Michael Bradley won the Puerto Rico Open by one shot over Jason Day after sinking an 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Bradley finished at 14-under 274 to outlast Jason Day and Brett Quigley at Trump International Golf Club. It was Bradleys third PGA Tour victory and first since 1998.

Bradley hit his winning putt at a perfect speed after drastically misreading his eagle effort. Day had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie, but the 21-year-old Australian missed a 7-footer.

Bart Bryant and Greg Chalmers finished another shot behind to tie for fourth at 12-under 276.

Bradley was presented with a trophy and a check for $630,000 for the dramatic victory on the windy 7,526-yard course. It also earned the 42-year-old of Lithia, Fla., a two-year exemption through the 2011 season and a spot in the 2009 PGA Championship and the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Champions Tour

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Dan Forsman won the ATT Champions Classic for his first victory in 12 Champions Tour starts, overcoming a five-stroke deficit in regulation and beating Don Pooley with a birdie on the first extra hole.

Forsman, five strokes behind Joey Sindelar entering the round, shot a 6-under 66 - the best round of the day - to match Pooley (70) at 11-under 205 on the Valencia Country Club course. Forsman earned $240,000.

Jay Haas (70) finished a stroke back at 10 under, and Sindelar (73) was 9 under along with Ben Crenshaw (67) and Fulton Allem (67).

In the playoff on the 546-yard, par-5 18th, Forsman made a 12-foot birdie putt, and Pooley had a 5-footer lip out. It was the third straight playoff in the event and sixth in the tournaments 20-year history.

Nationwide Tour

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand - American Alex Prugh won the New Zealand Open for his first Nationwide Tour title, pulling away with his second eagle of the round and finishing three strokes ahead of countryman Martin Piller.

The 24-year-old former University of Washington player finished with an 8-under 64 for a 19-under 269 total on The Hills course.

Prugh eagled the par-5 17th to take a four-stroke lead, and also had an eagle on the par-4 eighth. He had four back-nine birdies.

Piller, the third-round leader, shot a 68.

American Jim Herman had a 68 to finish third at 14 under in the event sanctioned by the Australasian and Nationwide tours.