Vaughn Taylor wins Pebble Beach in a script out of Hollywood

He hadn’t finished first in two-and-a-half years, and after he came so close in this AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, just missing a five-foot putt on the final green which would have forced a playoff, you can wonder if he’ll ever again finish first. But Taylor’s story didn’t turn out to be so bad, either – he hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in more than 10 years, and the one-time Ryder Cup member has spent two of the past three years whacking it around in obscurity on the Web.com. Ranked 447th in the world coming into the week, Taylor got into this event as an alternate and has been making limited starts on past-champion status; he had only teed up in 17 other Tour events in the last three seasons.

Now he’s going back to the Masters in his hometown of Augusta, Ga.

Taylor had moved into a share of the lead for the first time with a tap-in birdie at the 15, then drained a 28-footer at the par-four 16 to edge one ahead before clinching the winner’s cheque for US$1.26 million (RM5.229 million). But Mickelson made a 12-foot birdie from the fringe, then hit two excellent shots on the par-5 18th to put himself just short of the green and in ideal position to get up and down for a tying birdie. Right before Mickelson putted, a graphic popped up showing Mickelson had made 23 out of 23 putts inside six feet this week. Vaughn Taylor finished with 17 under par to win the tournament by one stroke.

Mickelson, 45, has not won since the Open Championship in 2013 and was desperate to end a 938-day drought since that victory.

“I also know that I am close”.

More than an hour earlier, Taylor had completed his round to take the tournament lead.

“It’s absolutely awesome”, said Taylor, almost breaking down in tears a couple of times. “I just kept working, grinding and kept at it. And I can’t believe it actually happened today”. “I didn’t think it would happen”.

Jason Day during the final round at Pebble Beach. “Just very fortunate for him to not make that putt”.

He missed two good birdie chances on the last two holes, but still wound up a victor. “But “a little tighter” can be interpreted as feeling the pressure that on Saturday Mickelson said he hoped wouldn’t affect him”.

Jordan Spieth, the world’s No. 1 player, closed with a 66 and tied for 21st, ending his streak of seven straight top 10s dating to September.

Jonas Blixt, the first player to catch Mickelson, made bogey on the par-5 14th to fall back and closed with four pars for a 69 to finish third.

The American was two strokes behind eventual victor Vaughn Taylor with two holes to play. “But if I was there, I would have been able to finish it off”.

European: Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel cruised to victory in his home country, closing with 7-under 63 to finish at 16-under 264 to win the Tshwane Open in Pretoria, South Africa, by eight shots.