Twenty years later, Mickelson a winner at Riviera

It has been 20 years since Phil Mickelson first stepped inside the ropes at Riviera, a 17-year-old amateur in awe of the fabled course off Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard, inspired by names like Hogan, Snead and Nelson that were on the trophy.

Lefty finally joined them on Sunday, adding to his impressive collection of PGA Tour titles on the Left Coast.

Mickelson made two clutch putts on the back nine, seized control when Jeff Quinney self-destructed with the putter, and took a relaxing walk up the 18th fairway with a victory he felt was a long time coming.

He closed with a 1-under 70 for a two-shot victory in the Northern Trust Open, the 33rd of his career, with 16 of those in California and Arizona.

“The fact I haven’t won this and it has taken me so long to win makes it that much more special,” Mickelson said.

A year ago, Lefty was poised to win until he bogeyed the 18th hole and lost in a playoff against Charles Howell III. This time, he was steady down the stretch as Quinney’s putter changed from a magic wand to a ball-and-chain.

He made four straight putts outside 10 feet, only to make three straight bogeys starting on the 13th hole. The first two came from missing consecutive par putts from 7 feet that allowed Mickelson a cushion over the closing holes.

“I just put a little too much pressure on the putter on the back nine,” said Quinney, who made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that only changed the final score. He closed with a 71.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald each shot 68 and tied for third, although this was a two-man race from the start, and a one-man celebration over the final two holes.

Mickelson finished at 12-under 272 and earned $1,116,000.

He might never catch Tiger Woods in the world rankings, PGA Tour victories or in the majors, but for now he has done something the world’s No. 1 player hasn’t – win at Riviera.

Jack Nicklaus never won at Riviera, either.

Riviera was Woods’ first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old. He has not played the last two years.

His work on the West Coast is not over, even though he has won in every city of regular PGA Tour stops, from ocean courses of Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach, soggy La Costa Resort, desert courses in Phoenix, Palm Springs and Tucson, and now Riviera.

Next up is the Accenture Match Play Championship, which he has never won.

Champions Tour

Scott Hoch made it back-to-back wins on the Champions Tour.

Hoch made an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation to get in a four-way playoff, then made another 8-footer on the first playoff hole to win The ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla.

Tom Jenkins, Tom Kite and Brad Bryant had already made their pars before Hoch.

“I just said, ‘Look, let’s end it here. I don’t want to play anymore, anything else can happen,”’ Hoch said. “Nick Price had the same putt, but longer (in regulation). He hit a good putt, but it dove on him.”

Hoch’s dived right in the hole to win $240,000 of the $1.6 million purse to go with the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, where Hoch caught fire on the back nine to win.

Earlier in the round, Hoch holed out for eagle from the fairway on the par-5 No. 9 to grab the lead.