Lefty finally gets it right with 'best round of my life'

In his 20th Open Championship appearance, Lefty finally got it right. Seven days after honing his links game in the Highlands and giving himself the ultimate morale-booster by winning the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, Phil Mickelson achieved his greatest triumph last night. He'll be re-locating from California to Caledonia at this rate. "Castle Stuart was a big win for me but it's gone down considerably in seven days," he said through his trademark grin after overturning a five-shot deficit.

On an engrossing, enthralling day at Muirfield, that had more twists than a Chubby Checker tribute night, Mickelson went out and grabbed the glory while others dithered to become only the second player, after Lee Trevino in 1971, 
to win the week before the Open and go on to claim the game's most cherished prize. Over these famous East Lothian fairways, upon which some of golf's greatest champions have marched triumphantly, Mickelson proved what a great champion he is too. The 43-year-old is now keeping honoured company in the Honourable Company. 
A superbly-crafted five-under 66, which equalled the lowest score of the 142nd championship, gave him 
a three-under aggregate of 281 – the only tally in red figures – and left him three shots clear of Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

On a cricketing weekend, Westwood's hopes of a maiden major disintegrated into ashes, while Australia's Adam Scott, the Masters champion, saw his title tilt hit for six as he re-visited the horrors of Lytham a year ago to finish in a share of third on 285. It was another Englishman, Ian Poulter, who earned the plaudits but not the prize for an uplifting final-day burst that saw him barge his way into that tie for third, while Tiger Woods, lurking just two shots off the pace after 54-holes, slipped away with a whimper instead of a roar as a 74 dropped him out of the running. 
The world No.1 knew he, and the rest, had been beaten by the best. "He posted three-under, that's a hell of a number," Woods said. It was the inspired Mickelson who conquered, racing home in 32 strokes to blow the rest away in the blowy conditions. Four birdies over his final six holes, including two in a row at 17 and 18, spoke volumes for his artistry and competitive instinct. His approach to the last, which flirted perilously with the bunker but bounced and dribbled to within 12 feet of the hole, was a just reward for this captivating sense of adventure. 
"It was the best round of golf I've ever played," declared Mickelson, after becoming only the second 
left-hander, and the first since Bob Charles 50 years ago, to capture the crown. Only the US Open, an event in which he has finished runner-up six times, now separates the five-time major winner from the career grand slam. "If I'm able to win the US Open and complete that, then that would be the sign of the complete great player," he added. Interestingly, Mickelson and Poulter were the most outspoken critics on the course set-up at the start of the championship, but they both let their clubs do the talking yesterday and they flourished.

It was an absorbing, unpredictable day and no-one did more to inject the finale with energy and excitement than Poulter.

Eight shots off the lead heading into the final round, the Ryder Cup talisman required something miraculous, but miracles can 
often happen on Open Sunday. 
The 37-year-old mounted a rousing, fist-pumping onslaught under the overcast sky. For a spell, it was just like being back in the bear pit of the Ryder Cup at Medinah as Poulter, runner-up in the 2008 Open, tapped into those aggressive, adrenaline-charged reserves. A 12-footer for 
an eagle on the ninth provided the catalyst for a rampaging offensive and a birdie at 10 was followed by two thundering 20-footers for gains at the 11th and 12th.

The gallus swagger was in full flow as he marched purposefully down the fairway with his chest puffed out about 40 yards in front 
of him. His momentum would be halted on the 13th, however, when he ended up folded over with his hands on his knees after another birdie putt just slipped by. A bogey at 16 would follow but his super 67, for a one-over 285, set the early target.

Poulter could relax. Out on the links, there was plenty of tension as proceedings ebbed and flowed.

Westwood, who has now racked up eight top-three finishes in the majors over the past five years, had led by two overnight and extended that to three with a birdie on five, but the costly trips into Muirfield's unforgiving bunkers en route to a 75 opened the door. There were plenty waiting to come through. Scott upped the ante with a birdie at seven and a monstrous 45-footer on the eighth before making further gains at nine and 11 to take charge. And then history began to repeat itself. This time last July, Scott bogeyed his last four holes to lose the Claret Jug and four successive dropped shots from the 13th proved to be equally as ruinous as he trudged in with a 72.

Stenson, who shared third in the Opens of 2010 and 2008 and was in the final group with Mickelson in the Scottish Open last Sunday, tried his best to hang in there, and eventually carded a 70. But, from the moment big Phil rattled a No.5-iron into 10-feet on the 13th and holed the birdie putt to spark his scintillating surge, nobody could live with the marauding Mickelson.