KEY POINTS:
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona- J.B. Holmes lost his nerve and found it in the nick of time to beat Phil Mickelson in a playoff and win the Phoenix Open in thrilling style on Monday.
Big-hitting Holmes, ranked 197th, birdied the 18th hole to force a playoff against his fellow American and world number two and he repeated the feat to seal victory.
"I can play under pressure, I guess. I've always tended to do well under pressure, in junior golf and college and everything," Holmes told reporters.
"I didn't have my best stuff today, but I fought and I hung in there and I made it when I needed to," he said.
Charles Warren finished a shot behind in third and five players were tied for fourth on 12 under, Australians Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington and Americans Kevin Na, Kevin Sutherland and Ben Crane.
Overnight leader Holmes struggled in his final round with four bogeys, allowing Mickelson to reach the clubhouse in front.
Mickelson fired five birdies for a four-under-par 67, saving his best for late in the round.
A superb second shot helped him to a birdie on the 15th and a tie of the lead and on the 17th a magnificent 298-yard tee shot and precise chip left him with a five-foot putt for a birdie that gave him the lead.
Holmes, visibly nervous as he hesitated on several key shots, suddenly refound his focus.
A shot behind on the final hole, Holmes produced a huge 340- yard drive but landed in the rough. He recovered to set up a tricky 13-foot putt and holed it to force the playoff.
While Mickelson had appeared in nine playoffs in his career, including his victory at the 1996 Phoenix Open, Holmes was gaining his first sudden-death experience.
But the Kentucky-born Holmes produced another huge tee-shot, driving the ball 359 yards before sinking an eight-foot putt for victory.
His only previous PGA Tour victory came here two years ago.
Mickelson said he had the opportunity to win but was impressed by his opponent.
"It was an up-and-down interesting day," he said. "I had some chances. I had made some birdies on the back to make a run and I had some more chances that slid by the edge.
"Starting the day I would have gladly taken getting into a playoff, but I've got to give J.B. a lot of credit for birdieing the last hole and again to get in the playoff. That's pretty impressive golf."
- REUTERS
