Phil Mickelson wanted to change his luck, but instead Vaughn Taylor changed his life.
Taylor closed with a 7-under-par 65 and claimed his third PGA Tour victory, but the first in more than 10 years, when Mickelson lipped out a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish one stroke behind in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
“It’s been such a long time,” said Taylor, who did not have his PGA Tour card and played at Pebble on past champion’s status, but now has a two-year exemption on the circuit. “I’ve worked so hard, but I kept getting knocked back.
“This is just amazing. I’m just at a loss for words right now. I didn’t think this was going to happen again. Just kept working, kept grinding. Can’t believe it happened here. Just wanted to finish top 10 so I could play next week (in the Northern Trust Open.”
Taylor, who played college golf at Augusta State and still lives in the town that hosts the Masters, also earned his fourth start in the first major of the year in April by winning one month before his 40th birthday.
After starting the final round six strokes behind 54-hole leader Mickelson, Taylor had four birdies on the front nine, but also mixed in two bogeys, before adding five birdies on Pebble’s more difficult back nine–including four in a row through No. 16.
Taylor’s previous victories came in the Reno-Tahoe Open in both 2004 and 2005.
Mickelson, seeking his 43rd PGA Tour victory but the first since the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield, was up-and-down all day while finishing with a 72, but gave himself one last chance to win the AT&T for the fifth time by sinking a 13-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
“It never crossed my mind that the putt on 18 wouldn’t go in,” said Lefty, who was 23-for-23 on putts five feet and in for the tournament until missing the biggest one. “I played tight throughout the round, even though I was trying to free it up. I didn’t save some pars that I needed.
“I’m certainly disappointed, but I know I’m on the right track, I know I’m close. I’ll take it as a positive, because I’m playing better than I have in years and I’m enjoying playing golf again.”
Jonas Blixt of Sweden closed with a 69 to finish two shots back in solo third, while Hiroshi Iwata of Japan shot 72 and was another stroke behind in a tie for fourth with Freddie Jacobson of Sweden, who had a 71.
Patrick Reed posted a 65 and wound up five shots back in a tie for sixth with Justin Rose of England, who totaled 69.
Second-ranked Jason Day of Australia struggled to a 73 and tied for 11th, while world No. 1 Jordan Spieth bounced back from a 74 by shooting a bogey-free 66 to tie for 21st.
