Phil and Tiger, Ahead of the Pack

ATLANTA -- Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup Sunday at East Lake Golf Club, collecting a $10 million bonus, which in anybody's world ranks as serious cha-ching.

How very nice.

Now, about Phil Mickelson.

It isn't easy upstaging golf's best player winning the season's biggest award, but standing beside Woods on the 18th green for a double trophy presentation, Mickelson drew the spotlight like the lead man in a prison break.

He shot a final-round 65 and finished 9 under to win the Tour Championship, coming from four shots out of the 54-hole lead to finish three shots in front of the second-place Woods.

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Mickelson's winner's check was $1.35 million, plus another $3 million for finishing second in the FexEx Cup -- but money doesn't buy the feelings that came with this victory.

"Yeah, his check was for $10 million," Mickelson said. "But I felt like the day turned out well."

Mickelson's recent plight is no secret. He came to East Lake playing like a guy who could not get his season over fast enough.

For the past two months, Lefty's game has been uglier than a muni hitting range. And everybody understood.

Within a two-week period in late May, wife Amy and mother Mary were both diagnosed with breast cancer. He turned in an inspired effort at Bethpage Black to finish second in the U.S. Open immediately after the news, but hadn't shown much fire since.

Coming into the Tour Championship Mickelson's best finish in five previous events of a reduced schedule was 27th. He was a combined 18 over in 20 rounds.

Unhappy with his putting stroke, Mickelson turned to Champions Tour player Dave Stockton, one of the game's all-time best with the flat stick, but then arrived at East Lake to start with a 3-over 73.

The next three rounds were 67, 66 and 65.

After that shaky start, Mickelson putted like a mad man. He needed 25 putts on Friday, 27 on Saturday and 25 Sunday. Nine times Sunday he one-putted and added a chip-in at 16 for a clinching birdie.

"It means a lot to finish the year off on such a good note," he said. "You know, we've been through a lot, and I'm very proud of my wife and my mom on the fight that they've been through, and we've been fortunate in the long-term. We're in good shape. Although day-to-day is tough, and the meds are tough, and it's not easy for them, we're fortunate that our long-term outlook looks good.

"Although we have a long road ahead, to get the first part behind us feels good and to finish this year off with a win feels terrific."

The victory was the Mickelson's third of the season and moved him to second behind Woods in the World Golf Rankings. It is the 37th title of his career.

Sometimes, however, numbers don't count.

"I've got a lot of things kind of going through my mind," Mickelson said a few minutes after receiving the tournament trophy. "I talked to Amy. She had a great day hanging out with her friends. They ditched the Girl Scout meeting and hung out together watching it. So they're excited. I'm excited to get home and see her and see the kids.

"I've got a lot of people that I'm appreciative of, not just the guys who've helped me with my golf swing, but the doctors that have spent their lives doing their work and specializing in their field to save so many people's lives, my wife and mom included. I don't know even where to start or finish."

The PGA Tour will gladly make it a finish.

Not even the most optimistic company man would even have floated the idea of getting Woods and Mickelson side-by-side for a tournament trophy presentation.

It isn't going to get any better than that. What would be the purpose of trying.

"I don't know, that's a good question," Woods answered when asked who had the better of it in the trophy ceremony. "I'm sure I would probably be more happy tomorrow than I am right now, because you're in the moment trying to win this event. Winning takes care of everything, just like if you win consistently throughout the year, you get the Jack Nicklaus Award, you get the Arnold Palmer Award, you get the Byron Nelson Award for being consistent. But when you're in the moment out there, I'm trying to win a golf tournament,. Come tomorrow, I'm sure I'll feel a lot better."

Everybody was a winner.

But on Sunday Mickelson finished first.