27 January 2004	Tuesday	04 Zilhaj 1424

LA QUINTA, Jan 26: Phil Mickelson edged out Skip Kendall in a sudden-death playoff to enjoy a welcome victory at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic on Sunday.

Mickelson (68) and Kendall (65) finished five rounds of regulation play in the 90-hole event on 30-under-par 330 and returned to the par-five 18th hole for the shoot-out. Kendall's second shot from the fairway was short of the green and near the water while Mickelson's approach went over the putting surface.

Kendall left his third shot a good 15 feet (five metres) from the cup and failed to make the putt while Mickelson chipped to within three feet and sank his fourth shot for the win.

Competing in his first event of the season, the victory was the first since he claimed the 2002 Greater Hartford Open and the 22nd of his career. For the second straight year, 50-year-old Jay Haas came up one shot short.

Haas, who was second to Canada's Mike Weir here in 2003, finished alone in third after a final round five-under-par 67. Jonathan Kaye took fourth place on 28-under 332.

Ben Crane, Sweden's Jesper Parnevik and Kenny Perry tied for fifth on 334. Since his last victory in July 2002, Mickelson has fallen from second in the world rankings at the beginning of 2003 to 16th coming into this week.

Starting the day strongly, Mickelson had a two-shot lead over joint overnight leader Kirk Triplett through eight holes with five birdies and no bogeys.

However, back-to-back bogeys on the par-four ninth and 10th changed the complexion of the tournament and left Mickelson scrambling. By the 16th hole, Triplett had faded and Mickelson found himself trailing for the first time all day, one shot behind Kendall.

Kendall then made a bogey on the par-three 17th and after a birdie on the 18th hole, he had regained a one-shot lead over Mickelson. Mickelson played the deciding hole as he had in regulation, hitting a driver to the middle of the fairway and a four-iron, both times from 226 yards, to the green.

Mickelson missed the green to the right, just where he had been about 20 minutes earlier, and made the up-and-down for a winning birdie.

Final round scores:

330 xPhil Mickelson 68 63 64 67 68, Skip Kendall 63 68 68 66 65 (x-won on first playoff hole)

331 Jay Haas 65 68 64 67 67

332 Jonathan Kaye 67 70 66 65 64

334 Ben Crane 68 64 65 69 68, Jesper Parnevik 67 68 66 65 68, Kenny Perry 64 66 69 64 71

335 Bernhard Langer 67 67 69 68 336 Kent Jones 69 65 68 68 66, Chris Riley 68 64 69 70 65, Rod Pampling 70 67 67 66 66, J.L. Lewis 68 68 69 64 67, Harrison Frazar 73 67 66 63 67, Paul Azinger 67 65 66 69 69, Kirk Triplett 66 65 68 63 74

337 Mark O'Meara 72 69 67 65 64, Rocco Mediate 70 67 65 69 66, Jeff Sluman 68 67 66 70 66, Steve Flesch 72 66 63 68 68

338 Scott Verplank 70 64 71 68 65, Duffy Waldorf 71 67 65 69 66, Stephen Ames 68 72 64 69 65, Geoff Ogilvy 69 67 63 71 68, Zach Johnson 66 67 70 66 69, Loren Roberts 67 67 66 66 72-Reuters