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Holmes Regroups To Beat Mickelson

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The Associated Press

Published: February 4, 2008

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - J.B. Holmes came back from the brink of defeat to win the FBR Open for the second time in three years, beating Phil Mickelson on the first hole of a playoff Sunday.

Holmes birdied the 18th twice in a matter of minutes, first with a 13-foot putt to force the playoff, then with an 8-footer after a monster, 359-yard drive.

Holmes, whose victory as a rookie at the FBR in 2006 is his only other PGA Tour win, had blown a four-stroke lead and was one shot behind going to the 18th. The far more seasoned Mickelson seemed destined for his third victory in the tournament and 33rd of his career.

But the 25-year-old Kentuckian smashed a 350-yard drive that landed near a fence far left of the fairway. He was awarded a drop, then hit his second shot out of the rough 13 feet from the pin to set up the putt that put him at 14-under 270 and forced the playoff with Mickelson.

With the Super Bowl being staged some 30 miles down the highway Sunday, attendance dropped to 71,805 on a chilly, overcast day. That's nearly 100,000 fewer than the record 170,802 who came Saturday for the biggest party day of the boisterous event. Still, overall attendance for the event was a record 538,356.

Charles Warren finished third, one shot back at 13 under.

WOMEN'S AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Karrie Webb won her fourth Women's Australian Open title with a 10-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff in Melbourne against South Korea's Shin Ji-yai.

Webb, who won last year's title at Royal Sydney, and Shin had final-round 67s at Kingston Heath to finish at 8-under 284.

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