WGC-HSBC Champions: Memorable Moments

For the first time, Phil Mickelson won a tournament while playing in the final group with Tiger Woods. Mickelson led Woods by two going into the final round, and closed with a 69 to Woods’ 72. Finishing second, one shot back, was Ernie Els, who lost the lead when he found the water and made bogey on the final hole.

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Bubba Watson holed a bunker shot for eagle on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff, then beat Tim Clark on the first extra hole by making a 20-foot birdie putt. Watson had blown a two-shot lead by going bogey-double bogey just before making his spectacular bunker shot.

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Martin Kaymer came from five shots behind after 54 holes to win by three. Kaymer shot a final-round 63, including a dazzling 29 on his final nine holes. “On the back nine I made nearly every putt that I looked at,” Kaymer told BBC Sport. “I can’t remember a day when I have played that well.”

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With a final-round 69. Y.E. Yang denied Tiger Woods’ bid to win a seventh consecutive stroke-play event. Woods shot 67, but it wasn’t enough as he tied for second with Retief Goosen, two shots back. No one could have known it at the time, but this wouldn’t be the last time Yang came between Woods and a trophy.

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Leading by three shots after 11 holes, Phil Mickelson found himself two shots behind Englishman Ross Fisher just four holes later. But a closing double bogey by Fisher helped set up a playoff featuring the two, plus Lee Westwood. Mickelson put an end to the proceedings with a birdie on the second extra hole.

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In a Monday finish necessitated by rain, Sergio Garcia defeated Oliver Wilson with a birdie on the second playoff hole. The win elevated Garcia to a career-high No. 2 in the world ranking. “I’m just so proud to win and get to number two in the world,” said an elated Garcia, who earlier in the year had won The Players Championship.

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Russell Knox of Scotland became the first player to win a World Golf Championship in his debut, edging Kevin Kisner by two shots for his first PGA Tour victory. Knox got into the field as an alternate when J.B. Holmes withdrew. He had to hastily procure a Chinese visa, and got to the tournament site in time for only one practice round, for which his wife, Andrea, served as his caddie.

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In 2005, when Tiger Woods went into the final round of a tournament just one shot off the lead, he was expected to win. Especially when the leader was someone Woods had waxed by 11 shots when they had been paired in Round 3 of that year’s Masters. But David Howell, who lost that Masters pairing to Woods, 65-76, was two shots better than the American this time (68-70).

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Dustin Johnson led by three after 54 holes and won by the same margin, but it wasn’t as easy as that might suggest. DJ three-putted the opening hole for bogey and quickly surrendered the lead to Graeme McDowell, who birdied the first three holes, and Ian Poulter, who picked up strokes at the first and second holes. But the American rallied, chipping in for eagle on the drivable par-4 16th hole.

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Less than two months after a spectacular Ryder Cup performance, Ian Poulter birdied eight of his first 15 holes in the final round to win by two shots in Shenzhen, China. Poulter came from four shots back after 54 holes to win.

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WGC-HSBC Champions: Memorable moments