No. 34 for Mickelson

There must have been quite a few Phil Mickelson fans who, after his tee shot on the final hole of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on Sunday, were thinking, "Here we go again." Because there Phil's driver ball went again - wide left. He was tied for the lead with Rod Pampling and Tim Clark, but in heaps of trouble, in the rough, in the middle of a copse of tall trees.

The situation required a great shot, and that's exactly what Mickelson pulled off: A soaring, slicing shot over and around those trees, just clearing a front greenside bunker, settling 12 feet from the cup. And on his final stroke of the tournament, Mickelson sank the birdie putt and won the tournament.

It's victory No. 34 in Mickelson's PGA Tour career. And thirty-four wins is, well, a lot. In fact, the only person in the post-Tom Watson era with more is Tiger Woods. And Watson himself is only five wins in front of Mickelson now. Phil will almost certainly blow by Watson in the next year or two. And if you win more tournaments than Tom Watson, well, that's big.

Photos: Mickelson wins at Colonial

See also:

• Phil Mickelson bio and photos
• PGA Tour career wins leaders