Westwood put in the shade by masterful Mickelson

Champion at Augusta in 2004 and 2006 and with a US PGA title in between, Mickelson put a dreadful start to the season behind him to win by three shots from the Englishman with a

15-under-par total of 273.

Westwood, unable to hold onto the last-day lead, already had third-place finishes in the US Open, Open and US PGA.

Now he has come third, third and second in the last three majors.

A one-under 71 was never likely to complete the job and, sure enough, Mickelson shot 67 – and then went into one of the longest televised hugs with wife Amy.

No wonder. Last May she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was her first visit to a tournament since then and her battle goes on.

Although Tiger Woods equalled a Masters record with four eagles in his first tournament back for almost five months – two of them came in his rollercoaster closing 69 for joint fourth place – the accolades will go quite rightly to the left-hander.

It started as the week Woods came back to golf, but it ended as the week when Mickelson proved again he is the world No 1's biggest rival.

With a pink breast cancer emblem in his cap to remind people of the battles both his wife and mother have been fighting, Mickelson captured his fourth major in scintillating fashion.

Two shots above all others will be replayed over and over when the story of this incredible week is retold.

First there was his eagle two on the 14th in the third round as he moved one behind Westwood entering the closing 18 holes.

But that was matched by his second shot to the long 13th yesterday.

One ahead of KJ Choi after the Korean had just taken a bogey six there, Mickelson hit his drive through the fairway into the trees and onto the pine straw.

In front of him was a gap of no more than four feet between two tree trunks, but in the manner for which he has become known as Phil the Thrill, Mickelson decided to go for the 200-yard shot over Rae's Creek.

Spectacularly – even he showed that by raising his club in triumph and then punching the air – he hit it to four feet.

It warranted his third eagle of the week there but he missed the putt although Choi then bogeyed the 14th as well.

Westwood, though, matched Mickelson's birdie to stay two back and still had hopes of making his 50th attempt to win a major the one when he finally broke through.

But the Worksop golfer could not match Mickelson's two-putt birdie at the long 15th.

Westwood needed something special after that. He could not become the third player to hole-in-one at the 16th on the day, but he did birdie the 17th and Mickelson's five-footer for par there was badly needed.

It gave him a two-shot lead rather than just one on the final tee and once Westwood had missed his 25-foot birdie putt once they rerached the green, Mickelson holed from eight for a birdie which put the icing on the cake.

Mickelson commented: "It feels incredible. I could go on and on, so many reasons why, and it's the most amazing feeling.

"This has been a special day, something I will always cherish.

"It's been an emotional year and I am very proud of my wife and the fight and struggle she has been through. This is one of the best things we have gone through in the last year. We've been through a lot and it's been tough and to be on the other end and feel this kind of jubilation is incredible."

Westwood said: "We both struggled off the tee early on, but being the great champion he is Phil hit some great shots. The second on 13 was incredible. He has been through a hard time and deserves a break or two.

"I think when you have come as close as this there is a tinge of disappointment, but that does not last too long."

American Anthony Kim, the previous week's Houston Open winner, charged into third place with a joint best-of-the-day 65 that included a birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie run from the 13th.

Woods shared fourth with Choi, while Westwood's compatriot Ian Poulter, the joint halfway leader with him, tied for 10th.

FINAL ROUND SCORES FROM AUGUSTA

272 P Mickelson 67 71 67 67

275 L Westwood (Eng) 67 69 68 71

276 A Kim 68 70 73 65

277 T Woods 68 70 70 69, K J Choi (Kor) 67 71 70 69

279 F Couples 66 75 68 70

280 N Watney 68 76 71 65

281 H Mahan 71 71 68 71, YE Yang (Kor) 67 72 72 70

283 R Barnes 68 70 72 73, I Poulter (Eng) 68 68 74 73

285 J Kelly 72 74 67 72, MA Jimenez (Spa) 72 75 72 66

286 S Marino 71 73 69 73, T Immelman (Rsa) 69 73 72 72, D Toms 69 75 71 71, R Moore 72 73 73 68

287 A Scott (Aus) 69 75 72 71, T Watson 67 74 73 73, E Els (Rsa) 71 73 75 68, A Cabrera (Arg) 73 74 69 71, H Slocum 72 73 70 72, S Verplank 73 73 73 68

288 B Crane 71 75 74 68, M Kuchar 70 73 74 71

289 K Perry 72 71 72 74, B Haas 72 70 71 76, G Ogilvy (Aus) 74 72 69 74

290 Y Ikeda (Jpn) 70 77 72 71

291 S Kjeldsen (Den) 70 71 75 75, F Molinari (Ita) 70 74 75 72, S Stricker 73 73 74 71, S O'Hair 72 71 72 76, C Schwartzel (Rsa) 69 76 72 74, J Dufner 75 72 75 69

292 L Glover 76 71 71 74, M Manassero (Ita) 71 76 73 72

294 D Johnson 71 72 76 75, R Goosen (Rsa) 74 71 76 73, S Flesch 75 71 70 78, C Villegas (Col) 74 72 71 77

295 Z Johnson 70 74 76 75

296 R Karlsson (Swe) 71 72 77 76, M Weir (Can) 71 72 76 77

298 C Campbell 79 68 80 71, R Allenby (Aus) 72 75 78 73, S Garcia (Spa) 74 70 76 78

302 N Green (Aus) 72 75 80 75

USA unless stated