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Steady Funk claims Players title

Fred Funk's final-round 70 gave him a one-shot victory in the weather-delayed Players Championship at Sawgrass.

The 48-year-old American became the event's oldest ever winner, finishing a stroke ahead of Tom Lehman, Scott Verplank and Britain's Luke Donald. Battling gusty conditions, Funk bogeyed three of the last five holes - but got out of a bunker for a par on the 18th. Donald two over and five ovehad a 22-foot putt at the same hole to force a play-off, but he missed and the title was Funk's. After a weekend wrecked by rain, the tournament went into a fifth day with 33 holes still to play, and the field still had to deal with 35mph gusts.Bob Tway took a tournament-record 12 on the island green 17th as the players struggled to cope. Lee Westwood, who eventually hit an even-par 72 to finish on two under, joined Phil Mickelson in running up a quadruple-bogey seven at the same hole. Donald, who had led after the third round, saw his challenge fade after dropping five shots on the outward nine. He still had a chance of a tie on the 447-yard 18th, but saw his putt drift left. The miss left Funk able to

but I was always in control of my swing. "I was thinking as I three-putted my way round the back nine, I never do anything easy. It's been a long, long week." Donald was left to rue his miss, but accepted he had thrown away a strong position earlier in the round. The 27-year-old from High Wycombe said: "I'm proud I gave myself a chance, but I don't know too many people who have made birdie on the 18th in the final round here." While Funk, Donald and others can be well pleased with their efforts at the tough Ponte Vedra Beach course, golf's "big four" put in lacklustre efforts by their high standards. World number one Vijay Singh was the best placed of the quartet in a tie for 12th, five shots behind Funk. World number three Ernie Els was a shot further back on three under, good enough for a share of 17th. But Mickelson, a tie for 40th, and Tiger Woods, 53rd, struggled on Monday and finished onr respectively.

Mickelson strolls to Masters win

Phil Mickelson beat South Africa's Tim Clark by two shots to win his second Green Jacket in three years at Augusta.

The American posted a three-under 69 to get to seven under for the tournament, and could even bogey the last without prompting any undue panic. Earlier, Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal had shot the round of the week, a 66, to post the target at four under. Also on that score were Americans Chad Campbell, Fred Couples and Tiger Woods, and South African Retief Goosen. The 35-year-old Mickelson took a one-shot lead into the storm-delayed final round, having bogeyed the last hole of his third round. And while Chad Campbell, Couples, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Rocco good starts to create a logjam at four under, Mickelson had to wait for his first birdie.

But when it came at the 7th he followed it up with another at the 8th. And then his main rivals started to go backwards. Playing partner Couples, wonderful from tee to green, missed a host of chances to keep apace, while up ahead the likes of Woods and Vijay Singh could not buy a putt. Couples, at 46, was aiming to become the oldest player to win a Green Jacket, 14 years after winning his first. He would have been a hugely popular winner but his putter just would not follow the script. He said: "If I had made the one at the 14th I might have made Phil work harder, but he played very well. He shot an easy 69 - he didn't struggle at all." The 40-year-old Olazabal, however, was rolling back the years. A superb eagle-three on the 15th took the Spaniard to five under and within touching distance of a third Green Jacket. But a nervous first putt at 16 led to a three-putt bogey and a return to four under. Goosen, playing typically steady golf, joined him there soon after but is was already apparent that four under was not going to be enough to stop Mickelson. The Californian, who played with two drivers in his bag, by now had added regulation birdies at the long 13th and 15th to go four clear. Woods, the defending champion and world number one, threatened briefly but saw eagle chances come and go at the par-fives and then three-putted the 17th. The huge putt he holed for birdie on 18 was greeted with an ironic smile. But is was good enough to improve the four-time Masters champion's score to four under and a tie for third with Olazabal and Goosen. Couples - playing in the final pairing that has provided the Masters champion every year since 1990 bar one - would later join this trio. One shot behind them were Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Fiji's Singh, who led after the first round. Completing the top 10, on his own on two under, was American Stewart Cink. Spain's Jimenez, who went out in 33 but came back in 39, and Canadian pair Mike Weir and Stephen Ames were tied for 11th on one under. South Africa's Ernie Els, however, will be less happy. The world number five, a two-time runner-up here, was in great shape at the halfway stage but struggled after Saturday's weather interruption, finishing way down the leaderboard. But his compatriot Clark should be delighted with his best finish in a major, particularly as he claimed second on his own by chipping in from a bunker at the last.The best-placed British player was David Howell. The Englishman finished in a tie for 19th on two over par, one shot ahead of Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who crashed out of contention thanks to a 77. The most spectacular crash was not Clarke's, though. Mediate went from joint leader to nowhere by taking 10 on the short 12th. An old injury had flared up by then and he put three balls in the lake. But the day belonged to Mickelson, the man who for so long carried the tag of "best player never to have won a major". He has now claimed three of the last nine and the last two in succession. In fact, he cannot stop winning. Last week he triumphed in Atlanta by a remarkable 13 shots. Nobody since Sandy Lyle in 1988 had come to Augusta on the back of a victory and won again. "I knew it was going to be a long, tough day. But in the end, it was real fun and I ended up playing well," Mickelson said. And with the new rankings released on Monday, he is sure to be made the world's number two. The golfing public, particularly the American golfing public, could be finally getting the battle for number one that they have craved since the halcyon days of Jack Nicklaus v Arnold Palmer.

Our Five Live team predict-the-outcome competition has now switched to who will win the Green Jacket.

This daily ritual became a touch contentious when new rules were introduced, stating that everyone had to pick a different name.
John Murray then said it was only fair that we should draw for the order in which we could make our picks.
On both occasions since the rule change he's drawn last position which has thoroughly amused the rest of us.
So here are the picks: John went with Padraig Harrington, Alistair Bruce Ball plumped for Tiger Woods, producer Graham took Phil Mickelson and I've chosen Chad Campbell.

Nick Faldo, three times a Masters Champion, chose to have lunch in the Augusta clubhouse with his family.

He was greeted by the maitre d', who enquired: "Name?"
"Faldo."
"Sorry?"
"FALDO," emphasised our greatest ever golfer who retained his charm and manners throughout the exchange.

Rocco Mediate was frustrated during Saturday's rain break because of a long standing tour rule that forbids playing cards in the locker room.

Mediate is a card shark who finished 600th out of 5,619 players in last year's World Series of Poker.
He would have loved to have spent the down time counting his aces and said: "It's too bad because that would really make the time go quickly."

Ben Crenshaw recalled his first Masters appearance as an amateur in 1972, when he had a shock of long, thick hair.

Tournament co-founder Clifford Roberts welcomed him to Augusta.
And then added: "By the way, did you know we have a barber shop right here in the clubhouse?"
Crenshaw said he got a trim.