PHOENIX – Phil Mickelson stood on the 18th green at Phoenix Country Club, a wide smile across his face as he held yet another PGA Tour Champions trophy.
Next to him was 64-year-old Bernhard Langer, grinning just as broadly as he hoisted the Charles Schwab Cup trophy at an age when most golfers are playing from the front tee boxes, not fighting for professional championships.
One ceremony, two winners with vastly different styles.
Mickelson birdied three of the final holes Sunday to win the PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Langer held on to win his sixth season points title on the 50-and-older circuit.
“It’s so fun for us to come back and play in front of everyone, and then to come out on top here was a special week,” said Mickelson, 51, who played at nearby Arizona State University in the early 1990s. “I want to congratulate Bernhard because he really is the gold standard for work ethic, discipline as well as talent and a great golf game. At 64, to win the season-long championship, that’s pretty impressive, pretty inspiring.”