MICKELSON CLAIMS VICTORY

19 February 2008 – It was Sunday which saw Phil Mickelson claim the victory of the Northern Trust Open golfing championship at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Looking at some of the great names (Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, and Byron Nelson) appearing on the winner’s trophy, the current world number two could not help but smile with excitement.

"The names that are on this trophy are pretty cool and bring up an element of history to this tournament," Mickelson commented. "Riviera is a special place and a fun, challenging golf course that's withstood the test of time. It has some of the greatest holes on the PGA Tour and it's fun to play well here, because early in my career I did not.”

Phil Mickelson, a golfing hero reigning from San Diego in America, took the tournament by two shots, closing with a one-under-par 70.

This is Mickelson’s 33^rd PGA Tour title win, and his 16^th on the West Coast swing.  

Mickelson says that he loves golf, and he practices very hard, working hard to continuously improve his game. "I can see the improvement, but it's not quite to where I believe I can get it," he said.