possible still. look at that. 66 today. so mickelson will take on last year's player of the year. justin thomas to decide this world golf championship. got it on the left side. >> he's been so solid today, especially with those short putts from five, six feet and inside that. >> i don't think anybody, including phil nation will have a -- just too hard to stomach. shubhankar sharma ends his great week. 10 under, six back. after three rounds, a 74 for him as he heads back to the indian open. but it is as sharma calls him the legend. mickelson still with a chance. thumbs up as he heads over to the par 3 17th to take on justin thomas who is looking for his eighth win in the last 32 pga

tour starts. that would be a one out of four clip. so mickelson trying to get this win will take on the hottest player on the pga tour as justin thomas won the honda last week. he went back-to-back last year in hawaii. he's trying to go back-to-back in back-to-back years. so a star-studded playoff between mickelson at the age of 47 and justin thomas just 24 years old. stay with us. wjs mexico championship np a wjs mexico championship np a daniel berger professional golfer, wjs mexico championship np a and... his distant cousin twice removed, dougal. hold on lads, there's a wee pretty cart girl. oh jeez frankfurters! we'll have three ah traditional with mayonnaise, sugar, and olives. all the way around. uh, he'll get a snack at the turn. dougal, get in the cart. sorry. you can't choose your family. but you can choose to save money with geico. what!

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mickelson in there put the finishing touches and then headed to the 17th with justin thomas. that comes your way next. thomas, the last few balls on the putting green. let's bring you up to date on how this playoff happened or will happen. phil's second at the 7th. >> not many guys would have the guts to try that shot. he almost holes it. >> mickelson came into the round two back. justin thomas got hot quickly. at the 6th. >> smart play to hit it over that green. the tee was shortened on that. a lot of players were playing long and pitching back.

>> that got him the third birdie. he quickly moved to 12 under and mickelson rolling it at the 4th. >> he was rock solid with that claw putter grip. >> three birdies in the first four holes for mickelson who got to 13 under. mickelson got a break off the tree. second shot now. steering clear of the water. >> just playing a big high cut. he went on to two-putt that for birdie. >> that gives mickelson four birdies in the first six holes and give him his outright lead at 14 under. in the meantime, justin thomas after birdieing three on the front nine, another birdie there. he birdied two of the first three holes on the back nine. another one at 12. >> that was a tough read. bones said this was really a difficult read. it's going to go left and back to the right, just curled in. >> thomas and mickelson were locked at 14 under until mickelson at the 10th -- >> this was a great shot to that

short pin on the right. he almost jars it. pulse it back to about five feet. >> gets to 15 under there. mickelson bogeyed the 11th. but this was the game changer. from 121 yards, coming off bogey at 17, j.t. backs it up and in. jimmy johnson and him celebrating that. at 16 under. he goes two ahead of phil at that point. and then mickelson gets to the 15th. again, the par 5 is second. >> he's trying to catch the slope in the middle of this green to get it to fumble back toward the hole. he just stays on that upper wedge. >> will be a two-putt birdie for phil to get to 15 under. creeping closer. so he was one back at that point. and then the big one at 16 to tie it at 16 under.

>> dead center. look at that line. rolling, turning over. >> had a chance at 17. had a chance at 18. and then made it interesting here when he left that birdie approach putt short. just over three feet. knocks it in to put the pga tour into another playoff. its eighth of the season. so thomas is trying to continue to check off the boxes of a brilliant career. player of the year last year with five wins. two more this season. trying to make it three. the 17, 18 wrap-around season. >> we will get back to that par 3 17th where the latest playoff will begin. mickelson and thomas to decide today, right now, you have more power at your fingertips than entire generations that came before you. but it's not really about what technology can do, it's about what you can do with it.

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our second of five in a row on the pga tour. the valspar. next week tiger is in the field along with jordan spieth. both committing just on friday. it's the best field that they have ever had there. rory mcilroy and let's bring in again our own tampa resident, gary koch. you talked about ticket sales spiking yesterday. i know you've talked with tracy who runs the tournament. what's the latest? >> i have. i talked to tracy west. ticket sales soaring well above

25% ahead of last season. the tournament staff working nonstop to kind of help enhance the fan experience. additional admission gates created. more parking. larger autograph zone. as tracy west told me this morning, we're preparing for an epic week. >> yeah. i know all the copperheads out there at the course in the tampa area excited to get that field there. it's going to be an exciting finish here, jake. the hole-out by justin thomas, the mickelson quest for the elusive pga victory. it's got a lot of spark to it. >> what impressed me about justin, he three-putted and he knew he had to put it in the fairway because he was going to have a wedge. we heard bones say will he take it on. he did. he holed it for an eagle. >> tremendous finish by justin thomas. how about phil mickelson. nobody wants it more than phil. he wants to prove to these young kids that he is still --

>> you pick first since you finished first. rotation will be 17, 18, 17, 18. >> okay. >> ready? >> go. 1. >> thank you. >> good luck. >>. >> jake, earlier we talked about the way this hole sets up for phil with that back left hole location. he hit a good shot. coming up a little short in regulation. thomas bogeyed this hole in regulation before the fireworks at 18. >> i think phil has the advantage only because he's a left-hander and he can play a high cut. don't forget, justin thomas is a highball hitter and he can take the ball up high with a lot of spin. i'm only giving phil the advantage here because he's left-handed. >> to the reigning fedexcup champion with the honor. >> he's already on top of that

list. 550 more points at stake for the winner. could put him in control. never won a world golf championship. trying to check that one off the list. >> gap wedge here for justin. >> right of the hole. trying to turn it to get it to spin. that's going to be long. >> familiar theme here. >> we've seen that all day. >> phil nation. which spread over here into mexico, is just sensing some kind of mickelson moment here. no doubt, this crowd is cheering for him.

>> right of the hole. the spin. >> even better than he did in regulation. below the hole but that's a makable birdie putt. >> justin, i don't know if he'll chip or putt that ball. depends on how it's lying. >> mickelson will take this walk beneath his adoring mexican fans on that big grandstand. thomas in an area where you never know if par could get it done.

just two of the biggest stars of the game on opposite ends of the age spectrum. justin thomas just 24 years old. on a streak and terror of victories. >> you know that the 24-year-old justin thomas who has so much respect and admiration for phil mickelson, he's trying to beat him, but he's also learning. it's one of the things these kids, spieth, fowler, justin thomas, daniel berger, they love to soak it in from phil mickelson. >> talked about his historic year last year. the fedexcup title. pga tour player of the year. led the tour in earnings. nearly $10 million. just was nearly at the top or nearly at the top in every category you could imagine. so has eight wins at the age of 24. then mickelson and his hall of fame career looking for win number 43.

>> it's just one of the great things we love about this game of golf. unlike other sports where it is hard to hang on, you got tom brady playing in the nfl at age 40. but 47 years old and he's mixing it up. >> phil works so hard on his game. he wants to maintain his speed. he's always -- >> what happened there. somebody almost stepped on thomas' ball. had to put the heisman on the guy. >> another look at that. >> a guy with a camera. >> almost. that might be thomas' best save of the week. >> roger, could have been a worse lie into the ground there. what about the lie down. >> actually, it's not an optimal lie. it's sitting down a little bit. it's going to be hard to get this ball real clean. i think he's going to play it

short of the green and pump it through the rough. >> this is tricky. we've seen a lot of guys leave it short. >> just in the back of your mind, you got that water in the back. >> you heard mickelson describing chipping and out of kikuyu. you have to land it on president green because it's unpredictable when it lands on the fringe. >> that's a good eight, nine feet for par. mickelson will have a birdie opportunity again to win. just like he had on the 18th hole in regulation. >> roj, i got to think that cameraman almost stepping on justin's ball had to unnerve him a bit, maybe shake him up a bit.

>> if he had hit the ball, he would have gotten to drop the ball. >> that's true. >> now phil's putt. kind of the opposite of the last one he had which went left at the hole. he's deeper into the green. i think this is going to go just to his right. >> just over 16 feet. 16 feet 4 inches away for mikkel son to win again. mickelson to win again. probably the best place on

the golf course do it, too. >> you got to be kidding. how close can you be? >> how it all can go that slowly over the edge and not go in is a shock. >> he thought -- boy, he must be thinking after thomas holed out at 18, what do i have to do to win? that close. >> oh, my. >> to victory number 43 in the pga tour. he thought he had it. >> so did everybody here. >> now, it will be up to justin thomas for par. 8'4" away. >> two-putt might still be enough. this is no easy putt. you got to get the pace just

right. we've seen it from behind the hole move hard right if you don't keep up enough pace. >> this guy has been so clutch, so good in the big moments. >> i think in this situation, justin thomas loves being here. he rises to the occasion in these big moments. wouldn't surprise me to see him knock this right in. >> phil mickelson's day has finally arrived. after 97 starts, since that last major championship in muirfield. at the age of 47 has done it again with his brother, tim on

the bag. talked to a lot of people in the mickelson camp. a lot of fans on the practice tea, jake. all of them, nearly all of them are saying it would be good for golf to have phil mickelson win again. >> i hate to see justin make bogey. nobody wants to win like that. losing to phil, hey, that's okay. let's go down to roger maltbie. >> kind of a tough finish what could have been a storybook finish. your thoughts on the last hole? >> it's a bummer. i meanp if you would have told me i would be in a playoff in two rounds, i would told you you're lying. i played unbelievable golf. ism more proud of myself. it takes a lot of patience and calmness for me to stay in it as much as i did. that shot at 18 was unbelievable. i was pumped up and so much adrenaline. i didn't think i would fly.

162 or -- i guess even more that than that. >> i got to ask you, did the cameraman shake you up a little bit? >> honestly, maybe i would have let him kick the ball, i would have had a better lie. >> it just was -- not that i can complain about missing a green and have a bad lie. that wasn't exactly an easy chip. i would have liked to hit a better putt. i'm really happy for phil. >> over to steve sands. >> all right. justin said phil he's so happy for you. it's been 4 1/2 years since you've gotten o into the winner's circle in 2013. what gave you the belief, you would get back here one day? >> i don't know what to say. it's been a tough go the last four years. not playing my best. but to have the plef that i was going to get there and finally breakthrough and do it, it feels incredible. i believe that more is to come. i'm starting to play some of my best golf. to culminate here in mexico city

is exciting. it validates the hard work we've put in and the struggle to get my game back. >> we know how agonizingly close that putt came. how agonizing has the process been to be on top and beat the best players in the world. >> the thing about it, i love the challenge much it's been a difficult go. i couldn't have done it without the support of andrew getzen, my brother who has done a phenomenal job and we've had a lot of fun and the support of callaway to give me the support system through a tough time. they've been there through the good and the bad. i'm appreciative and amy has been awesome too. my family has been very supportive over this tough time knowing the challenges i have been through. i enjoy that challenge. to have something like this today makes it all worthwhile. >> in the fall last year outside new york city at the president's cup, you and i were having a conversation about what it's like competing against these

guys at 47 years of age. to get a win at a world golf championship event against the best playing here in mexico city, what kinds of inner strength does that take from you, mentally and physically? >> it's pun believable. he shot 16 under in two days, incredible golf and trying to compete against the guys i know and respect and admire how great these young players are and i welcome the opportunity to compete against them. to have a little taste of success this year has been encouraging. >> you mentioned amy and tim and andrew getz yen. getting a win are ywith you on pga tour, what did it mean to you to share this with him? >> this journey, this challenge and this opportunity has been very meaningful for us. >> you said something to me when you were waiting to do this

interview. your nerves are shot after going through this ordeal. how were you able to hold it together down the stretch? >> i try to look calm on the outside. but inside i'm shaking and i enjoy that. that's what was so fun and that nervousness starting the round before the round and all the preparation and all the nerves you feel. i haven't felt that in a long time. i haven't been in the last group in a long time. it's been really fun. >> welcome back to the winner's circle. congratulations, phil. >> dan, back up to you. >> you can sense the emotion as justin thomas had -- mickelson's par is able to secure that victory. his first victory was with steve lloyd who remains his manager today. bones mackay was on the bag for 41 of 42 of the victories. for the first time his brother ♪

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so the latest pga tour playoff goes to phil mickelson. final round 66. justin thomas was bril yapt. mickelson wins it on the first hole of sudden death and gets 550 fedexcup points, zooms up into the third position. justin thomas and patton kizzire remain 1-2. just a sensational week for justin thomas. gary koch joins us.

gary, starting with you. it's a great thing to see phil mickelson back winning. what do you think was the biggest key? >> well, dan, no question to me, his putting. i mean, you look at a man 47 years of age and so many times players start to struggle with this part of the game when they're still trying to play the pga tour. that birdie putt at 16 when mickelson knew he had to make something happen, just phenomenal. he's fifth in strokes gained putting on the pga tour this season. when he went to the claw grip, made all the difference in the world. >> jake, final words from you. >> i love his spirit. to see him at 47 years old. he's so emotional. i thought he would start crying there. to see how hard he works to get back in the winner's circle. it's inspiring. it goes to show you, the golf ball doesn't know how old you are. >> you can still battle with the young kids. tiger woods back in the fray next week. the valspar championship. a great time for the game of golf. you can get caught up with "golf

central" on golf channel. as mentioned, our busy swings as we head to innisbrook where tiger and spieth and mcilroy will be there. continuing saturday at 3:00 right here on nbc. later tonight, it's an all new "dateline" starting at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. so as we say goodbye from another memorable week in mexico, we leave you with some of the more memorable moments from this incredible championship packed with drama. for our entire crew, adios everyone. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ .

the roads leading to a doggie daycare shut down. path of destruction. nbc 10 follows local leaders as they tour the damage. >> rough ride. a witness describes how the driver of this vehicle managed to escape. power problems. it is back to work tomorrow but thousands of people still don't have power in their homes. nbc 10 spent the day with county leaders but we're told it could be several more days in the dark. good evening. i'm denise. some drivers sleeping in their vehicles because they can't get around downed trees. we have live team coverage. we