All’s right with Lefty

NORTON, Mass. -- Finally. Phil Mickelson finally beat Tiger Woods at his own game: brilliant shotmaking and clutch putting at the most crucial time -- and in the company of the world’s No. 1.

Oh, there was a chunked six-iron into a hazard and missed five-foot putt that produced a double-bogey 6 at No. 12. But that merely turned a seeming waltz to his first victory since a left wrist injury into an intense mano a mano with Woods and the final twosome of Arron Oberholser and Brett Wetterich.

It also proved more rewarding, as Mickelson answered several Woods salvos down the stretch Monday for a two-shot victory over his playing partner, Oberholser and Wetterich in the Deutsche Bank Championship at wind-swept TPC Boston.

“It’s exciting because I feel like I had a three-month sabbatical,” Mickelson said after a five-under-par 66 for a 72-hole total of 16-under 268. “I couldn’t practice, couldn’t swing aggressively into the ball and enjoyed this whole week going into some of this firm turf and not having any pain.

“I’ve been able to come out early and have good practice sessions to get ready. It’s been a night-and-day difference, and that’s why I’m so excited to play here at the end of the year and have been able to play well because of it.”

It was Mickelson’s third win of 2007 but first since injuring his wrist in early June practicing for the U.S. Open. This after Butch Harmon became his swing coach, helped get Mickelson’s driver under control and his game in position to challenge Woods for No. 1, epitomized by a victory in the Players.

The injury derailed Mickelson’s climb, but tips from Harmon, who used to work with Woods, on Woods’ nuances added to Mickelson’s arsenal. He played with Woods and Vijay Singh the first two days, beat Woods in the first and fourth rounds and each shot 64 in the second. Mickelson is now 9-6-4 in head-to-head matchups, including 3-2-1 on Sunday. But this is the first time he won playing alongside Woods, who has three of his 59 wins playing with Mickelson in the final round.

“I think this means more having played with Tiger,” Mickelson said after the 32nd win of his career. “I think he was making a charge, and to be able to stand up on 16 after he knocked it close, knock it inside him and follow with a birdie feels terrific.

“Now the next step is to try to hopefully go head to head in a major. We don’t get paired very often in majors, and hopefully next year we’ll have a chance.”

Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Woods are now 1-2-3 in the first FedEx Cup playoffs, but Mickelson said he might not play in the BMW Championship in Lemont, Ill., because of an undisclosed tiff with PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. Mickelson didn’t say when he would decide if he’s playing the third of four playoff events.

Mickelson birdied five of the first 10 holes to open a four-shot lead, five over Woods, then dumped his approach into a hazard at No. 12 and had his only miss all week in 50 tries from 6 feet or less. Oberholser’s run of pars kept him within one, and Woods, frustrated by his putter throughout, holed a 39-footer for birdie at No. 13 to get within two.

That set the stage for the dramatic par-three 16th over water. Woods hit an eight-iron to 10 feet. Mickelson hit a seven-iron to six feet. Woods made his birdie. Mickelson made his. Then Wetterich and Oberholser converted from 14 and five feet to keep pace.

At the par-five 18th, Woods hit the green in two, but Mickelson’s three-wood second shot from 265 yards bounded into gnarly rough left of the green.

“It was a tough lie because the grass was so heavy,” Mickelson said. “But fortunately I had a pretty big area that I could fly it and the ball would still release down to the hole. I had a fairly large margin of error where the ball could still get close to the hole.”

Mickelson lobbed a shot reminiscent of his closing birdie to win the 2005 PGA Championship. The chip trickled to four feet, and when Woods missed a 33-foot eagle putt, the defending champion was done.

“Very frustrating,” Woods said of a balky putter that led to a closing 67. “I did not putt well most of the week. I didn’t have the speed right and had too many three-putts [three]. That means I’m hitting the ball well, I just have to clean it up on the greens for next week.”