HUMBLE, Texas: American Phil Mickelson signalled he was ready to defend his US Masters title by snapping a year-long victory drought with a three-shot win at the Houston Open Sunday. Mickelson shot a sizzling seven-under-par 65 in the final round at the Redstone Golf Club to pull away from compatriots Scott Verplank and Chris Kirk over the back nine and finish with a tournament-record winning total of 20-under-par 268. For Mickelson, who put himself into contention Saturday when he equalled the course record with a nine-under 63, the victory marked his 39th PGA Tour title. The left-hander now heads to Augusta, the season's first major, riding the momentum of his first victory since winning at the Masters in 2010 but insists that does not necessarily make him the favourite. “I don't know (if I am favourite), that's not for me to say,” Mickelson told reporters. “I'm just trying to get my game ready and it's just not the physical ball striking, short game, putting and so forth.” Verplank, who started the day as joint-leader alongside Mickelson, had been working on a flawless round going six under through 13 to grab the lead but stumbled at the finish with bogeys at 14 and 16 to return a four-under-par 68. Kirk closed with a five-under 67 to join Verplank in second on 17-under-par 271. Australian Aaron Baddeley (71) and American Steve Stricker (69) finished seven shots off the pace in a tie for fourth at 13-under-par 275. Mickelson got his day off two a rollercoaster start with two bogeys sandwiched between birdies at the first and fourth. But the three-time Masters champion was quickly back in the groove dropping a birdie at the seventh then reeling off five straight from the ninth. Verplank's first bogey of the day at 14 allowed Mickelson to grab a lead he would not relinquish, opening up a three-shot cushion when he birdied 16 while his playing partner absorbed another bogey. While the victory is sure to provide Mickelson with a boost of confidence heading to Augusta National for the April 7-10 tournament, only four times has a player won the event prior to the Masters and gone on to capture the green jacket. One of those players was Mickelson, who followed a victory in Atlanta in 2006 with a Masters title. Lewis wins year's first Major American Stacy Lewis overhauled world number one Yani Tseng to claim the year's first major and her maiden LPGA Tour title with a three-shot victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Rancho Mirage, California, Sunday. Trailing champion Tseng by two shots on another blustery day at Mission Hills Country Club, Lewis mounted an early charge with birdies at the second and third then held her nerve to finish with a three-under-par 69 for a total of 13-under 275. After calmly dropping a short putt for par at the 18th to seal victory, a relieved Lewis lifted a clenched fist into the air then was mobbed by friends, family and fellow golfers. Later, Lewis joined hands with her caddy, sister, mother and father and then jumped into a water hazard. “I can't believe it, I felt like I was going to throw up all day,” Lewis told reporters. “I can play with the best in the world.” Morgan Pressel, the 2007 champion, had a disastrous round that included quadruple, triple and double bogeys on way to a four-over 74 but still managed to hang on for a share of third with American compatriots Katie Futcher (69), Angela Stanford (73) nine shots behind Lewis on four-under 284. Michelle Wie was one shot further adrift alone in sixth after returning a three-over 75. An icy cool Lewis played spotless golf through the opening 12 holes erasing her two shot deficit and building a two-stroke lead. The 26-year-old American saw her advantage trimmed to one after her only bogey of the day at the 15th but Tseng followed with back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17 to hand Lewis a three shot cushion stepping onto the 18th tee.
