Adam Long, a 31 year old rookie who joined this season from the Web.com Tour, won the Desert Classic at PGA West on Sunday beating Adam Hadwin and Phil Mickelson by one shot with a birdie on the 72nd hole. He had played just five PGA Tour events previously, making only one cut, at the Safeway Open in October.

Mickelson dominated all the attention this week after having a -12 under 60 in the first round. He, Hadwin and Long played together in the final round and all were tied on the 72nd hole. Long hit his 6 iron approach shot to 13 feet then drained a right to left putt for birdie for a 65 and his first win in six starts, He had startrd the round with back to back birdies to go out in 33, then on the back nin chipped in for birdie twice. He said he had been learning the read from Mickelson’s putts and knew the putt on 18 was going to go in. Long becomes the third first time winner of 2918-2019.

“I really don’t know what just happened, but I’m thrilled” said Adam Long.

(He also said, if my lip reading is correct “holy crap!”)

Mickelson has now squandered four consecutive 54 hole leads. Yesterday he blamed his putter.

“Terrible putting day.Worst I can recal in a while. It felt awful with the putter, I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole”.