High drama as Mickelson wins the HSBC Champions

The 37 year old American birdied the 538 yard 18th at the second time of asking to see off the challenge of the two Englishmen after all three players had ended the regulation 72 holes on ten under par 278.

However, the mere statistics do little to underline the unbelievable drama which unfolded over the last two hours of play at the Sheshan International Golf Club which had the huge crowds cheering wildly then gasping with disbelief at the rollercoaster which masqueraded as the first event of The 2008 European Tour International Schedule.

With 11 holes to play Mickelson held a comfortable five shot lead and with no-one seemingly able to mount a challenge at the Shanghai venue, the headline writers began dreaming up their back page leads comfortable in the knowledge that the remaining holes would be a walk in the park for the World Number Two.

How wrong they were.

The first signs of a crack came when he bogeyed the eighth and ninth holes before the wheels appeared to have come off completely in the middle stretch of the back nine, bogeying the 12th and 14th and double bogeying the 13th after driving into the water.

A birdie three at the 16th gave the left-hander a glimmer of hope but he still arrived on the 18th tee a shot behind Fisher who had played solidly if not spectacularly to stand at 12 under par for the tournament and on the verge of his second European Tour title of the season after his maiden victory in The KLM Open in August.