• Northern Trust Open, Round Four

Haas edges Mickelson & Bradley in California play-off

Phil Mickelson fell short at the Northern Trust Open © PA Photos

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Phil Mickelson's bid for back-to-back triumphs on the PGA Tour fell narrowly short at the Northern Trust Open on Sunday as Bill Haas pipped he and Keegan Bradley in a dramatic two-hole play-off in California.

Mickelson, who began the day as the tournament's co-leader, forced an extension of the tournament with a breathtaking 27ft putt at the 18th to level Haas' clubhouse target of seven-under-par. Putting from the edge of the green, Mickelson ignited the crowd as he carded an even-par 71 to move joint-top of the leaderboard, and then Bradley followed suit to make it a three-man finale at Riviera Country Club.

Returning to the first hole to begin the play-off, Mickelson was shortest off the tee but it was Haas who came up woefully short on his approach. Bradley, by contrast, bettered his rivals with both of his first two shots, but he could not capitalise as his putt for victory stayed agonisingly wide.

All three men moved to the second play-off hole, the incredibly tricky 10th, featuring a narrow green with bunkers on three sides. Mickelson hooked his drive into the rough, a destination also headed for by Haas, while Bradley limped into the sand. Haas, crucially, chose to lay up with his third while his rivals overshot their efforts, and he holed an incredible 40ft putt for victory.

Prior to the play-off Haas had begun the day two strokes off the leaders, but he leapt to the top of the leaderboard after his visit to the tenth hole, where he sunk his third birdie of the day. Driving poorly but putting beautifully, Haas needed just 26 swings of the short stick in a two-under round of 69 en route to a fourth PGA Tour victory.

Mickelson's challenge started well as he picked up two strokes through the first five, but then he paid the price for some wayward driving as he bogeyed eight and nine - the former of which he had eagled in the second round.

More dropped shots followed on his return to the clubhouse, yet he still had chances to to regain the lead - notably at the 17th where a 20ft putt rested agonisingly on the lip of the hole. Mickelson's putter ran luke warm right until the 18th, where he produced one of the putts of the day to force the play-off, but he could not repeat the trick in the shootout.

Bradley, starting level with Mickelson, was the third chapter to the story as he matched his playing partner into the final hole, sinking a tough putt to follow him into the play-off. The US PGA champion will ultimately rue his missed chance at the first extra hole.

Elsewhere, Dustin Johnson had stayed within a shot of the leader going into the final hole of regulation play, but the American's short game always leaves question marks and that proved the case at a vital moment. Chipping for the green, Johnson completely overshot to the fringe, resulting in a bogey when a birdie was necessary to book his own play-off spot.

Sergio Garcia produced the undoubted round of the day as he, at one stage, threatened to join the leaders. The Spaniard came from nowhere to move within two shots of the top of the leaderboard during his magnificent seven-under 64, which eventually saw him finish tied for fourth on five-under alongside Johnson, Jimmy Walker and Jarrod Lyle.

Starting on the back nine, Garcia eagled two of his first six holes to propel himself into contention, and he reached the turn in 30. Further birdies at one and three truly got the pulse racing before a quite brilliant putt at six made up for a rare bogey, but the Spaniard's challenge ended at seven with a final dropped shot to spoil the dream climax.

World No. 1 Luke Donald looked anything but the best player on the planet as he endured a train wreck of a final round, posting a seven-over 78. Donald's nightmare started at the seventh with a bogey and another followed at nine before he dropped shots on four consecutive holes after the turn to finish on a hugely disappointing seven-over for the tournament.

Donald's compatriot Justin Rose coped marginally better for an even-par 71, which saw him complete the event on two-under. Meanwhile Padraig Harrington enjoyed one of his better days of the week, signing for a 70 that lifted him to four-over.

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