Lefty leaves win out on the course

Phil Mickelson’s opportunities to win the Nissan Open were strewn around Riviera Country Club with the leaves that reclaimed the greens and cart paths after he lost to Charles Howell III on the third hole of a playoff.

Mickelson, who had won last week at Pebble Beach, took a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s finale. He also seemed to get every conceivable break, including an incredible bounce on the 12th hole when his shot hit the sycamore tree known as Humphrey Bogart’s favorite spectator spot and ricocheted onto the green.

“It could have easily gone back into the ravine. It could have gone anywhere,” Mickelson said, properly grateful.

It helped him build a four-shot lead over Howell and a two-shot edge over Robert Allenby, an almost prohibitive margin. Allenby took himself out when he bogeyed the 15th, and Ernie Els, who had birdied the first three holes, fell back when he bogeyed the 13th, 15th and 16th.

Mickelson could have put the field away but left himself out there to be caught. Howell seized the chance, determined to avoid his 10th second-place finish in 128 events since his only tournament victory in 2002 at the since-discontinued Michelob Classic.

For Mickelson, it was a day of coulda, shoulda, woulda moments.

Tied with Padraig Harrington after two rounds, he came back to the field Saturday when he bogeyed consecutive holes and three of the last five. However, he had a strong start Sunday with birdies on the first two holes.

“I certainly had every chance on the back nine to create some separation and not give anybody a chance, but I missed a couple of putts coming in and bogeyed the last hole,” said Mickelson, who shot a 68. “That was certainly disappointing, because I felt I had the tournament in my grasp and let it go.”

Even Howell thought Mickelson had put it away Sunday.

True, Mickelson missed a birdie on the 16th hole when his four-foot putt went past the hole, and Howell gained a stroke by recording his sixth of seven birdies Sunday. Mickelson birdied the 17th and could have won by making par on the 18th hole but bogeyed it after Howell had sunk an eight-foot putt for par.

“I assumed Phil would birdie 17. I knew I had to birdie 17 and I really had to birdie 18,” said Howell, who shot a 65. “I didn’t drive the ball in a good enough spot to have a shot at that flag. I really thought the tournament was over.

“I saw them post 17 up there for Phil. I figured a par would at least put some pressure on him. A player of his caliber, with his short game, I give him a 90% chance of getting up and down.”

Howell said he had no trouble focusing during the playoff and that he couldn’t afford to think of his playoff loss to Mike Weir in the 2003 Nissan Open at Riviera.

“At the beginning, it was real easy to stay in the present because it was Phil Mickelson. At any given moment, this guy can knock the flag down and make a three,” Howell said, his tone steeped in respect that verged on awe.

Sunday was Howell’s day to shine, to be known not as “Charlie three sticks” for the suffix attached to his last name, but as a winner.

Golf happens. Mickelson has a great short game, but he couldn’t explain why he missed an apparently good putt on 13 and another on 16. Even Tiger Woods loses once in a while -- though not in his last seven PGA Tour events and not here this year, since he chose to take a week off before this week’s Accenture Match Play Championship at Marana, Ariz.

Mickelson, a two-time Masters champion, has lost tournaments before. And he will lose tournaments again. He appeared rueful but not shattered on Sunday, giving Howell a handshake and congratulatory pat on the shoulder after Howell holed a three-foot par putt on the 14th hole to clinch the $936,000 first prize.

Howell noted that when he lost that playoff to Weir in 2003, he didn’t have Mickelson’s 30 career victories to fall back on for consolation.

“He’s playing great golf. He played awesome last week. He played very good again this week,” Howell said. “He will move on just fine.”

And with a check for $561,600. Mickelson praised Howell for playing “a great round of golf.... I just think he’s starting to play to where we all know what his potential is.”

Mickelson has proved what he can do, and although he acknowledged he thought he should have won, he was able to take it in stride.

“I had the tournament in control. I just needed to par the last hole,” he said. “If I birdie 16 and make that four-footer, I’m probably going to do it also. If I don’t miss that par putt on 13, a good chance I do it, also.

“So I will certainly look back and say that there were a lot of opportunities that I let slide. But on a good note, it’s better to get those out of the way early in the season and see if I can eliminate things for the upcoming majors.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com