This time, the drama works for Mickelson

Admission price at Riviera Country Club on Sunday included a pairings sheet and a kaleidoscope of Phil Mickelson’s career.

He’s up, he’s down. He’s out, he’s in, he’s . . . Phil.

Mickelson started his final round with a one-shot lead, quickly grew it to three, gave it away before the turn, grabbed it back on the back nine before finally, if not firmly, etching his name on a trophy Tiger Woods doesn’t have on his mantel.

Mickelson tapped in a short par putt on No. 18 to secure a two-stroke win over Jeff Quinney in the Northern (In Phil We) Trust Open.

“Riviera is a special place,” Mickelson said. “A fun, challenging golf course that’s withstood the test of time.”

At last it was Mickelson’s time, as he won this event at Riviera for the first time in 10 tries.

“Relax, Phil!” a spectator, who may have witnessed last year’s Riviera breakdown on No. 18, yelled before Mickelson approached a putt that would have been a “gimme” between friends.

There was no playoff-forcing bogey this year, no destruction dissection -- only reflection and relief.

Mickelson shot one-under 70 to finish 12-under 272 overall, while Quinney fired a 71 to finish at 274.

Did anyone else play?

Yes, but . . .

The tournament started with a field of 144, and 78 players made the cut. But, in the end, only two mattered.

For bookkeeping purposes, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald tied for third at seven-under 277, while the families of Ryuji Imada and Scott Verplank will be happy to know they tied for fifth at six-under 278.

In reality, they could have cleared Riviera for Mickelson and Quinney, who essentially played one on one, with John Rollins (three-over 74 for the day) playing along.

Things got interesting at the par-four ninth hole, where Mickelson’s score flipped from 12 under to 11 and Quinney’s from 11 under to 12.

Mickelson had lost his lead, stirring memories of last year’s Nissan Open, when he lost a three-shot advantage on the final day. In 2007, Mickelson had a one-shot lead at No. 18, needing only par to win. Three playoff holes later, Charles Howell III was crowned champion.

“I felt I had the tournament won last year and I bogeyed 18,” Mickelson reflected Sunday.

This year, Mickelson helped himself on the back nine but also got plenty of support from Quinney.

At No. 10, a 315-yard par three, Mickelson bombed a driver past the pin and followed with a lob shot to six feet en route to birdie. Quinney made a great par save when he rolled in an 11-foot putt, and the match was square at 12 under.

Mickelson kept the pressure on with a birdie at the par-five 11th, but Quinney answered again by making a 21-foot birdie putt.

Mickelson took the lead for keeps at the par-four 13th, when he made par while Quinney bogeyed after three-putting for the first time in 215 holes. It was the first of three consecutive bogeys for Quinney and, for him, the beginning of the end.

Quinney, who has never won a PGA tournament and had never played professionally with Mickelson, put up a stoic front before playing the back nine in two-over, although he did close with a birdie.

“I actually felt better than I thought I would,” Quinney said of being paired with Mickelson with a championship at stake. “I had not necessarily had a hard time sleeping because I was so tired last night, but I was up early and kind of anxious to get going.”

Mickelson arrived at the 18th on Sunday with a three-shot lead after Quinney made six on the par-five 17th. This greatly eased Mickelson’s walk to the 18th tee box, and he confidently commanded a driver and scorched a perfect draw to the uphill fairway.

Mickelson finally conquered Riviera. He had played nine incarnations of this prestigious PGA Tour stop. He also played in the PGA Championship held here in 1995. He played here first, in 1988, as a 17-year-old amateur. It was called the Los Angeles Open then, and Mickelson missed the cut after shooting six-over 148.

He returned as a professional in 1993, to the newly named Nissan Los Angeles Open. He tied for 19th and they cut him a check for $11,285.71.

Times have changed.

Mickelson earned $1.116 million for Sunday’s victory, his 33rd on the PGA Tour. He moved into sole possession of 13th place on the PGA’s all-time victory list, past Horton Smith, the first Masters champion.

Next up on the victory list, with 36, is Lloyd Mangrum -- a three-time winner at Riviera.

It took Mickelson 42 professional tries to win his first major, the Masters, and it was 20 years between his first Riviera start and his first victory.

Mickelson said it took him time to get the hang of the place.

“I didn’t understand the nuances of this golf course,” he said.

Safe to say he does now. Mickelson last week enlisted Amy Alcott, a Riviera member and member of the LPGA’s Hall of Fame, to help him read the intricacies of Riviera’s greens.

Mickelson’s Poa annua persistence paid off.

Jack Nicklaus and Woods, possibly the two greatest players ever, have never won a tournament at Riviera, but Mickelson is no longer in that excluded club.

He joins a winners’ pantheon that includes Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead.

Mickelson turns 38 in June, but Sunday he showed no signs of slowing down. He won another big tournament and still hungers for more.

“I can taste where I want to get to,” he said, “but I’m not quite there yet.”

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chris.dufresne@latimes.com