Haas cans long putt to beat Mickelson, Bradley

LOS ANGELES -- Bill Haas knows anything is possible from even the most dire positions. Remember, this is the guy only five months ago saved par with his ball partially submerged in a lake and won the FedEx Cup.

Not even Haas could have imagined such a stunning conclusion Sunday at Riviera.

In thick rough behind the 10th green, the second hole of a three-man playoff with Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, Haas smartly played away from the flag with hopes of making par and going on to the next hole. He wound up holing a 40-foot birdie putt across the green to win the Northern Trust Open.

"A part of me was saying, 'I've done this once, let's do it again,' " Haas said. "Another part of me was saying, 'Don't screw this up.' "

Mickelson and Bradley worked some magic to get into the playoff.

Haas, who closed with a 2-under-par 69, was on the practice range at 7-under 277 warming up for a playoff only he thought might happen. He was trying to convince himself that Mickelson or Bradley -- maybe both -- would make birdie on the 18th hole. Mickelson rammed in a birdie putt from just outside 25 feet. Mickelson bumped fists with Bradley and told his protege, "Join me." That he did. Bradley's birdie putt from just outside 12 feet took one last, slow turn at the cup and disappeared.

"I never expected to make a 40-footer, especially in that situation," Haas said. "A little luck was involved. I guess it was meant to be."

Bradley, who closed with a 71, missed his birdie putt after Mickelson, who also had a 71, failed to hole a bunker shot. Mickelson, who rallied from six shots behind to win last week at Pebble Beach, was trying to become the first player since Tiger Woods in August 2009 to win back to back on the tour.

-- AP