An emotional Phil Mickelson dedicated his third Masters win to his wife, who has been battling breast cancer.

"It feels incredible. I could go on and on about why but to win this tournament is a special, special day," said Mickelson, who won by three shots.

"It's something I'll always cherish. It's been an emotional year. I'm very proud of my wife and the fight and struggle she's been through.

"This win has been one of the best things we've been through."

Mickelson's closing 67 gave him a 16-under-par aggregate of 272 and it was the first of his four majors - he also won the 2005 USPGA - where he has come from behind on the last day to win.

The deficit to Lee Westwood with 18 holes to play was only one but Mickelson produced a bogey-free round with five birdies to usurp the Englishman at the top of the leaderboard and seal the title.

The left-hander became overcome with emotion and shared a long embrace with wife Amy just off the 18th green.

"I was just really glad she was there - I wasn't sure she was going to be - and it's something that I'll look back on and just cherish," he revealed.

"To have Amy and my kids here to share it with, I can't put into words. It just feels incredible, especially given what we've been through in the last year."

It has been almost a year since Amy has been battling breast cancer and in that time Mickelson has alternated between playing golf and taking time off to be with her and his mother who was diagnosed with the same condition.

His form subsequently dipped and, coming into the Masters, he had failed to win a single tournament this year.

The American, who was dressed entirely in black with a pink ribbon stitched on to his cap to promote breast cancer awareness, added: "To be able to share this kind of joy means a lot to us.

"I don't normally shed tears over wins and when Amy and I hugged off 18 that was a very emotional moment for us and something that I'll look back on and just cherish.

"I'll cherish every moment of this week.

"To go through all that and come out the other side is something very special.

"My family has been through a lot this year and it means a lot to share some joy together. She's an incredible wife and an incredible mother. It's been amazing to have her here with me. It's something we'll share for the rest of our lives."

Mickelson, who won the Masters in 2004 and 2006, effectively wrapped up the title with back-to-back birdies from the par-three 12th.

He narrowly missed an eagle from only three feet at the par-five 13th, after hitting a stunning shot with a six-iron from 207 yards through a four-foot gap between two pine trees, before holing out from a similar distance coming back.

That put him two strokes clear before he picked up another shot at the par-five 15th, where he reached the green in two and two-putted, to tighten his grip on a third Green Jacket.

"I had a good lie in the pine needles," he said of his remarkable shot on the 13th.

"I was going to have to go through that gap if I laid up or went for the green. I was going to have to hit a decent shot.

"The gap was a little bit wider - it wasn't huge, but it was big enough for a ball to fit through.

"I just felt like at that time, I needed to trust my swing and hit a shot, and it came off perfect."

"When I get here to Augusta, I get very relaxed and feel very comfortable," said Mickelson, whose fourth major title puts him one ahead of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington and behind only Woods in the modern era.

"I'm in love with this place and it brings out the best in me."

 

International Federation of PGA Tours | The Masters 2010 | Augusta National

ROUND 4 Clubhouse Scores | Par = 72

Monday, 12 April 2010

		COUNTRY	ROUND 1	ROUND 2	ROUND 3	ROUND 4	TOTAL SCORE
	Mickelson	US	67	71	67	67	272
	Westwood	Eng	67	69	68	71	275
	Kim	US	68	70	73	65	276
	Choi	Kor	67	71	70	69	277
	Woods	US	68	70	70	69	277
	Couples	US	66	75	68	70	279
	Watney	US	68	76	71	65	280
	Mahan	US	71	71	68	71	281
	Yang	Kor	67	72	72	70	281
	Barnes	US	68	70	72	73	283
	Poulter	Eng	68	68	74	73	283
	Jimenez	Spa	72	75	72	66	285
	Kelly	US	72	74	67	72	285
	Immelman	SA	69	73	72	72	286
	Marino	US	71	73	69	73	286
	Moore	US	72	73	73	68	286
	Toms	US	69	75	71	71	286
	Cabrera	Arg	73	74	69	71	287
	Els	SA	71	73	75	68	287
	Scott	Aus	69	75	72	71	287
	Slocum	US	72	73	70	72	287
	Verplank	US	73	73	73	68	287
	Watson	US	67	74	73	73	287
	Crane	US	71	75	74	68	288
	Kuchar	US	70	73	74	71	288
	Haas	US	72	70	71	76	289
	Ogilvy	Aus	74	72	69	74	289
	Perry	US	72	71	72	74	289
	Ikeda	Jpn	70	77	72	71	290
	Dufner	US	75	72	75	69	291
	Kjeldsen	Den	70	71	75	75	291
	Molinari	Ita	70	74	75	72	291
	O'Hair	US	72	71	72	76	291
	Schwartzel	SA	69	76	72	74	291
	Stricker	US	73	73	74	71	291
	Glover	US	76	71	71	74	292
	Manassero	Ita	71	76	73	72	292
	Flesch	US	75	71	70	78	294
	Goosen	SA	74	71	76	73	294
	Johnson	US	71	72	76	75	294
	Villegas	Col	74	72	71	77	294
	Johnson	US	70	74	76	75	295
	Karlsson	Swe	71	72	77	76	296
	Weir	Can	71	72	76	77	296
	Allenby	Aus	72	75	78	73	298
	Campbell	US	79	68	80	71	298
	Garcia	Spa	74	70	76	78	298
	Green	Aus	72	75	80	75	302