ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP RELATED STORIES Accenture Match Play Championship Preview Round 1: Victorious return for Tiger Woods Round 1: Wilson secures upset against KJ Choi Round 1: Late bogies cost Sergio Garcia Round 1: Mickelson survives Cabrera fightback Round 2: Tim Clark knocks out Tiger Woods Round 2: Phil Mickelson survives a scare again Round 2: Hot putter sees Els through to third round Round 2: Geoff Ogilvy conjures magical escape Round 3: Rory McIlroy advances to quarter finals Round 3:Geoff Ogilvy needs extra time again Round 3: Justin Leonard wins compelling match Round 3: Quieter Dove Mountain without Tiger Round 4: Semi Final line up set Final: Geoff Ogilvy wins World Match Play title Accenture Match Play Championship Scores Tiger Woods looking forward to competition Match Play format offers different challenges Greens the key at Dove Mountain Phil Mickelson surprised by Tiger's media throng 2009 PGA Tour Schedule and Results 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 COMPETITIONS, GIFTS AND OFFERS WIN 2 nights/3 rds at The Vale Resort £10,000 of Teeofftimes prizes in April! WIN Healthspan Supplements WIN tickets to the National Golf Show! Open Champion Tom Watson's DVD Get the Open Fairways card for just £59!

Phil Mickelson survives Angel Cabrera fightback

Phil Mickelson survived a stirring late fight back by Argentina’s Angel Cabrera to conjure a last-gasp win in Wednesday’s opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

The American left-hander, fresh from victory at last week’s Northern Trust Open, squandered a four-up advantage after 13 holes before scraping past Cabrera with a birdie on the 19th green.

Long-hitting Cabrera wrested back the initiative with three consecutive birdies from the 15th to level the match but Mickelson sealed victory after hitting his approach to six feet at the first extra hole.

“I played against a very tough competitor in Angel,” world number three Mickelson told reporters on a blazing hot day at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

“On the back nine, he sure hit a lot of good golf shots and won four holes in a row. I was fortunate to win in sudden death, but I’ll gladly take it. It’s nice to win the first match.”

Mickelson, who has reached the last eight only once in nine editions of this event, was delighted to maintain form after a rusty start to the 2009 PGA Tour.

Although he won his 35th Tour title at Riviera Country Club on Sunday, he had missed the cut in his first start of the season and finished no better than joint 42nd in his next two appearances.

“Given that the first three weeks I didn’t play very well to be able to play well on the last three holes and make some birdies when I needed them feels great,” the three-times major champion said.

Mickelson, who will meet fellow American Zach Johnson in Thursday’s second round, applauded Cabrera’s form in the latter stage of the match.

“He made three birdies and I give him a lot of credit for really gutting it out,” the 38-year-old said. “He made a great 10-footer on the last hole for par to extend it into sudden death and he played some great golf.

“Again, I was fortunate to come out on top with somebody that was really getting hot there at the end.”

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