Phil Mickelson claimed his 20th career title after defeating David Berganio jnr on the first play-off hole at the Bob Hope Classic.

Mickelson finished an eight-under-par 64 with three straight birdies before beating Berganio with another at the par-5 18th hole at the PGA West/Palmer Course.

The win gave Mickelson a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods, who is 26, is the only other player under 50 to have achieved that distinction.

Mickelson, a 31-year-old who is ranked second in the world behind Woods, had not played a PGA Tour event since August, opting to spend time with his family following the birth of his second child.

But the left-hander showed no signs of rust, opening and closing the third tournament of the season with 64s en route to a 90-hole total of 30-under 330.

The five-round score was the fourth best in the 43-year history of the birdie-friendly tournament, which Joe Durant won last year with a tour-record 36-under 324.

Mickelson won on the first play-off hole, overcoming a drive into a fairway bunker with a third shot that nearly dropped into the hole.

Berganio put his second shot of the play-off into the water at the front of the green.

Berganio, who hails from Los Angeles, played the back nine in five-under en route to a 66, sinking a five-foot birdie putt at the 18th to force the extra holes.

Briny Baird, a runner-up at the John Deere Classic last July, tied for third with Cameron Beckman at 332.

Leading final scores (US unless stated)

330 P Mickelson 64 67 70 65 64, D Berganio Jr 69 66 65 64 66 (Mickelson won play-off at first extra hole)

332 B Baird 67 67 68 66 64, C Beckman 67 67 64 65 69

333 J Kelly 64 69 65 68 67

334 B Chamblee 63 67 68 66 70, C DiMarco 67 69 64 67 67, J Leonard 70 66 64 67 67, K Perry 69 64 68 62 71, K Triplett 64 69 64 67 70, D Pappas 66 68 63 67 70, C Howell III 65 67 71 66 65

335 S McCarron 68 65 68 67 67, I Leggatt 69 69 65 64 68, J Senden 64 65 69 67 70

336 J Haas 63 68 68 63, JP Hayes 65 68 69 68 66, JL Lewis 68 68 68 67 65, B May 69 68 67 66 66, C Campbell 66 70 68 67 65

337 F Couples 69 66 70 67 65, J Huston 65 72 68 66 66, S Pate 70 68 65 67 67, L Roberts 70 67 64 66 70, C Stadler 70 66 64 67 70, R Pampling (Aus) 66 72 67 66 66

338 F Funk 70 63 70 67 68, PU Johansson (Swe) 68 69 65 68 68, R Mediate 66 70 70 64 68, J Sluman 67 68 67 67 69

339 J Daly 69 67 65 72 66, D Peoples 70 68 66 68 67, D Toms 72 68 66 67 66, D Waldorf 66 67 64 68 74, D Gossett 70 70 68 64 67, P Price 65 69 68 66 71, G Ogilvy 74 69 64 66 66, G Hnatiuk 64 72 67 71 65, H Slocum 64 68 70 71 66

340 S Ames 67 71 65 68 69, B Elder 66 68 71 70 65

341 B Burns 70 67 68 69 67, G Kraft 67 65 69 71 69, J Sindelar 68 68 70 68 67, S Verplank 69 69 67 65 71, G Waite 67 66 70 69 69, B Crane 69 69 70 66 67

342 O Browne 69 67 69 70 67, D Duval 69 68 68 67 70, T Pernice Jr 72 67 65 68 70, S Stricker 69 67 65 66 75