Phil Mickelson wins US PGA Championship to become oldest major champion

PGA Championship leaderboard

-6 Mickelson

-4 Oosthuizen, Koepka

-2 Lowry, Harrington, Higgs, Casey

-1 Ancer, Rose, Morikawa, Rahm, Zalatoris, Scheffler, Finau

Final-round report

Phil Mickelson became the oldest major champion in history as he produced a brilliant final round to win the 103rd PGA Championship.

Aged 50, Mickelson took the record previous held by Julius Boros, who was 48 when he won the same tournament in 1968, and he did so with a tenacious display of front-running to round off an extraordinary week.

A final-round 71 proved enough for a two-shot victory over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen, with a further two shots back to a group which included Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington and his compatriot Shane Lowry.

Starting the day with a one-shot lead, Mickelson in fact surrendered his advantage with a bogey at the first which was made worse by the birdie of playing partner Brooks Koepka, who went odds-on for the title as he hit the front.

But Koepka made a surprising double-bogey at the second, where Mickelson's birdie allowed him to resume control, and the left-hander never gave up the lead from that moment all the way to the clubhouse at Kiawah Island.

Bogeys at the 13th and 14th gave the chasing pack hope, but by then Mickelson was in isolation and his lead was still three with two to play after picking up a welcome birdie at the par-five 16th hole.

The fearsome 17th still required his attention, a hole where earlier Matt Fitzpatrick had fallen from fifth place to outside the top 20 with a triple-bogey six, and Mickelson took his medicine with a sensible bogey after his tee-shot had run through the green into thick rough.

Two ahead playing the 18th, Mickelson found the par he needed to complete an incredible victory, his world ranking having fallen so far during a barren two years that the world number 115 had been forced to accept an invitation to next month's US Open.

Now a qualifier by right, he will head home to Torrey Pines in California with a sixth major to his name, and try once more to complete a career grand slam in the US Open, the only major he's yet to win.

If that seems unlikely, then so did this, before Mickelson wound back the clock with an inspired display of aggression to topple the mighty Koepka at a course where experience proved invaluable.

"I want to thank everybody for coming out, it's just been an incredible environment," said Mickelson, who prior to his breakthrough major in 2004 had been considered a perennial bridesmaid in the era of Tiger Woods.

"I've got to thank a few people, and my wife is top of the list. Without her love I wouldn't be here. And my brother Tim, what a great job he did this week and I am just so appreciative of having him on the bag and being able to share this incredible experience.

"This is just an incredible feeling, because I just believed it was possible and yet everything was saying that it wasn't. I hope that others find that inspiration. It might take a little extra work, a little bit harder effort, to maintain the skills, but gosh is it worth it in the end. I'm so appreciative to be holding this Wanamaker Trophy.

"I just love this game of golf and I love what I do. I love the challenge of competing against such great players. What an incredible competitor and tough player Brooks Koepka is, and to have a chance to play in the final group with him, was an exceptional honour."