Rookie Wins 60th Desert Classic: Photo Gallery Of Adam Long's Win

LA QUINTA, CA — Rookie Adam Long sank a nearly 15-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th hole at PGA West's Stadium Course, Sunday to win the $5.9 million Desert Classic by one shot over fellow American Phil Mickelson and Canadian Adam Hadwin.

Long, Mickelson and Hadwin entered the final hole tied for the lead.

Long drove his tee shot on the par-4 18th hole 285 yards to the right rough, 175 yards from the hole. He put his second shot on the green, 13 feet, 9 inches from the hole.

Mickelson hit his drive 290 yards to the right rough. His second shot left him with a 37-foot, 9-inch putt for birdie.

Hadwin hit his tee shot 285 yards to the left fairway and his put his second shot into the rear green-side bunker, 40-feet, 11-inches from the hole.

Hadwin's bid for birdie ended up 3 feet, 2 inches past the hole. Mickelson's birdie putt stopped 2 feet, 6 inches from the hole, giving Long the opportunity to win the tournament, which he did not waste.

"I knew it was for the win, once Phil's putt didn't go in, which it looked like it was," Long said. "But I told myself not to like think about that it was for the win and it's just a putt up the hill to the left.

"I putted really well today and made a lot of good putts and I was like, I don't know why I should miss this. And it just felt like one I was going to make. I was just trying to concentrate on a few mechanical things that I think about, but it was like, other than that just give it a good run and don't leave it short."

Long had a bogey-free final round of 7-under-par 65. He began the round with back-to-back birdies.

"I was nervous on that first tee shot, but nothing like I never felt before, just really nervous," Long said. "To birdie the first two is more than I could have hoped for. And I was just trying to give myself as many opportunities as possible, but birdieing those first two really calmed me a little bit."

Long also birdied the ninth, 12th, 14th and 15th holes in addition to the 18th

Long earned $1.062 million for the victory, a figure he called "pretty life changing."

"I don't know what my first purchase will be or how I'll spend it or anything," Long said. "But just happy to go home with my wife Emily and enjoy it and just keep living like we always live."

The Desert Classic was the 31-year-old Long's sixth start on the PGA Tour. He secured his PGA Tour card for the 2018-19 season by finishing 13th on the Web.com regular-season money list.

Long had missed the cut in each of his last three tournaments and was hoping for a Top 10 finish which would guarantee him a spot in the Farmer's Insurance Open which begins Thursday in San Diego.

"Coming off the Web.com TOUR, it can be tough," Long said. "You're not guaranteed a whole lot. I didn't get off to a good start, so I was at the bottom of that category and my tournament schedule was a little bleak. But this changes everything."

Among the benefits of the victory is a spot in the Masters. Long said he played "a couple rounds" at Augusta National Golf Club in 2010, thanks to a fellow Duke University alumnus " who used to take a lot of the golfers from the golf team at Duke out."

"I spent the night in the cottages there and played," said Long, who received a sociology degree from Duke in 2010 and turned pro later that year. "But that was in November. So playing it in April might feel a little different."

Mickelson shot a 3-under-par 69 Sunday with five birdies and bogeys on the first and ninth holes after leading after each of the first three rounds.

"I had a terrible putting day, one of the worst I can recall in a while," Mickelson said. "Started right on the first hole with a little 4- footer uphill and 3-putting that green there. And I missed a bunch of short ones on the front and some birdie opportunities, but it felt awful with the putter. I hit a lot of good shots today though but just couldn't get the ball to go in the hole."

Hadwin shot a 5-under-par 67 Sunday with six birdies and a bogey on the par-3 13th hole.

"I made a bunch of putts all week and then honestly I was kind of battling it a little bit swing-wise, didn't quite have it like I did the first three days," said Hadwin, who like Mickelson received $519,200 for tying for second.

— By City News Service / Images by Jim Edwards