Golf: Tataurangi rapt about comeback form

New Zealand golfer Phil Tataurangi is brimming with confidence after carding his lowest PGA Tour score since winning the Las Vegas Invitational three-and-a-half years ago.

Tataurangi fired seven birdies in a BellSouth Classic final round six-under-par 66 for a one-under tally of 287 on the TPC Sugarloaf course in Atlanta today.

It was a consolation for a disappointing third round 78 that had the Taupo golfer starting the final round in the first group.

He scraped through to make the cut with 78 others on Saturday with an eagle on his final hole.

Today's score was Tataurangi's best since his 66 in the second round of the 2002 Las Vegas tournament which he won with a blistering final day 62.

"I stuck one of my old putters back into the bag this week and I was just struggling lining it up this week until today," he said.

"I just wanted to come out and get back into red numbers and it's a nice feeling to have achieved that goal."

Tataurangi returned to the top flight in January after a herniated disc in his lower spine required two operations and 16 months on the sidelines.

In bright and warm conditions today he finished strongly with birdies at 16 and 17, while his 4m birdie putt at the last stopped just centimetres short of the hole.

He recorded 27 putts, six fewer than yesterday.

"I just lost my way over the outward nine on Saturday and it was that I felt the mechanics of my body wasn't right, and I really wasn't feeling quite flash, and I was just so indecisive.

"I managed to turn it around on the back nine that gave me some momentum into today and it was nice to produce what is my best score for a while.

"That gives me a lot of pleasure and a lot of confidence and that is what you have to do out here, and that's to shoot a lot of birdies."

He will be joined in Los Angeles this week by his Auckland-based trainer, Trevor Montgomery and Paul Parlane, his Waikato-based swing coach.

Tataurangi's next event will be the Heritage at Hilton Head, South Carolina, starting on April 13.

* * *

Meawnhile, runaway leader Phil Mickelson coasted to a record third BellSouth Classic PGA Tour golf title with a 13-shot victory today.

The American left-hander, eight strokes clear overnight, fired a seven-under-par 65 in bright sunshine to finish at 28-under 260.

Champion in 2000 and again last year, Mickelson birdied three of the first six holes to stretch his lead to 10.

Two more birdies and eagles at the par-four 13th and par-five 18th saw him clinch his 28th PGA Tour title.

The twice champion also became the tournament's first repeat winner since compatriot Hale Irwin in 1977.

Irwin is among seven players who have triumphed twice at the BellSouth.

Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, who shot 69, and American Zach Johnson, who shot 70, tied for second place on 15-under-par.

- NZPA