SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Phil Mickelson finished a triumphant week in his second home, winning the FBR Open by five strokes for his largest margin of victory in a PGA Tour event.

Mickelson struggled with his driver some in a final round 3-under 68, but no one mounted a serious challenge Sunday. He never led by fewer than three strokes over the last 18 holes.

Mickelson survived shots deep into the desert and into the water, then capped his round with a 26-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 18th to the wild cheers of the friendly throng.

“We had a lot of fun,” he said. “We miss the people here so much.”

Afterward, his daughters, 5-year-old Amanda and 3-year-old Sophia, rushed to hug their dad on the 18th green.

“Daddy, there’s treats after,” the youngest one said.

The victory in the $5.2 million event was worth $936,000.

With chants of “A-S-U!” and “Go Lefty!” from the crowd everywhere he went, Mickelson finished at 17-under 267 on the Tournament Players Club course. Scott McCarron and Kevin Na, at 21 the youngest player on the PGA tour, tied for second at 272. McCarron shot his second consecutive 65, and Na had a 69. Na played in the final group with Mickelson and faltered before rallying with birdies on the 14th and 17th for his best finish in his two years on the tour.

Steve Flesch, Tim Herron and David Toms finished at 273. Toms would have finished in second place but double-bogeyed the 18th.

Mickelson became the first player in five PGA Tour tournaments this year to protect a 54-hole lead, the longest such streak since 1976, when third-round leaders did not win the first five PGA Tour events of the year.

After a 2-over 73 in the first round, Mickelson was 19 under in the last 54, including an 11-under 60 in the second round on Friday, tying the course record with his lowest score in an official PGA Tour event.

“It was such an unlikely win, given the first nine holes, that I was fighting to make the cut,” he said. “To be able to turn things around and shoot 60 the second round was just an incredible experience.”

He entered the final round with a four-shot lead over Na, but the young challenger birdied the par-4 11th to pull within three shots at 12 under.

While Mickelson scrambled to save par on the 10th and 11th, Na birdied the par-4 11th to pull within three shots at 12 under.

The par-5, 13th might have been the clincher for Mickelson. His drive sailed off to the right, into desert terrain amid rocks, small trees and cactus. But the ball landed in a spot where there was an opening, and Mickelson smashed his 5-iron shot some 230 yards over a small tree and just in front of the green. He barely missed from there, then tapped in for a birdie. Na, meanwhile, three-putted for a bogey.

“I was thinking, “This is my chance. I can make a three-shot swing here if I make eagle and he makes bogey,”‘ Na said. “It was the other way around.”

Then on the par-5 15th, Mickelson drove into the water, but came back to save par.

“I certainly got up and down a lot,” he said. “It’s nice to have a short game to fall back on if I’m not hitting it the best,” he said. “I probably didn’t strike it nearly as well today as I did the last couple of days, but the score was OK. All I wanted to do was get the “W’ and I did that.”

Na, born in South Korea, moved with his family to the United States at age 8. He turned professional at 17, before his senior year in high school, and earned a spot on the PGA Tour at the 2003 qualifying tournament.

Na’s previous best finish was a third-place tie last year in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Mississippi.

AP-ES-02-06-05 1900EST