PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Anyone worried that Phil Mickelson was emotionally scarred by that U.S. Open collapse can relax.

Mickelson finally got his season on track Sunday by closing with a 6-under 66 under surprising sunshine to tie the tournament record at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and win by five shots for the 30th victory of his career.

Mickelson overcame a double bogey with a lost ball early in the round with three birdies in a four-hole stretch along the ocean, turning a tight race into another runaway. He matched the largest margin of victory at this tournament, winning by five shots over Kevin Sutherland.

It was the 11th time in 15 seasons that Mickelson won on the West Coast Swing, and the timing couldn’t have been better. He had started his season slowly, allowing the conversation to linger on his gaffe last summer at Winged Foot, when he chopped his way to a double bogey on the final hole to lose the U.S. Open.

Now, he looks as if he’s about to hit his stride.

Mickelson finished at 20-under 268, tying the tournament record at Pebble Beach set in 1997 by Mark O’Meara. He earned $990,000, making him the third person in tour history to surpass $40 million in career earnings.

Sutherland, in the final group for the second time in three weeks, hit over the ninth green and took double bogey to fall out of contention. He also missed a half-dozen putts inside 8 feet, but his birdie on the 18th for a 71 gave him second place and kept Mickelson from the largest margin of victory since Bing Crosby created this tournament in 1937.

John Mallinger, a 27-year-old rookie, closed with a 71 and finished third. He had the lead for about 15 minutes after making birdie on the par-5 sixth, while Mickelson in the group behind him lost his tee shot and took double bogey on No. 5.

No one could keep up with Mickelson, however.

He dropped only one shot the rest of the round and easily won Pebble Beach for the third time in his career. O’Meara with five titles at Pebble is the only player with more.

“This is exciting,” Mickelson said. “I’ve gotten off to a good start. It gives me momentum, and I can’t wait for next week and the upcoming majors. I’m really excited about the year.”

When asked about his U.S. Open collapse during the trophy presentation, Mickelson referred it to as the “Winged Foot thing,” and how it taught him that he needed to improve his driving. That was what he did best this week, hitting it every shape and trajectory he wanted, usually in the short grass. He missed only one fairway in the final round.

The lost ball provided some anxious moments, but it turned out to be a mere bump on an otherwise smooth ride.

Mickelson hit 6-iron at the flag on the par-3 fifth and stared it down until he lost sight of it, and for good reason. It sailed clear over the green, and not even the marshals saw where it went. When he arrived and saw a search party combing through shin-high grass, it took a second for Mickelson to realize what was going on.

“Hey, Bones,” he called out to caddie Jim Mackay, “they’re looking for ours?”

They looked hard, but Mickelson eventually walked back up to the tee, again went at the flag and hit it to 10 feet. He missed the putt, and the double bogey dropped him back one shot behind Mallinger.

James wins Allianz

BOCA RATON, Fla. – England’s Mark James won the Allianz Championship on Sunday in his first tournament of the year, closing with a 4-under 68 for a two-stroke victory over Champions Tour player of the year Hay Haas.

James spent the previous three weeks skiing in the French Alps.

“I came out here fairly cold from the winter off and only started practicing this week,” he said. “It’s a nice surprise and gives me a lot of confidence.”

James finished at 15-under 201 on The Old Course at Broken Sound, and earned $240,000 for his third career victory on the 50-and-over tour.

R.W. Eaks (68), Morris Hatalsky (70) and Brad Bryant (69) tied for third at 12 under, and Loren Roberts (67), Keith Fergus (68) and Dana Quigley (70) were another stroke back.

James, tied for the lead with Haas and Craig Stadler at the beginning of play Sunday, birdied six of the first 12 holes to reach 16 under. James bogeyed the 14th to drop back to 15 under, where he stayed for the final four holes.

James most difficult moment of the day came when he bogeyed the nine hole for his first bogey of the tournament. James took a calculated risk on the ninth when he took off his shoe to hit a ball out of shallow water, but only managed to chip it about 2 feet. Haas and Stadler also bogeyed the hole to stay one stroke behind.

Stadler double-bogeyed the 14th and 16th en route to a 74 and a 9-under total.

Nick Price closed with a 68 to tie for 20th at 6 under in his Champions Tour debut.

“I’d have liked to play a little better in my debut,” Price said. “My game left a little to be desired. But it’s been great and it’s nice to feel wanted again.

AP-ES-02-11-07 1838EST