PHIL-A-BUSTER QUIETS TIGER MICKELSON KEEPS BYRON NELSON'S RECORD 11-MATCH WIN STREAK SAFE.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO - It's over.

Phil Mickelson put an end to the longest PGA Tour winning streak in 52 years Sunday, but Tiger Woods didn't go down easily.

The 24-year-old Woods, who had won six straight tournaments to tie Ben Hogan for the second-longest streak in tour history, made up seven strokes to catch third-round leader Mickelson on the 13th hole. Then Mickelson counter-rallied down the stretch to finish 18-under-par 270 for a four-stroke win in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.

``To go against the best player in the world and come out on top means a lot to me,'' said Mickelson, who came away from the victory with two thoughts:

``One, the confidence that I can play against the best and I can win. and two, the next time I get a six-seven-shot lead, I need to get tougher and make it eight, nine or 10.''

Woods, who closed with a 68, tied Shigeki Maruyama for second place at 274. Davis Love III was next at 275 ahead of the fifth-place trio of Kevin Sutherland, Kirk Triplett and Fred Couples, all at 276.

But most of the drama involved hometown hero Mickelson and the surging Woods, who had won from seven strokes off the pace in the final seven holes last week and was making a similar charge when he made up seven shots in an eight-hole stretch Sunday.

It was Lefty vs. Stripes, with a crowd of 45,000 roaring them on, some with faces painted orange and black. For a while, it was so exciting, it seemed like some of the best of the memorable matchups between Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, or Nicklaus and Lee Trevino or Tom Watson.

Eventually, Woods' brilliant short-game play couldn't salvage his erratic ball-striking, but he arrived at the end of his streak far from despondent.

``To even be under par was kind of a miracle,'' said Woods, who birdied the first hole after hitting a chair with his drive, then missed eight of the first 13 greens and found himself 5-under for the day and tied for the tournament lead.

``That's not bad,'' he said.

Woods said he was disappointed not to win but ``Just to kind of hang in there and hang in there, chip and putt and just grind away at it, and just give myself a chance was - I was very proud of myself for that.''

Was Mickelson proud to be the one to end the streak that got within five wins of Byron Nelson's record 11?

``Not really,'' he said. ``I'd be proud if I could be the guy that had the six-tournament streak.''

A seven-stroke lead with 12 holes to play sure didn't last long for Mickelson, as Woods' early charge and a pair of double-bogeys by Mickelson left them tied for the lead at 15-under par when Woods birdied the 13th.

Mickelson, playing behind Woods, then followed with probably his most important shot of the tournament. After driving into the left rough and having to chip back to the fairway, he hit a 9-iron from 116 yards to within three feet to regain the lead with his own birdie.

Seemingly rejuvenated after that save, Michelson played 1-under over the final five holes while Woods struggled to hit fairways and greens down the stretch.

Maruyama also challenged at the 13th hole, reaching the par-5 in two shots. He missed an eagle putt that could have tied him for the lead but birdied to get within a stroke. Then Mickelson's scrambling birdie dropped Maruyama two strokes back, and he never got closer.

That birdie was the play of the day for Mickelson, but he gave nearly as much credit to his second double-bogey, on No. 11, for forcing him to play more aggressively.

``My mindset changed,'' he said. ``I had to play the way I was playing the first three rounds and I tried to attack the 12th hole.''

Mickelson parred the par-4 12th, but the aggression helped him take control of the tournament over his final six holes.

He said there was no panic when Woods made up seven strokes in eight holes to tie.

``What was going through my head on 13 was I needed to make birdie,'' Mickelson said. ``If I made birdie, I regained the one-shot lead. That's exactly what was going through my head.''

As good as Woods felt about competing while struggling, so did Mickelson feel good about responding to pressure when it seemed Woods had the momentum. After scrambling out of the rough to save birdie on 13, Mickelson followed with a brilliant approach shot for another birdie on 14, right after Woods had bogeyed that hole.

``I was able to pull the two best shots that I hit all week,'' Mickelson said. ``I just wanted the opportunity, and I want more opportunities.

``There is only one way I'm going to get better and that's to go head-to- head against Tiger Woods.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box, chart

Photo: (1 -- color) Phil Mickelson shook off his mid-round doldrums to win the Buick Invitational in La Jolla.

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

(2 -- color) Phil Mickelson chips from the rough near the 16th green Sunday on the way to winning the Buick Invitational at his home course.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

(3 -- color) no caption (Tiger Woods pumping fist)

Chart: Final results

Box: The Streak