(04-02) 03:02 PDT Humble, Texas (AP)
Hunter Mahan provides the perfect state of mind heading towards that week's Masters.
Mahan shot some sort of 1-under 71 Sunday for you to succeed that Houston Open, edging Carl Pettersson by way of one particular heart stroke along with becoming the initial two-time champion on the PGA Tour in 2012.
The 29-year-old Mahan complete 16 beneath for any competition and also changed in order to No. several on earth ranking, the first time he's ever before been recently the highest-ranked American.
"That's a quite surreal point in order to think about," Mahan said. "It exhibits me personally just what exactly I can do, exhibits my home what I'm ready of."
The Houston stop became the actual run-up event into the Masters in 2007
Mahan will play within the Masters for any fifth directly year. He complete eighth in fact in addition to 10th inside 2009, although they have never felt far more self-confident advancing towards Augusta as compared to he does now.
"I feel just like for my personal brain along with ball-striking, every thing senses good," Mahan said. "I think including I can easily have fun with very well and also play properly in lots of different ways, consequently that is certainly nice."
Mahan breaks Canadian activities psychologist Jim Murphy along with training your ex boyfriend to relish the action more, that is certainly took better final results that year. He provides half a dozen top-25 completes throughout eight starts this year, which include a wining over Rory McIlroy inside ultimate belonging to the Match Play Championships in February.
"It's uncomplicated in order to let a person's imagination manage outdoors to get affordable with yourself," Mahan said. "That's just what I utilized to do. I'm making an attempt to knock out myself upwards far more and also simply believe in myself."
Pettersson (71) accomplished along with eight pars regarding his following runner-up finish off the following year. Third-round chief Louis Oosthuizen (75) appeared to be another shot back at fourteen under.
Mahan started out in a given period a couple game at the rear of Oosthuizen, whom misplaced that head with not one but two double bogeys on his / her entry nine.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson (71), Keegan Bradley (71), Brian Davis (74) in addition to Jeff Overton (68) almost all concluded 12 under.
Three-time important champion Ernie Els finished 10 underneath and also fell short inside his bid that will earn an automatic invitation to this week's Masters. Els required your wining to avoid not universally known Augusta with the first period since 1993.
"It's not about to transform my life, both way," Els said. "I've performed numerous out and about there. It's a version of those things."
The Masters could give its own invitation that will Els, similar to event officers would for Greg Norman around 2002.
Els features trialled good this year, earning top-five surface finishes at your Transitions and Bay Hill. But they said Sunday your dog might downfall an request whenever he / she acquired one at the last minute.
"To proceed through all of this, along with next get a great invite, I could not take it," he said. "They might hold it."
The problems for Oosthuizen started out that has a three-putt on No. 2. He holed some sort of downhill 45-footer for any birdie on No. 3, but make his / her tee shot with No. some into a divot in addition to overlooked the actual green along with his approach. He botched a chip as well as two-putted coming from something like 20 feet.
Oosthuizen pulled apart his or her approach into the par-5 8th in to the native area, primary to help his next dual bogey.
"I'm possibly not gonna be bothered within the way I played out leading nine," Oosthuizen said. "I acquired a couple of awful is situated plus bounces. It happens."
Mahan parred the very first nine holes, then lastly required benefit of Oosthuizen's collapse which includes a 5-foot birdie putt upon No. 9. Pettersson missed a 19-foot par putt on No. 10, causing Mahan inside the actual steer by simply themselves at 16 under.
Mahan discovered a greenside bunker on No. 14 and also bogeyed, in that case absolutely hooked his tee shot to the 204-yard, par-3 16th. He pitched against the green, and the basketball folded down a slope to help inside 16 inches wide to get a hassle-free par.
"I thought it absolutely was about to become good," Mahan said, "but some sort of tap-in there is huge."
Pettersson still left a good 18-foot birdie putt quick for the 488-yard 18th, the actual most difficult hole on this course, that has a pond going down the length of the fairway to the left. Like Els, Pettersson needed a win to be able to generate a new trip that will Augusta.
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