(04-02) 03:02 PDT Humble, Texas (AP)
Hunter Mahan has the right attitude planning straight into this particular week's Masters.
Mahan result a 1-under 71 Sunday to help win the Houston Open, edging Carl Pettersson through one particular swing and being the first two-time champion around the PGA Tour in 2012.
The 29-year-old Mahan complete sixteen within for your match as well as moved that will No. 4 on the globe ranking, at first chance he has been previously been recently your highest-ranked American.
"That's your very surreal thing to consider about," Mahan said. "It demonstrates me what I could do, illustrates me just what I'm in a position of."
The Houston stop started to be the actual run-up affair on the Masters around 2007
Mahan will enjoy in the Masters to the sixth directly year. He completed eighth this year and tenth throughout 2009, but he is under no circumstances felt more comfortable maneuvering to Augusta when compared with this individual does now.
"I experience including for my personal mind plus ball-striking, everything feels good," Mahan said. "I look including I can play well plus perform properly within many different ways, so that's nice."
Mahan loans Canadian sports activities psychologist Jim Murphy with helping the pup to enjoy the experience more, in addition to that's concluded in far better outcomes this specific year. He has five top-25 surface finishes inside seven starts this kind of year, which includes a victory through Rory McIlroy within the final on the Match Play Championships within February.
"It's straightforward in order to let ones head run wild and obtain affordable on yourself," Mahan said. "That's what I employed to do. I'm endeavoring to push average joe in place much more in addition to simply just confidence myself."
Pettersson (71) complete with tendencies pars intended for their following runner-up surface this year. Third-round director Louis Oosthuizen (75) ended up being yet another result returning during fourteen under.
Mahan started the morning two photographs behind Oosthuizen, exactly who shed this guide with a couple of dual bogeys on their front nine.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson (71), Keegan Bradley (71), Brian Davis (74) in addition to Jeff Overton (68) all complete twelve month period under.
Three-time major champion Ernie Els finished 10 below plus fell brief inside his bid to gain a great semi-automatic or fully automatic call to the present week's Masters. Els needed a victory in order to avoid missing Augusta for any very first time that considering 1993.
"It's certainly not likely to switch my life, either way," Els said. "I've gamed many out there. It's one of those things."
The Masters could give a exclusive call to be able to Els, like tournament authorities did for Greg Norman with 2002.
Els features enjoyed properly this year, gaining top-five surface finishes with the Transitions and Bay Hill. But they explained Sunday he / she would certainly diminish a strong invitation in the event that this individual obtained one along at the continue minute.
"To undergo almost all of this, and then acquire an invite, I wouldn't take it," they said. "They can easily keep it."
The troubles to get Oosthuizen started out that has a three-putt about No. 2. He holed a all downhill 45-footer for just a birdie about No. 3, nonetheless strike his / her tee shot on No. some into a divot and missed the efficient along with his approach. He botched a new chips and two-putted from 20 feet.
Oosthuizen drawn his approach to that par-5 8th to the local area, contributing to their subsequent double bogey.
"I'm certainly not planning to often be frustrated around the means I played leading nine," Oosthuizen said. "I have some terrible lies in addition to bounces. It happens."
Mahan parred the 1st eight holes, next eventually went on edge with Oosthuizen's failure which includes a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 9. Pettersson missed a 19-foot par putt on No. 10, causing Mahan within this guide by way of himself with 16 under.
Mahan determined a greenside bunker on No. 14 in addition to bogeyed, then hooked his tee shot to the 204-yard, par-3 16th. He frequency against this green, plus the ball rolled down a slope that will within just 16 long with regard to an uncomplicated par.
"I thought ?t had been planning to become good," Mahan said, "but a tap-in there was huge."
Pettersson remaining an 18-foot birdie putt brief about the 488-yard 18th, that trickiest problem within the course, using a lake managing lower along the fairway within the left. Like Els, Pettersson required a succeed in order to make a trip that will Augusta.
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