Mahan Wins Houston Hunt

Hunter Mahan doesn't dwell on bad shots anymore, and he says that's leading to more good ones.

Mahan shot a 1-under 71 on Sunday to win the Shell Houston Open, edging Carl Pettersson by one stroke and becoming the first two-time champion on TOUR in 2012.

The 29-year-old Mahan finished 16 under for the tournament and took over the top spot in the latest FedExCup standings. Additionally, he moved to No. 4 in the world ranking, the first time he's ever been the highest-ranked American.

"That's a pretty surreal thing to think about," Mahan said. "It shows me what I can do, shows me what I'm capable of."

The 29-year-old Mahan feels as if he finally has the mental approach to match his physical skills. He credits Canadian sports psychologist Jim Murphy with teaching him to enjoy the game more, and that's led to better results.

"It's easy to let your mind run wild and get down on yourself," Mahan said. "That's what I used to do. I'm trying to pump myself up more and just believe in myself."

Mahan earned his fifth career victory. He has six top-25 finishes in seven starts this year, including a victory over Rory McIlroy in the final of the Match Play Championships in February.

"You've got to enjoy this stuff," Mahan said. "It's kind of an honour and a pleasure to be in these tough situations. This is what you work for, to be in these fun, tough, tight situations."

The new attitude got another pressurised test on Sunday.

Standing on the 18th tee with a one-stroke lead, Mahan confidently hit his tee shot down the middle of the fairway, then knocked his 203-yard approach to 21 feet. He gave caddie John Wood a high-five when the ball landed safely on the green.

"Absolutely awesome," Wood said.

The tournament became the run-up event to the Masters in 2007, and Mahan has never felt better about his game heading to Augusta.

"I feel very capable of playing great golf, and I feel like I showed myself I don't have to be perfect to win," he said. "That's a great thing to feel, for sure."

Pettersson (71) finished with eight pars for his second runner-up finish this year. Third-round leader Louis Oosthuizen (75) was another shot back at 14 under.

Mahan began the day two shots behind Oosthuizen, who lost the lead with two double bogeys on his front nine.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson (71), Keegan Bradley (71), Brian Davis (74) and Jeff Overton (68) all finished 12 under.

Three-time major champion Ernie Els finished 10 under and fell short in his bid to earn an automatic invitation to this week's Masters. Els needed a victory to avoid missing Augusta for the first time since 1993.

"It's not going to change my life, either way," Els said. "I've played many out there. It's one of those things."

The Masters could offer a special invitation to Els, like tournament officials did for Greg Norman in 2002.

Els has played well this year, earning top-five finishes at the Transitions Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational. But he said Sunday he would decline an invitation if he received one at the last minute.

"To go through all of this, and then get an invite, I wouldn't take it," he said. "They can keep it."

The problems for Oosthuizen began with a three-putt on No. 2. He holed a downhill 45-footer for a birdie on No. 3, but hit his tee shot on No. 5 into a divot and missed the green with his approach. He botched a chip and two-putted from 20 feet.

Oosthuizen pulled his approach to the par-5 8th into the native area, leading to his second double bogey.

"I'm not going to be bothered about the way I played the front nine," Oosthuizen said. "I had a few horrific lies and bounces. It happens."

Mahan parred the first eight holes, then finally took advantage of Oosthuizen's collapse with a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 9. Pettersson missed a 19-foot par putt on No. 10, leaving Mahan in the lead by himself at 16 under.

Mahan found a greenside bunker on No. 14 and bogeyed, then hooked his tee shot to the 204-yard, par-3 16th. He pitched onto the green, and the ball rolled down a slope to within 16 inches for an easy par.

"I thought it was going to be good," Mahan said, "but a tap-in there was huge."

Pettersson left an 18-foot birdie putt short on the 488-yard 18th, the hardest hole on the course, with a pond running down the length of the fairway on the left. Like Els, Pettersson needed a win to earn a trip to Augusta.

Hunter Joins World Top Ten

Hunter Mahan has climbed into the world's top-10 for the first time on the back of his victory at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

The American beat Rory McIlroy 2&1 in Sunday's final, in doing so denying the Ulsterman the chance to claim the number one spot from Luke Donald.

Mahan's victory moves him from 22nd to ninth in the rankings and also pushes Tiger Woods out of the top-20 once again.

Woods crashed out in the second round in Tuscon, losing to fellow American Nick Watney.

Meanwhile, another American, John Huh, made a leap of 130 places following his dramatic play-off triumph at the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico.

The 21-year-old edged out Robert Allenby at the eighth extra hole after the Australian veteran had made a double-bogey at the last hole in regulation to allow his rival back in.

Huh, who started the week at 267th in the world, has now jumped up to 137th in the latest round of standings.

world golf rankings:

1 Luke Donald 9.13pts, 

2 Rory McIlroy 8.60 

3 Lee Westwood 8.17

4 Martin Kaymer 6.02

5 Steve Stricker 5.80

6 Webb Simpson 5.14

7 Dustin Johnson 5.11

8 Adam Scott 5.05

9 Hunter Mahan 5.03

10 Jason Day 5.01

11 Phil Mickelson 4.96, 12 Charl Schwartzel 4.87, 13 Bill Haas 4.67, 14 Matt Kuchar 4.56, 15 Graeme McDowell 4.36, 16 Nick Watney 4.35, 17 Sergio Garcia 4.14, 18 Brandt Snedeker 4.12, 19 KJ Choi 4.08, 20 Keegan Bradley 4.00

Other leading Europeans:

23 Justin Rose, 25 Paul Casey, 26 Peter Hanson, 27 Ian Poulter, 29 Thomas Bjorn, 31 Simon Dyson, 32 Alvaro Quiros, 34 Robert Karlsson, 35 Martin Laird, 37 Anders Hansen, 41 Fredrik Jacobson, 44 Paul Lawrie, 45 Francesco Molinari, 50 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 51 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 56 Darren Clarke, 57 Robert Rock, 61 Rafael Cabrera Bello, 63 Matteo Manassero, 68 Nicolas Colsaerts, 70 Joost Luiten, 75 Alexander Noren, 83 Pablo Larrazabal, 85 Edoardo Molinari, 87 Padraig Harrington, 88 Carl Pettersson, 90 Gregory Havret, 91 David Lynn, 94 Michael Hoey, 95 Jamie Donaldson, 100 Stephen Gallacher

Mahan Holds Off Match Play McIlroy

Hunter Mahan denied Rory McIlroy the chance to become World Number One by beating the 22 year old in the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play in Tucson.

After the joy of beating Ryder Cup teammate Lee Westwood from three down before lunch, McIlroy's bid to dethrone Luke Donald fell flat when he lost the final 2 and 1 to American Mahan.

The Northern Irishman will try again at this week's Honda Classic in Florida - Donald is not playing - but he will be back to facing nearly 140 players there compared to just one.

McIlroy went from playing some sublime golf against Westwood to making several errors early on against Mahan.

And despite rediscovering his flair on the back nine his opponent - the man whose defeat to Graeme McDowell at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2010 handed Europe the Ryder Cup - made sure it was too late and fully earned his second World Golf Championships title.

McIlroy said: "I played a great back nine, which was nice, but just left myself too much to do.

"When I didn't eagle the 15th I knew it was going to be tough because he is very solid from tee to green.

"It wasn't to be. I didn't have my best game with me this week, but I'm happy with how I'm playing and hopefully it won't be long before I'm winning again.

"I've got two more tournaments before the Masters and that's what I'm building up to."

The US Open Champion had already halved two holes in bogeys when Mahan, conqueror of compatriot Mark Wilson in his semi-final, broke the deadlock with a tee shot to two feet on the sixth.

But McIlroy then double-bogeyed the 486 yard next, seeing a chip come back to him after both men had rolled down the slope in front of the green with their approaches, and then had another six on the long eighth after driving into a bunker and going long with his third.

Mahan went three up there despite three-putting for par and when both parred the next he had turned in a level par 36 to McIlroy's 39.

The gap became four when he missed from nine feet on the tenth after 29 year old Mahan had almost holed his approach and only did McIlroy spark into life.

He chipped in for eagle at the 11th and had a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th. That was the good news for his fans, but the bad was that Mahan matched two of the birdies and after lipping out for victory from 15 feet on the short 16th another par on the next settled it.

Mahan felt he had beaten "the best player in the world right now for sure" and added: "I felt great with my game coming in, switched putters and was able to run it out.

"We didn't have our best stuff early, but I was able to capitalise on a few miscues."

Earlier Westwood had won three of the first four against McIlroy, but opened the door by bogeying the fifth and then saw his former stablemate birdie six of the next eight, all but one of them for wins.

Westwood, now three down, then produced an 18 foot eagle putt after driving the green on the 343 yard 15th, but missed from similar range at the next and conceded defeat after bogeying the 17th.

The afternoon also went America's way in the third place play-off, Wilson never trailing either as he beat Westwood on the final green.