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.

Humble 66 Gives Louis Lead

Louis Oosthuizen took a moment at Redstone on Saturday to take in the view of the golf course backlit by the setting sun.

The 29-year-old South African shot his second straight 6-under 66 to reach 17 under and take a two-shot lead over Hunter Mahan after the third round of the Shell Houston Open.

Carl Pettersson (67) and Brian Davis (69) were three strokes back at 14 under.James Driscoll (71) was alone at 12 under. Defending champion Phil Mickelson (70), Keegan Bradley (69) and Ryan Palmer (66) were 11 under.

"It's a great leaderboard behind me," Oosthuizen said. "It's going to be tough, but I feel like I'm ready for it."

Oosthuizen shook off two early bogeys on a sunny, windy afternoon at Redstone. He reeled off four straight birdies on the back nine, and in the midst of his streak, Oosthuizen enjoyed some of the natural scenery.

"It was such a beautiful back nine, really, with the weather and the sun dropping," Oosthuizen said. "Such a nice place out there, which was good, and (I) just felt when we turned on 15, I was playing down the sun and the course looked spectacular."

Mahan had a 65, which included four birdie putts of at least 23 feet. He sank a 23-footer on No. 5, a 34-footer on No. 6, and 28-footers on Nos. 10 and 14.

"That was a nice stretch there," Mahan said. "It easily could've gone through there even, instead of a couple under like I did."

Mahan doesn't feel quite as locked in as he did when he won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year, but he still feels confident heading to next week's Masters. But Mahan has three top-10 finishes in Houston since 2007, and never considered bypassing this week's event to get to Augusta early.

"I thought about it for about a second," Mahan said. "But this is a place I've played well at, so I want to play well here and try to win here. I really didn't want to pass this tournament up. Augusta will take care of itself."

Three-time major champion Ernie Els, who must win to qualify for the Masters next week, was in a group at 8 under. Els hasn't missed the Masters since 1993 and knew that his chances of winning Sunday are remote.

"I needed to get to 10 or 11 under to really have a shot," Els said. "I need a 62 or 63. It's tough to do on a Sunday, but you might as well give it a go."

The tournament's schedule was pushed back by a thunderstorm Thursday, and 70 players resumed their second rounds Saturday morning.

Oosthuizen completed a 66 to move to 11 under, one behind second-round leader Jeff Maggert. Oosthuizen started his third round with a tee shot into a fairway bunker, leading to a bogey, then misjudged the wind off the tee on No. 2 and bogeyed again.

The 2010 British Open winner sank an 11-foot birdie putt on No. 6 to get rolling, then made birdies at Nos. 8 and 9 to make the turn at 12 under.

"After that, I felt really comfortable," Oosthuizen said. "I made really good swings after that."

Ninety players made the 36-hole cut at 2 under or better. It was the most players to survive the 36-hole cut in a non-major since 91 made it at the 1981 Travelers Championship.

Another cut was made after the third round, leaving 70 players in the field for Sunday.

Mickelson shot a 65 in the final round last year to win by three strokes, and he the course is ripe for someone to go very low again this year.

"I'll be going after it, really firing at pins and putting aggressively and having them go in at a little more pace," Mickelson said. "I think there's a really hot round out there."

Maggert missed five straight cuts coming into this week. Playing in calm, cloudy conditions on Saturday morning, Maggert finished his second straight 66 to surge to 12 under. He faded to a 76 in the afternoon to drop to 8 under.

Fred Couples, who played at the University of Houston and won on the Champions Tour last week, made the 36-hole cut in Houston for the 19th consecutive time. He shot a 71 in the third round and was 5 under.

Former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara were in the gallery in the afternoon, traveling between holes on a golf cart. The Bushes live in Houston and frequently attend sporting events around the city.

Davis Shares Shell Lead with Louis

Brian Davis changed his life last year, and he's finally seeing the adjustments translate to better golf scores.

Davis shot a 65 in his second round Friday and shares the lead at 11 under with Louis Oosthuizen at the rain-delayed Shell Houston Open.

The second round was suspended due to darkness at 7:36 p.m. local time with 70 players still on the course.

Houston resident Jeff Maggert was at 10 under, but he had eight holes left to play in his second round. Defending champion Phil Mickelson (70), J.B. Holmes (67), Tommy Gainey (67), and Greg Owen (69) finished their second rounds and were two shots behind the leaders at 9 under.

Three-time major champion Ernie Els, who must win to qualify for next week's Masters, was in the group at 5 under after a second-round 69.

A thunderstorm dumped 1 1/4 inches of rain Thursday, causing the backup. The players enjoyed sunny and calm conditions Friday, but the fairways were damp, and players were permitted to lift, clean and place.

Davis played a total of 32 holes on Friday, finishing a first-round 68 and then making seven birdies on his way to his best score of the year.

The 37-year-old Englishman took a hard look at his life late last year after his father, Robert, died of cancer. He changed caddies, hired a sports psychologist and retooled his swing.

"Probably the highlight of the offseason and to this season was taking a look at everything I did on and off the golf course," Davis said. "I think I'm more prepared going forward now this year."

Davis, a father of three, also worked with sports psychologist Bob Winters on managing his time more precisely.

"I really struggle when my kids say, `Can we do this?' and I should be practicing," Davis said. "It's hard to juggle that around. You've got to give yourself some time as well. Obviously, we looked over that at the end of the last year and changed my practice routines, changed a lot of things."

Davis felt recharged at the start of the season, but missed the cut in three of his first four starts. He finally saw signs of improvement when he tied for 47th at the Honda Classic, then tied for 63rd in Puerto Rico the following week.

"It's one of them things, you've got to stay the course and keep at it," Davis said.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, is also making changes, though far less dramatic. He's tinkering with his swing and gone back to the driver he used when he won at St. Andrews.

The 29-year-old South African hit 11 of 14 fairways in his second round on his way to a 66.

"I hit it well at the Open in 2010, and I feel like I'm very close to hitting it like I did there," Oosthuizen said. "Swing-wise, I feel confident."

Mickelson finished a 65 on Friday morning and started his second round on No. 10 about an hour later. His afternoon round stalled after he birdied 13 and 15, the two par 5s on the back nine. He hit his tee shot over the green on the par-3 16th and bogeyed, then parred the next five holes.

"I played pretty well the second round, but I didn't get the score that I had hoped," Mickelson said. "I've got to light it up this weekend."

Mickelson played with Fred Couples, who won on the Champions Tour last week. Couples, who played at the University of Houston and has made 18 consecutive cuts at the event, is 4 under through two rounds.

Couples moved within two shots of the lead, but dropped back when he dunked his tee shot in the water on the 488-yard, par-4 18th hole and took a double bogey. The 52-year-old Couples shot a 73 in the afternoon.

The Shell Houston Open became the run-up event to the Masters in 2007. Despite the delay, tournament director Steve Timms is hoping to finish the tournament by 5 p.m. Sunday to accommodate not only television, but also the players heading to Augusta.

Like Els, Davis must win here to earn an invitation to the Masters next week. Davis has five runner-up finishes in seven years on TOUR, but he's never won.

"Obviously, I'm well aware that I need to start winning," Davis said. "It's one of those things where you can't force it. You've just got to keep putting yourself in position."

Mickelson says he's prefers playing a tournament the week before a major to get into a "competitive frame of mind." Last year, he shot 63-65 over the weekend to win by three strokes over Chris Kirk and Scott Verplank.

Shell Houston Open leaderboard

Carl and Angel Share Shell Lead

Angel Cabrera and Carl Pettersson took advantage of early tee times to beat the rain and share the early lead in the Shell Houston Open.

Cabrera and Pettersson shot 7-under 65 in calm conditions Thursday morning to set the pace before the first round was suspended by a thunderstorm.

Only 51 players completed play before the horn sounded at 1:27 p.m. local time. Tournament director Steve Timms said the storm dumped about 1 1/4 inches of rain, leaving shallow ponds on many of the fairways.

"You just can't play under the rules of golf with that much casual water," Timms said.

Grounds crews fanned out across the course late in the afternoon, and Timms was optimistic that Redstone would be playable when the first round was scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. CDT on Friday.

"Let it drain overnight, and I think it will be just fine," Timms said.

Ricky Barnes and Jeff Maggert completed their rounds in the morning and were one shot off the lead. Jim Herman also was 6 under, but had three holes left.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Ernie Els, who needs a victory to qualify for the Masters next week, were playing their front nines when play was suspended.

The Shell Houston Open became the run-up event to the Masters in 2007. Timms is hoping to finish the tournament by 5 p.m. Sunday to accommodate not only television, but also the players heading to Augusta.

"We do everything we can operationally to hit that window," Timms said.

The morning groups enjoyed sunshine and calm conditions.

Pettersson birdied four of the first six holes, then reached the par-5 eighth in two and two-putted to reach 5 under. He added birdies on Nos. 11 and 15, then found the greenside bunker with his approach on No. 17 en route to a bogey.

Pettersson missed the cut the last two weeks at Innisbrook and Bay Hill and blamed poor iron play. He changed his setup on the range Tuesday and hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation Thursday.

"I felt confident with that, but that doesn't always relate to good play," he said. "But I felt like I was striking the ball well again, and I told myself just to play aggressive and shoot at the pins and see what happens."

The big-hitting Cabrera birdied three of the four par 5s, and rolled in a 22-foot, downhill birdie putt on the 18th hole.

"The course is perfect," Cabrera said before the storm. "It's really spectacular and it's right for making a good score."

The two-time major champion has missed the cut in four or five PGA TOUR starts this year. But Charlie Epps, his Houston-based swing coach and the director of golf at Redstone, says Cabrera has rounded into form in recent weeks.

"He got off to a slow start and he's been working hard and it's coming on," Epps said. "He's been close in a couple of tournaments. It takes time."

Cabrera has played at Redstone every year since 2007, the year he won the U.S. Open. He missed the cut here in 2009, then won the Masters the following week.

Epps said Cabrera is concentrating on this week and not thinking about the Masters just yet.

"He wants to play well this week, he's focused on this week," Epps said.

Barnes overcame a bout of food poisoning early in the week. He skipped the pro-am Wednesday, but felt fine Thursday morning.

"I got a lot of rest, lot of fluids in me," Barnes said. "And I feel good, and I'll probably be able to get a little workout in later in the day."

The 48-year-old Maggert, who lives in Houston, is winless in 23 starts in his hometown event. The 66 on Thursday is his lowest competitive round at the Tournament Course at Redstone.

"Kind of struggled a little bit since we moved to Redstone, but hopefully this week, I can turn it around," Maggert said. "It was a fun day. I felt some confidence on the greens today, and I made a few putts early and (it) kind of carried over for the rest of the day."

Chris Kirk, who tied for second behind Mickelson last year, withdrew Thursday morning to attend to a personal matter.

The tournament was delayed by bad weather for the first time since 2009.