Hunter Mahan defeated Rickie Fowler this past Sunday to win the 75th annual Phoenix Open (formerly known as the FBR Open) in Scottsdale, AZ, and took home the winning prize of $1.08 million. Former Oklahoma State player Mahan was 4 strokes back at one point but rallied and pulled ahead to clinch the victory by one shot. This is his first tournament win in 2 years.
This tournament belonged to the 20-somethings. Mahan may not have won for 2 years, but he's still only the 8th player born in the US to win more than a single tournament while in his 20s--no small accomplishment in today's PGA. His first win was in 2007 at the Travelers Championship. At the Phoenix Open, he finished without a single bogey at 16-under 268. He managed 2 birdies and an eagle within 4 holes to defeat Fowler.
Fowler, only 21-years-old and fairly new to the PGA tour, finished the second round at 68. Despite being a rookie, this is his second runner-up standing on the tour, which is also impressive for his age. He managed his first runner-up finish on only his second PGA event. In October he played in the Frys.com Open also in Arizona at the Grayhawk Golf Club. Troy Matteson won that tournament, but Fowler was one of the second-place finishers.
Mahan, even though he hasn't won in the last two years, was on the team for the Ryder Cup in 2008, and finished in the top 10 standings six times during 2009. He was even the runner-up at the AT&T National tournament. He managed to earn over $5 in two non-winning years, and had played very well between his first win and now.
At one point during the final round, Mahan discovered his driver was cracked and sent his girlfriend to get him a different one out of his car. The staff hurried her there and he got a new driver before the next par-5 shot. Fowler might have done better if not for the 15 hole where he said he didn't feel confident he could reach the green, which was surrounded by water, so he played safe golf thinking he could birdie holes 16 and 17. But he missed the last 3 putts of the game and came in second.
Coming in at third place just 2 strokes from to the top was Y.E. Yang of South Korea, who is the first PGA golfer born in Asia to win a major tournament. Yang was the PGA Championship winner last year and was ahead in this tourney thanks to an eagle on hole 10 and birdies on 11-15. But at hole 17 his ball went into a water hazard, he ended up missing the putt and bogeyed, putting him behind. Fourth place was a 3-way tie at 13-under. Mathew Goggin, Charles Howell III and Chris Couch all fell just 3 strokes short. Brandt Snedeker, the leader during the third round of play, let his lead slip and ended up with a 7-under 78, dropping him far down the leaderboard.
Photo Credits: Rob Poetsch
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