Hunter Mahan wins Waste Management Phoenix Open

Hunter Mahan fired a superb final round of 65 to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open by a single shot from 21-year-old Rickie Fowler

Hunter Mahan
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Hunter Mahan fired a superb final round of 65 to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open by a single shot from 21-year-old Rickie Fowler.

Mahan only narrowly made the cut after a relatively slow start to the tournament, but a 65 on Saturday put him back in touch with the leaders. An eagle and two birdies in a four hole stretch from the 13th in the final round helped Mahan to a second consecutive 65 and a one-shot win.

Despite his solid and consistent play, this was Mahan's first victory since the 2007 Travelers Championship. "It's just finding a way to win. I just haven't been able to do it," he said. "So obviously it feels great to win in my fifth tournament of the yeare. It gives me a lot of confidence in myself that I'm doing the right things in my game, and it feels great, it really does."

The early running in the final round was made my Y.E. Yang who eagled the 10th then made four consecutive birdies to climb to the top of the leaderboard. But the Korean found the water on the 17th and the resulting bogey dropped the 2009 USPGA Champion to 14-under.

Young Rickie Fowler had a chance to claim his first PGA Tour victory but missed birdie efforts on the closing three holes and ended the week just shy of Mahan's 16-under-par total.

Brandt Snedeker who led the tournament overnight suffered a disastrous final day collapse. He closed with a 78 to finish way back on seven-under-par.

With the win Mahan moved to sixth on the FedEx Cup standings and to 22nd on the Official World Golf Ranking. Fowler has moved to 77th.

Waste Management Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona Feb 25-28, purse $6,000,000, par 71

1    Hunter Mahan (USA)    68    70    65    65    268    $1,080,000 2    Rickie Fowler (USA)    65    67    69    68    269    $648,000 3    Y.E. Yang (Kor)        66    70    69    65    270    $408,000 T4    Chris Couch (USA)    67    66    70    68    271    $248,000 T4    Matthew Goggin (Aus)    66    67    70    68    271    $248,000 T4    Charles Howell III (USA) 69    66    68    68    271    $248,000 7    Vaughn Taylor (USA)    68    68    68    68    272    $201,000 T8    Robert Allenby (Aus)    69    65    69    70    273    $156,000     T8    Matt Every (USA)        63    70    68    72    273    $156,000 T8    Bryce Molder (USA)    68    67    70    68    273    $156,000 T8    Joe Ogilvie (USA)        71    66    66    70    273    $156,000 T8    Scott Piercy (USA)    68    67    65    73    273    $156,000     T8    Camilo Villegas (Col)    62    69    71    71    273    $156,000

Note: Player scores in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

Latest