Fantastic Phil Mickelson wins Shell Houston Open before Masters showdown – PGA Tour News
The Shell Houston Open concluded yesterday at the par-72, Redstone Golf Club. The overnight leader, Phil Mickelson, continued his momentum to win the four day championship. This was an overwhelming victory for him before going into Masters.
The defending Masters Champion, Mickelson, certainly looked in great shape on the final day. It looked like he was not under pressure and played superbly in the final round. Mickelson posted a seven-under par, 65 which was the lowest round of the day. This
score added to his previous rounds, which led him to a three shot victory margin.
The 40-year-old veteran improved on his putting stats on the final day. He was thoroughly looking confident with his shot making on the fairways. His short game favoured him as he had nine birdies on his score card. Mickelson also made two early bogeys but
instantly recovered from his drop shots.
Going in the back nine, he made four consecutive birdies and was not worried by his lost strokes. There was a huge gallery around the final group in which he was playing. All the spectators were thoroughly entertained by Mickelson, as he truly played like
a champion.
Mickelson now holds the number three spot in the official world golf rankings. His compatriot, Tiger Woods dropped down to the number seven spot in the rankings.
After the win, Phil said, "It feels really good for me to have played well and gained some momentum heading into next week. I needed to have a week where I kind of put it together."
Mickelson had a four day total score of twenty-under par, 268. His nearest competitors were Scott Verplank and Chris Kirk. The later entered this tournament as a rookie. He finished tied for the second spot and carded a final day score of five-under par,
67. There were six birdies and a single bogey marked on his card. He had to drop a shot at the par-3, ninth where he completely missed the green. The young man finished the tournament with an aggregate score of seventeen-under par, 271.
Verplank, who was playing alongside Mickelson in the final round, looked a bit under pressure. He made two bogeys in his closing four holes. There were a total of six birdies on his score card. Verplank ended the tournament on a high note with a score of
seventeen-under par, 271.
The left-handed Mickelson is now very confident ahead of the Masters clash. He will be defending his title and is hoping to give a repeat performance at Augusta. This was his 39th win playing on the PGA Tour.
Veteran Steve Stricker and Australian Aaron Baddeley shared the fourth spot as the championship concluded. They had a four day score of thirteen-under par, 275 and were seven shots behind the champion.
Stricker had a moderate final round of three-under par, 69. His score card had five birdies and two bogeys. He was happy to have finished among the top-five on the leader board before the Masters.
The victory was a confidence booster for Mickelson. This win came after a margin of almost one year for him and Mickelson was emotional as he lifted the trophy. He picked up the winner’s cheque of US$ 1.04 million and also earned 500 FedEx Cup points.
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