Mahan beats terrible Tiger by 30 strokes

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/08/2010 (5836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AKRON, Ohio — Hunter Mahan is doing things he never imagined possible, on and off the golf course.

He thought it was "crazy talk" when friends told him he would know immediately when he fell in love, until he met former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Kandi Harris in December and proposed to her in June.

How about beating Tiger Woods by 30 shots at Firestone?

"I never, ever thought that would be possible," Mahan said Sunday, stifling a laugh at the absurdity of it all. "It never crossed my mind. It’s definitely different."

Some six hours after Woods finished off the worst tournament of his career, Mahan looked better than ever in the Bridgestone Invitational. He ran off five birdies on the front nine to make up a four-shot deficit, delivered three clutch pars down the stretch to protect his lead and closed with a 6-under 64 for a two-shot victory over Ryan Palmer that brought plenty of perks.

Mahan earned US$1.4 million to lock up a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, one of his primary goals this year.

He won his first World Golf Championship title and moved to No. 12 in the world ranking, a big step toward joining the elite in golf. And he won for the second time this year, becoming the fifth player this year with multiple victories on the PGA Tour.

"The last couple of weeks, the game has been good," said Mahan, who won the Phoenix Open in February by shooting 65 in the final round. "I knew it was there. I know I just had to keep going and keep trust it. This weekend, I definitely just kind of let everything go and just had some fun."

It was anything but that for Woods.

He had won seven times in his last nine starts at Firestone. He had not shot over par since 2006. But in a week that showed just how lost he is amid a personal life in chaos, Woods shot 77 on Sunday to finish at 18-over 298. It was his highest score on the PGA Tour as a professional or an amateur. He tied for 78th in the 80-man field, his worst finish ever.

He wasn’t even sure if he was worthy for the Ryder Cup.

"No one would help the team if they’re shooting 18-over par," Woods said before flying up to Whistling Straits to sneak in a practice round for the PGA Championship next week.

Bright’s Grove, Ont., native Mike Weir fired a 72 to finish tied for 55th.

Phil Mickelson looked just as bad Sunday. With his best chance ever to replace Woods at No. 1 in the world — Mickelson was tied for 10th and needed to finish alone in fourth — the Masters champion sprayed shots all over Firestone on his way to a 78.

It was the first time since the 1998 British Open that Woods and Mickelson both shot 77 or higher in the same round.

"It was a rough day, if you couldn’t tell," he said.

For Mahan, it was mostly smooth sailing.

His 64 was the lowest final round by a winner since the Bridgestone Invitational became a WGC event in 1999.

"This is one of the bigger tournaments we play all year," Mahan said. "And it’s definitely the best win of my career."

The 28-year-old still managed to make it interesting, especially on the par-5 16th, which always seems to factor in this tournament. It’s where Woods has delivered so many pivotal shots over the years, where Padraig Harrington took an 8 in the final round last year.

Mahan was in the fairway, 227 yards away on a hole that had been shortened to 602 yards for the final round. He figured the only place he couldn’t miss was short — in the pond.

"I did not count on hitting it right and long, and into a flower bush," he said.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

That’s where he went, over the bleachers, over everything, and into a flower bed. Because it was deemed to be part of the cement cart path complex, he was given a free drop in the walkway to the 17th tee. He played it safe, chipping through the green and into the fairway, then putted to three feet to save par.

Before that, he holed a 15-foot par on the 15th.

— The Associated Press