 |
| Hunter Mahan |
Hunter Mahan, coming off a February Win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, had built momentum going into The Masters
Currently in 13th place in the FedEx Cup Standings, Mahan has put himself in a position to make a run towards the FedEx Cup Championship if he continues his strong play throughout the season.
Lets get to know Hunter Mahan.
The Bio
Hunter Mahan, born May 17, 1982, was an excellent golfer at a very early age. While developing his game and looking up to players such as Ernie Els and David Duval, Mahan won the 1999 Division 5A Texas High School Championship in 1999 while enrolled at McKinney High.
Mahan took his strong game to college where he attended USC. He was an instant success and was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and 2nd Team All-American. After transferring to Oklahoma State, Mahan finished 3rd in the NCAA National Championships in 2002 during his junior season.
Mahan's game had come full circle, and as an amatuer in 2003, he entered The Masters for the first time, where he finished tied for 28th. Because of his strong performance Mahan skipped his 4th year of school, turned pro, and earned his tour card in 2004.
The Game
 |
| Mahan wins the Traverlers |
Mahan is currently ranked 17th in the PGA Tour World Golf Rankings and has steadily been climbing the charts since he became pro.
Mahan is not known for being a bomber off the tee box, but manages to hit it straight consistently, ranking 14th in driving accuracy on the tour. Mahan is also ranked 9th on the tour in greens hit in regulation and 5th overall in his peformance on Par 3 holes.
The short game is something that Mahan has been focused on. After being asked what his biggest weakness is recently on his website mahangolf.com, Mahan acknowledged his short game is something he has worked hard at, and it shows:
"It's definitely been my short game: chipping and putting. I'm a streaky putter. I've really been working hard on that part of my game for last year or so. Now I actually feel pretty comfortable on the golf course. What's been difficult is taking some of the changes I've made in practice to tournament golf. I think not having a bogey over the last 36 holes at Phoenix is a sign that my short game is coming around."The fact that Mahan is not big out of the tee box is refreshing, as he relies on an all-around game to keep him near the top of the money list. Thus far in 2010, Mahan has earned $1.74 million, good for 11th on the tour.
The Success
Mahan's first of his two victories on the PGA Tour came in 2007 at the Travelers Championship. Mahan has made the cut in 65% of the tournaments he has entered and has finished in the Top 25 on 65 occasions and in the Top 10 26 different times. His ball-striking ability and improved short game will sure lead to much of the same success in the future.
 |
| 2008 Ryder Cup |
In 2008, Mahan was selected to the U.S. Ryder Cup Team. He was an integral part in the U.S. team's victory over the Europeans, leading the team by tallying 3.5 points and was the only player besides Phil Mickelson to play in all 5 rounds of the tournament.
Making the 2010 Ryder Cup team is of much importance to Mahan:
"Obviously, my top goal is to make the Ryder Cup team. I think that's everybody's goal. I also like my chances to do well at the majors because I think my game is suited well to courses where you have to keep the ball in play."Currently positioned in 5th place in the Ryder Cup points standings, Mahan looks like he will be in a spot to help the U.S. team defend the cup.
In The Bag
Driver: PING Rapture V2
Irons: PING S57
Putter: PING iWi D66, G2i Anser
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
The Player
Mahan is young and only getting better. On pace for his highest earning season in his young career and with a focus on improving a game already known for ball-striking and consistency, Mahan looks to be a challenger and could creep into the top 10 of the PGA rankings by the end of the season.
For more on Hunter Mahan, check out this video from his website at mahangolf.com. Mahan was recently featured in GolfWorld Magazine and here is clip on the report.
http://www.pga.com/
http://www.mahangolf.com/
http://www.cbssports.com/
http://www.majorschampionships.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment