Hunter Mahan came from 4 strokes back to claim the Phoenix Open

Hunter Mahan made the cut by just one shot on Friday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, then put together two bogey-free 6-under par 65s over the weekend to capture his second PGA TOUR career title. He finished at 16-under, beating Rickie Fowler by one stroke, in a 1-2 finish for former Oklahoma State players.

The 27-year-old Mahan made an eagle and two birdies in a late four-hole span to edge Fowler for his second Tour victory - the first one had come at The Travelers Championship in 2007. He became the eighth U.S.-born player still in his 20s to win more than one tournament.

Fowler, the most impressive rookie on Tour, had a final-round 68 for the second runner-up finish of his young career, both of them in Arizona. In his second TOUR event last Oct. 25, he lost in a three-way playoff to Troy Matteson in the Frys.com Open just down the road at the Grayhawk Golf Club.

“It’s always a little better to lose to a Cowboy,” Fowler said.

Mahan has been one of the most successful golfers not to win a tournament the last two years. He played on the 2008 Ryder Cup team and had six top-10s in 2009, including a runner-up finish at the AT&T National.

“It’s just finding a way to win. I just haven’t been able to do it,” said Mahan. “so obviously it feels great to get off the year on my fifth tournament to win. 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.”

That’s the beauty of Golf betting, Mahan, who was nowhere on Friday evening, defied the odds with two consecutive brilliant rounds on Saturday and Sunday and took the title. Going down the stretch, it was a three way battle between Mahan, Fowler and Y.E. Yang.

South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, who won the PGA Championship last year in a memorable duel with Tiger Woods to become the first Asian player to win a major, eagled the 10th, then put on a string of four birdies from 12 to 15 to take the lead at 15-under.He dropped a shot at the 17, though, when his second shot bounced into the water and his 25-foot par putt stopped an inch short of the cup. He finished third alone at -14.

Meanwhile Mahan eagled the par-5 13th and birdied the 14th to move one stroke ahead of Yang at 15 under.

Then, at the famous par-3 16th surrounded by bleachers filled with rowdy fans, Mahan produced the tournament clincher: his tee shot caught the edge of the green and he made the 14 ½ -foot putt for birdie to get to 16 under.

Fowler decided to lay up at the par-5 15th, leaving him with a par, and went on to miss birdie putts of 14, 17 and 30 feet on the last three holes, failing to catch Mahan only one shot ahead.

Mathew Goggin, Chris Couch and Charles Howell lll shared fourth at 13 under.

50-year-old Fred Couples, who won his first Champions Tour title two weeks ago, had a good tournament at TPC Scottsdale, finishing T14 at -10.

Mahan earned $1,080 million and 500 FeDex Cup points for his victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

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Hunter Mahan came from 4 strokes back to claim the Phoenix Open

Hunter Mahan came from 4 strokes back to claim the Phoenix Open

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