Shell Houston Open Notes 2013

Dates: March 25–31, 2013

Where: Redstone Golf Club (Tournament Course)

Par/Yards: 36-36—72/7,457 yards

Field: 156 2012 champion: Hunter Mahan

Purse: $6,200,000 ($1,116,000 to the winner)

FedExCup: 500 points to the winner

Format: 72-hole stroke play

Website: shellhoustonopen.com

Facebook: facebook.com/TheShellHoustonOpen

Twitter: @shellhouopen

A look at the 2012 Shell Houston Open

Hunter Mahan carded a final-round, 1-under 71 to wipe out a two-stroke deficit to third-round leader Louis Oosthuizen, good for a one-stroke victory over Carl Pettersson. With the victory, his fifth on the PGA TOUR, Mahan took over the top spot in the FedExCup standings. The win made Mahan the season’s first multiple winner (World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship). .

More on Hunter Mahan

Hunter Mahan finished 19th in the 2012 FedExCup standings and is one of three players to qualify for all six TOUR Championships in the era of the FedExCup (2007-)

Mahan finished second to Matt Kuchar in his bid to successfully defend his title at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Mahan is currently ninth in the FedExCup standings with two top-10 finishes (T8 – Northern Trust Open and 2 – Accenture Match Play Championship).

Should Mahan successfully defend his title at the Shell Houston Open, he would join Vijay Singh as players to do so (2004 and 2005).

Mahan will be making his 10th start in this year’s Shell Houston Open. In addition to his win, he has collected three top-10 finishes in the event; T8/2011, T6/2009 and T5/2007.

A look at the field

Six of the top 10 in the current FedExCup standings: 1 Brandt Snedeker 4 Phil Mickelson 5 Steve Stricker 7 Russell Henley 8 Charles Howell III 9 Hunter Mahan

Five of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking:

• 1 Rory McIlroy
• 4 Brandt Snedeker
• 6 Louis Oosthuizen
• 8 Steve Stricker
• 10 Phil Mickelson

Six winners in 2013:

• Dustin Johnson (Hyundai Tournament of Champions)
• Russell Henley (Sony Open in Hawaii)
• Phil Mickelson (Waste Management Phoenix Open)
• Brandt Snedeker (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am)
• Michael Thompson (The Honda Classic)
• Scott Brown (Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com)

Notable rookies:

Russell Henley – Won in his first career start as a PGA TOUR member at the Sony Open in Hawaii, the first player to do so since Garrett Willis at the 2001 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open.

James Hahn—Finished top five at the Humana Challenge (T4) and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (T3) and sits third among rookies in FedExCup points (32nd).

Luke Guthrie – Posted best career finish (3rd) at The Honda Classic earlier this month and sits 25th in FedExCup standings, second among rookie class behind Russell Henley (7th).

Notable sponsor exemptions:

Branden Grace – Ranked No. 29 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Grace is a four-time winner on the European Tour.

George Goetzee – 26-year-old South African finished 21st on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in 2012 and sits inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking (42nd). He was also the third-round co-leader of the Tampa Bay Championship two weeks ago, before settling for T17.

Mark O’Meara, a 16-time winner on the PGA TOUR, will make his first start at the Shell Houston Open since 1994. This marks the Houston resident’s eighth start in the event, with his best finish being a T6 in 1984. At the age of 56, O’Meara will return to Augusta National, where he won the Master in 1998.

Players in the field with seven or more PGA TOUR wins (8):

Phil Mickelson (41)

Vijay Singh (34)

Mark O’Meara (16)

Steve Stricker (12)

Justin Leonard (12)

Stuart Appleby (9)

Mike Weir (8)

Retief Goosen (7).

Past champions in the field (7):

Hunter Mahan (2012)

Phil Mickelson (2011)

Paul Casey (2009)

Johnson Wagner (2008)

Stuart AAppleby (1999, 2006)

Vijay Singh (2002, 2004-2005)

Robert Allenby (2000).

Shell Houston Open notes

This week’s Shell Houston Open winner receives, if not previously eligible, the second-to-last invitation to the Masters Tournament.

The Shell Houston Open has had 21 playoffs—more than any event on TOUR other than the U.S. Open (32). Two of the past four champions have been decided by extra holes (Paul Casey/2009, Anthony Kim/2010).

Two of the past five winners of the Shell Houston Open won their first TOUR title at Redstone (Johnson Wagner/2008, Paul Casey/2009).

Miscellaneous

PGA TOUR Wives Association’s 25th anniversary

Last month, the PGA TOUR Wives Association celebrated its 25th anniversary with the launch of a commemorative book entitled “Beyond the Fairways and Greens; A Look Inside the Lives of PGA TOUR Families.” The 384-page, hardbound book offers readers a rare glimpse into the lives of TOUR families, through the telling of stories and inclusion of pictures. The book also features 134 treasured recipes submitted by the families of generations of golfers, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, and Rickie Fowler.
The book retails for $50 (email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)), with all net proceeds benefiting PTWA-designated charities. Players and wives associated with the book will be available for interviews all week at the Shell Houston Open

Source: PGA TOUR