Hunter Mahan Gets the Chip Off His Shoulder

When the #1 player in world, Luke Donald, got upset in the first round of WGC-Accenture Match Play, all eyes went to the two players who could take over the top spot. Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood were those two players. They immediately became the tournament favorites. As expected, the two met in the semifinals. McIlroy beat his rival to earn the spot in the final. The experts had McIlroy as a lock to win, but Hunter Mahan wanted to have a say about that.

Mahan has been infamously known by his botched chip shot on the 17th hole at the 2010 Ryder Cup. He had won other tournaments, but none of it seemed to matter to him. He could be seen publicly breaking down and crying. Mahan finally came to realize that golf meant too much to him. In regards to this, he said, "I didn't want to have my identity stuck with my golf score. They needed to be separated, and I needed to play golf because I enjoyed it and accept the result and move on and not get attached to it."

Mahan had already become one of the best drivers in the sport, but he had long ignored his weakness, chipping. He and his coach Sean Foley set out to change that. It was not an easy project, and it is still a work in progress, but he has improved greatly and is building confidence. He brought that confidence with him to the WGC-Accenture Match Play. He quickly reminded folks that Rory McIlroy isn't the only young budding star when he beat McIlroy in the final. McIlroy is still considered to be the next Tiger Woods of golf. He moved closer to taking over the #1 world ranking, despite finishing second. However, remember the name Hunter Mahan. He is improving his game daily and gaining confidence with every chip shot he takes.