Mahan victory shares spotlight

Hunter Mahan quieted critics who were beginning to call him an underachiever with his come-from-behind victory yesterday in the Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course. In what boiled down to a shootout between two former Oklahoma State players, Mahan made clutch par putts on the 17th and 18th holes to hold on for a one-shot victory over Rickie Fowler.

Mahan, 27, had an eagle and two birdies in a four-hole span of the back nine to finish at 16-under 268 and post his first victory since winning the 2007 Travelers Championship. By overcoming a four-shot deficit entering the final round, he became just the eighth U.S.-born player still in his 20s to win more than one tournament. It was a gutsy performance and on an entertainment scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would throw it 4 1/2 dog biscuits.

While Mahan has played well the past two years, many golf insiders were expecting him to win more often. He played on the 2008 Ryder Cup team and had six top-10s in 2009, but his stock appeared to be falling because of his inability to prove his first victory wasn't a fluke.

Maybe that's why he sounded so relieved to have won.

"It's just finding a way to win. I just haven't been able to do it," Mahan said. "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."

When you post back-to-back, bogey-free 65s in the closing rounds of a victory you would expect it to earn you all of the spotlight, but that wasn't the case. Much of the talk after Mahan's victory was about Fowler and his decision to lay up on the par 5 15th hole while trailing by a shot.

It was a surprising move for a PGA Tour rookie heralded for his aggressive play. When the strategy backfired and he only managed a par the broadcasting team of Rich Lerner and Brandel Chamblee immediately second-quessed him. In didn't help that Fowler's playing partners -- Camilo Villegas and Mark Calcavecchia -- went for the green in two and they were farther back than Fowler. But then they weren't in contention and Fowler was going for his first professional victory in only nine PGA Tour starts.

"I was a little farther out than I would have liked to have been to go for it," Fowler said. "Obviously if I was a couple back in that position and feeling that I needed to make a few birdies coming in, I would have gone for it. But being that I was at the time, I think, just one back, putting a wedge in my hand from 80 yards, a lot of times I do make birdie there.

"I played 16 well all week. I had a look at birdie there. With 17 being a short hole, there's a birdie chance. So I felt that instead of bringing trouble into play, in a way which a lot of times I don't play, I took the safe route, easy lay up, and like I said, I had an easy wedge shot with soft greens. I just hit it a little soft."

The debate will rage on whether the player pulling the trigger was right or the know-it-alls in the booth were correct. All Oldgolfdawg knows is that he enjoys watching Fowler play. The 21-year-old probably knew he would be second-quessed for laying up on No. 15 and he did it anyway. He was fearless in following his own heart. There's no question he could have reached the green with his second shot. He finished sixth in driving in the tournament with an average of 308.4 yards. He finished tied for fifth in greens in regulation.

Fowler, who makes violent lashes at the ball like a modern-day Arnold Palmer or Lanny Wadkins, appears to have all the tools to become a major force in the game. But his putting will have to improve. The television stats indicated he made one putt out of 27 from beyond 20 feet and he still managed to finish second. Just think what he could do if the flat stick ever comes around. It should be fun to watch his progress.