Hunter Mahan Wins The Barclays
by Maura Hutchinson
Three straight bogeys over the final holes helped secure the 32-year-old his spot at the top, over hot competition from Jason Day and Cameron Tringale. With an incredible 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th Mahan gave himself enough of a lead to bogey the final hole and still win by 2-strokes.
“I was thinking, ‘That was harder than it needed to be,’ ” said the Ping player regarding his performance on the 18th. But any stress soon disappeared as Mahan realised he was the victor and then promptly spotted two unexpected spectators – his wife, Kandi and 1-year-old daughter, Zoe.
“I wasn’t planning to see them until tomorrow,” Mahan said on Sunday. “To see them right now and to win is a special feeling.”
The surprises didn’t end there as shortly after being awarded his crystal chalice Mahan managed to break the trophy in two while posing with a fan.
With his win on Sunday, Mahan captured his 6th career victory and moved to number one in the FedEx Cup standings. Making him a definite contender for one of Tom Watson’s captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup next month.