Mickelson Masters Shell Houston Open

Scott Verplank congratulates Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson feels pretty confident about his game heading into the Masters after the defending champion at Augusta beat Scott Verplank on Sunday to win the Shell Houston Open by three shots, his first victory since earning his third green jacket last April.

The win moved Mickelson's world ranking to No. 3, while Tiger Woods dropped to No. 7. 

It's the first time Mickelson has been ahead of Woods in the ranking since the week before Woods won the 1997 Masters for his first major championship.

"It feels really good for me to have played well and gained some momentum heading into next week," Mickelson said. "I needed to have a week where I kind of put it together."

The 40-year-old Mickelson shot a 7-under 65, the lowest closing score by a winner this year, to finish at 20 under.

He was 16 under over his final 36 holes, after tying the course record with a 63 on Saturday, his lowest round in two years. He won for the fifth straight time when he's shot 64 or better in at least one of the rounds.

"I've been saying all year, 'I'm playing well, but I'm not getting the scores out of it, and I'm just kind of having a lapse of focus,'" he said. "It was a great week in that regard, and great for getting momentum heading in next week."

Tour rookie and second-round leader Chris Kirk (67) tied Verplank (68) at 17 under.

Lefty is hoping he can repeat some history at Augusta this week as the 39-time tour winner is the last player to win the week prior to a Masters victory, capturing the BellSouth Classic in 2006 before earning his second green jacket. The Shell Houston Open became the run-up event to Augusta in 2007.

While many top players, including Woods and world No. 1 Martin Kaymer sat out this week, Mickelson saw no disadvantage in coming here and trying to win. Anthony Kim won last year and finished third at the Masters.

"I think it's nothing but a plus to be able to gain some momentum," Mickelson said. "Especially given that I haven't had the results and the scores that I wanted earlier in the year. It gives me a little bit of momentum."

Verplank, meanwhile, needed a victory just to get to Augusta. The 46-year-old Verplank, with his sore left wrist wrapped in black tape, would've become the fifth-oldest champion in the last five years.

His wrist is weakened by a degenerative bone condition, and it affected his grip Sunday. He was making only his fourth start this year.

"It's nice that I hadn't forgotten how to play," he said. "If you're hurt, you don't have a ton of confidence in your body. It's hard to have confidence in anything."

Verplank earned $519,200 for finishing second, and moved into 14th on the career money list ($26.741 million), passing Retief Goosen and Stuart Appleby. He plans to play the Valero Texas Open in two weeks and at Hilton Head in three.

"That would be ideal," he said, "but I mean, this is the first time I've played two weeks in a row. I hope that I can be ready to play in another week."

By the time Mickelson and Verplank teed off Sunday, the wind was blowing as hard as it had all weekend.

Mickelson ignited a roar from the huge gallery on No. 1, chipping in from behind the green for birdie. He hit errant drives on Nos. 2 and 3, then birdied the par-3 seventh to start his charge.

Verplank kept pace for a while, with birdies on Nos. 8, 10, 12 and 13.

"I was birdieing every other hole," Verplank said, "and I couldn't pull away from the guy."

Lefty tried to use his length advantage over Verplank on the 319-yard 12th, driving onto the front of the green, 66 feet away. He two-putted from there for his fourth straight birdie and his 16th in 30 holes.

They both birdied the par-5 13th, but Verplank three-putted on No. 14, leaving Mickelson alone at the top. Mickelson three-putted the par-5 15th, but then widened the gap for good on the 16th green.

"All in all," Mickelson said, "this was one of the best weeks I've had in a long time, as far as seeing the shot and being able to hit it."

The victory came with an emotional tug for Mickelson. Dr. Tom Buchholz, a radiation oncologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, has been treating Mickelson's wife, Amy, and mother, Mary, who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

Buchholz and about 30 members of his staff were in the gallery all weekend, and Mickelson gave Buchholz the flag from the 18th hole after his round.

"Houston has become a special place for Phil and Amy," Buchholz said. "They're two fantastic individuals, and it's truly been a privilege to have become part of their lives. Tremendously meaningful to me, to be part of this story."

Mickelson said Amy and his mother "are doing so much better. We're in a much better place."

And with that, he turned his focus toward Augusta.

"I've got a big event next week and it's time," he said. "As much as I loved winning here and I'll look back on this in seven, eight days, this being a very special day. Right now, you know, I've got some work to do."

Shell Houston Open Leader board

Phil Fires 63 in Shell Houston Open

Phil Mickelson on Saturday 

Padraig Harrington made the turn at the Shell Houston Open run in 32 strokes to set the pace at five under by the time he reached the 15th, only to conceded three consecutive bogeys on the last three holes at Redstone to card a third round 70.

The Dubliner heads into Sunday's final round on 9 under and four strokes off the joint leaders, Phil Mickelson and Scott Verplank.  

Mickelson shot his lowest round in two years on Saturday, tying the course record with a 9-under 63 to share the lead with Scott Verplank after three rounds at the Shell Houston Open.

Verplank shot his second straight 65 to catch Mickelson at 13-under par.

Aaron Baddeley (66) and second-round leader Chris Kirk (69) were one stroke back, and defending champion Anthony Kim and David Hearn (66) were two behind.

Mickelson, the defending champion at next week's Masters, equaled the record score set by Johnson Wagner and Adam Scott in 2008 and matched by Jimmy Walker on Thursday. It was Lefty's best score since a 62 in the third round at the 2009 Northern Trust Open, which he won.

"To get a good round like this means a lot," Mickelson said. "Also, to have the challenge to be in contention, to be in the final group, have an opportunity to win, I really enjoy that opportunity. I think it's good for me to be in that position heading into next week, too."

Mickelson has won the last four events during which had a round of 64 or better, dating to the 2006 BellSouth Classic. That year, he earned his second green jacket the following week and is the last player to win the event before Augusta and the Masters in the same year.

The Shell Houston Open became the run-up tournament to the Masters in 2007, and Mickelson is here for the fourth straight year. He practiced at Augusta earlier this week, and only arrived in Houston on Wednesday, bypassing the chance to play warmup rounds at Redstone.

He said winning the week before the '06 Masters gave him a valuable boost, and he sees no disadvantage in trying to duplicate that feat.

"People have talked about winning the week before a major as not necessarily the greatest thing, because it takes away energy, or what have you," Mickelson said. "I felt like in '06, it was really a benefit to gain the momentum and confidence of winning a golf tournament right before, especially the Masters."

Organizers have tried to groom the Redstone course to simulate the conditions players will see next week, and Mickelson said that creates a smooth transition to Augusta.

But Mickelson is more concerned this weekend with improving his shot visualization than practicing shots he'll see at the Masters. He had shot only four sub-70 rounds in his previous four events.

"What I'm working on is what I did best today, which was really seeing the shot and executing and holding that picture throughout the swing," Mickelson said. "I probably did that better today than I have in a long time."

Mickelson switched between two drivers -- with different lengths and lofts -- on the practice range before his round. He's leaning toward having both in his bag at Augusta next week.

"There's a good chance I'll have that," Mickelson said.

Mickelson birdied three of his first four holes on Saturday, under cloudy skies with virtually no wind.

Paired with Lee Westwood, he lost his tee shot left on No. 6, a dogleg left. Mickelson took a drop out of a native area, but then saved par by holing a 50-yard pitch from behind the green.

When the ball disappeared, Westwood's caddie, Billy Foster, kneeled and bowed to Mickelson in joking homage as the huge gallery exploded into a loud roar.

"It could've really been bad," Mickelson said. "I'm just fighting not to have it be a double (bogey), and be a momentum killer. When that chip went in, it really propelled me to play the last 12 holes good."

Mickelson birdied the par-5 8th, then sank a 22-footer on the par-3 9th to reach 9 under. He dropped his 100-yard approach to No. 10 within 9 feet and made that putt, completing a stretch of eight birdies in 16 holes spanning the second and third rounds.

"A fun round," Mickelson said. "I got off to a good start, birdied the first hole and was able to kind of maintain the momentum."

Verplank is making only his fourth start of the year as he continues to cope with a sore left wrist, the result of a degenerative condition. He's somehow still managed to hit 34 of 42 fairways this week and is tied with Baddeley for second among the field in total putts (80).

"The pain obviously bothers everybody in different ways," he said, "but the thing that's bothered me with my golf has been the loss of stability."

Mickelson or Verplank, both over 40, could buck two trends on TOUR. A player in his 20s has won each of the last three weeks, and three events this year have had first-time winners.

Harrington Enjoys Masters Houston Setup

Chris Kirk

Padraig Harrington made up for three consecutive birdies from the second hole with an eagle three on the par five 8th hole to make the turn in one over par and then carded five birdies on the homeward leg to end Friday with a 69 - sharing fourth place -  within two shots of the lead.  

PGA TOUR rookie Chris Kirk shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Anthony Kim and 2008 winner Johnson Wagner after two rounds at Redstone.

Kirk was 9-under par, and played his last few holes just as the wind picked up in the afternoon and made scoring more difficult.

Kim and Wagner took advantage of the calm morning conditions and used their background at the course to move into contention. Kim shot a 64, the lowest round of the day, and Wagner had a 67.

"I've got very good feelings as soon as I step on the property here," Wagner said.

Harrington, first-round leader Jimmy Walker and Josh Teater were two shots back at 7 under.

Organisers groomed the Tournament Course at Redstone to simulate conditions that players will see at the Masters next week, and the set-up lured many of the world's top players to Houston.

Phil Mickelson (70) and Lee Westwood (72) were part of a large group at 4 under and Ernie Els (72) and Fred Couples (72) were among the players at 1 under.

Kim is trying to become the first back-to-back winner of the event since Vijay Singh won in 2004 and '05, the last two years it was played at the adjacent members' course.

The Tournament Course became the host in 2006, and Kim has enjoyed almost every visit.

Before he turned pro, Kim was the only player to break par in winning a collegiate event here in 2006. He tied for fifth in the Shell Houston Open as a TOUR rookie in 2007 and shot three sub-70 rounds last year to earn his third career victory.

"It helps, knowing I played well before, knowing I made a couple putts when it mattered," he said. "Some shots I had are similar, some putts I had are very similar, so I try to remember those things, and play off that."

Kim's 64 was four strokes better than his lowest round when he won last year.

Starting on the back nine, Kim made six birdies in his first 10 holes, including chip-ins on Nos. 12 and 16. He needed only 22 putts to equal his lowest round since January.

Kim said before the tournament that his swing needed major retooling and that he spent several days working with coach Adam Schreiber on changes. Kim's gratified that the work is already producing results.

"It feels great to have that feeling of confidence and go out there, make some good golf swings and make a couple of putts after that," Kim said.

Wagner feels a more emotional connection to Redstone, after earning his first TOUR victory here three years ago. He needs to win this week to qualify for the Masters, but says next week's major has hardly crossed his mind.

A Charlotte resident, Wagner ranks the tournament at Quail Hollow near his home and the Houston event as important as any he plays all year.

"There are a few regular TOUR events that I treat as a major," he said. "Houston and Charlotte will always be my two favorite events that we play."

Kirk has some background at Redstone, too. He played for Georgia and competed in the same collegiate event that Kim won in 2006.

"I think he likes this course," Kirk said. "I shot a bunch of 74s, or so, nothing very memorable."

Kirk, second on the Nationwide Tour money list last year, birdied two of his last three holes to take the outright lead and make up for a double bogey on the par-5 4th.

"I made one bad swing off the tee, and it wasn't even really that bad," Kirk said. "One of those things. No matter how good you're playing, that kind of stuff happens sometimes."

"I just fell asleep there," said Harrington, sporting a beard this weekend because he forgot to pack a razor. "I really kind of battened down the hatches for the last couple of holes, trying to not make too many mistakes after I lost my way."

The average score for the players who started in the morning (71.46) was more than two shots better than the average for the players who teed off later in the day (73.78).

"As that wind picked up, the ground got really firm," Kirk said. "You had to be a little more careful, really think your way around."

Former President George H.W. Bush watched the early rounds from a golf cart and greeted Mickelson and Couples as they walked off greens. Bush regularly attends major sporting events in Houston, where he lives.

Lee Westwood Cruises to Shell 68

Lee Westwood

Looking for someone on cruise control? Check out world No. 2 Lee Westwood.

How does 68 with a tee shot into the water at the fifth and two more bogeys grab you? Or seven birdies?

"It felt like seven birdies," he said, "Without holing a putt.”

He followed the errant tee shot at the fifth with a birdie, another bogey, then, "I got it going.” As in birdies on five of the next eight holes.

He hit it to four feet at the ninth, stiff at the 11th, to 5 feet at 12, seven feet at the 13th for the best run of the day. Then he hit maybe his best shot of the year at the 18th – 212 yards out in a fairway bunker to 6 ½ feet for birdie.

"It was one of the best shots of the year, so far," he said. "It was pretty good stuff all day. The 68 was the worst I could have shot."

And, no, the birdie at six wasn’t really a catalyst. "It was just being confident, calm and calculated," Westwood said. "This is the time of year when you just have to stand back and let it happen. You can’t force it. Especially here and next week. Both weeks are weeks for patience."

Harrington Open with 68 in Houston

Jimmy Walker

Padraig Harrington opened in Humble, Texas, with a four under par round of 68, carding a total of five birdies either side of the turn, to finish Thursday in a large group of chasing players on 4 under, dropping just one shot at the par four eleventh hole.

Five strikes ahead Jimmy Walker tied the course record with a 9-under 63 to take a two-shot lead over Josh Teater and Nick O'Hern. He needed only 23 putts, the fewest of any player on the first day, to make up for several erratic tee shots.

"I'm not going to say like, 'Oh, every time I hit the green, this one is going in,'" Walker said. "I just kept stroking it. I felt like I kind of got back to feeling that stroke that I was using earlier in the year, when I was putting so good and playing so good."

Walker hit only 5 of 14 fairways, ranking 136th out of the 142 players who started on a warm, placid day at Redstone. He matched the scoring record set by Johnson Wagner and Adam Scott in the first round of the 2008 tournament. Wagner went on to win that year.

Walker started on the back nine and quickly realized that he had the touch, sinking 17-foot birdie putts on Nos. 14 and 16. He holed two 15-footers on Nos. 4 and 6 to reach 8-under par, then knocked in an 8-footer on the par-5 8th.

The San Antonio resident changed putters at the start of the season, and he's made six cuts in eight starts and already has three top-10 finishes this year. His round Thursday matched the lowest of his career.

"When you putt well," Walker said, "it cures a lot of ills, for sure."

Chris Kirk was three back after a 66, and Steve Stricker, John Rollins, Nathan Green and Brendan Steele shot 67s and were four behind.

Tournament organizers lured many top players by grooming the course to simulate conditions at Augusta -- light rough, shaved mounds, fast greens and fairways mowed toward the tee. And most of the big names scored well, as they fine-tune their games for next week.

Lee Westwood was in the group of players on 4 under, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen were at 2 under and former Masters champions Angel Cabrera and Fred Couples were 1 under.

Mickelson was 3-over after seven holes, then appeared to crack his driver hitting his tee shot on the par-5 8th. But Mickelson said the club was only marked, not damaged, and he hit it well the rest of the day.

He made six birdies the rest of the way to match his third-lowest round in four starts at the Tournament Course at Redstone.

"The course has got to be the best manicured course I think we play on TOUR, outside of maybe Augusta," Mickelson said. "The greens, they're just pristine. If you get the ball tracking on the right line, you know it's in."

Stricker, ranked No. 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, said he's devoted to playing in Houston every year, no matter where it falls on the schedule, to return a favor from tournament director Steve Timms.

Stricker finished 162nd on the money list in 2005, and needed a sponsor's exemption from Timms to play in the Houston event the following year. He shot a 66 in the final round to finish third, the first of seven top-10s in 2006, and was later named the tour's comeback player of the year.

"This tournament means a lot to me," Stricker said. "The confidence level and my game have come a long way since '06, but this was a stepping stone. It gave me a lot of confidence, and I ran with it and I've been playing well ever since."

Calm conditions yielded low scores all day. A total of 32 players broke 70 and 87 players shot even-par (72) or better.

Like Walker, Teater and Rollins also need victories to earn invitations to Augusta next week. And as long as they're in town, they're both hoping to see their favorite college basketball teams take home a trophy, too.

Teater is a die-hard Kentucky fan and Rollins is the only VCU graduate on the PGA TOUR. Both have tickets to Saturday's Final Four games -- Butler-VCU and Connecticut-Kentucky -- at Reliant Stadium, about 25 miles from the course.

And both are hoping they have a tough decision to make on Monday -- fly to Augusta to get ready for the Masters or stay in Houston an extra day to see their team play for a national championship.

"I don't want to cross a bridge that I haven't gotten to," Teater said. "If it comes to that, I'll probably stay for the game. But Monday night, it would be nice to be there, celebrating with everybody else."

Teater wore a blue shirt and a white belt with a "UK" logo on his belt buckle during his round. He went to Morehead State in Kentucky, but grew up rooting for the Wildcats.

"I've been a fan since I could walk and talk," Teater said. "It goes back as far as I go back."

Rollins' connection to VCU is more personal. The Richmond native is a longtime friend of Athletic Director Norwood Teague and has built a friendship with Rams coach Shaka Smart, who's played in Rollins' charity golf event the past two years.

Rollins has missed three cuts in his last five starts, and says he's drawing inspiration from VCU's surprising run.

"This could be exactly what I needed for my golf game," Rollins said. "This could be something that I need to kind of get a little bit of a spark under me to get me going and just kind of maybe wake me up or whatever."

Putting Has O'Hern Scratching His head

Nick O'Hern

Every golfer in the world has been there, and it happened to Nick O’Hern last week. In Round 1 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he hit the ball great — but took 34 putts. He briefly considered filing for divorce from his trademark long putter, whom he’d been married to for 16 years.

O’Hern needed only 25 putts on Thursday. His 65 is likely to remain the lead against the afternoon groups currently out in force at Redstone.

"After last week on the greens, I thought maybe give the short putter a go. But I’m glad I didn’t," O’Hern said. "It’s natural for anyone to start tinkering if things aren’t going according to plan. I didn’t think I was putting badly, but nothing was going in, so that’s when you probably think maybe a change is on the cards. But as I say, it’s worked out pretty well."

O’Hern is trying to earn enough money to shake his Medical Extension status on TOUR, which he was forced to take after undergoing two knee surgeries after the 2010 PLAYERS.

"I had an ACL reconstruction on my right knee last year. I snapped it about 20 years ago," O’Hern said. "Just wear and tear it was time to get it fixed. I actually had my left knee done at the same time. So I have both knees operated on, went for the package deal and had them both done."

A healthy O’Hern is back to hitting fairways, which he knows he must do to compete on TOUR. He missed only two of them on Thursday.

"The big thing for me on this TOUR is driving the ball. I’m one of the shortest hitters, but I’m usually one of the most accurate," O’Hern said. "I haven’t been accurate at all of late. My game revolves round hitting fairways and therefore I can hit greens and hopefully make putts."

Mickelson's Thursday Drama in Houston

Phil Mickelson

An unusual situation developed in the middle of Phil Mickelson’s round: The world’s sixth-ranked player requested changing his driver during the middle of the round, arguing that it was damaged and unfit for use.

Mickelson’s request to use a backup driver was denied. PGA TOUR rules official Stephen Cox explained the ruling during the Golf Channel’s broadcast:

"Although you could see a blemish, it really needs to be some separation in the clubface," Cox said. "If the club was to deteriorate, we’d take another look at it."

Mickelson, who is 1 over after 10 holes, actually went back to the driver for his tee shot on the par-5 13th. His shot landed in the left rough.

Rule 4.3a of the Rules of Golf state (from USGA.COM):

If, during a stipulated round, a player’s club is damaged in the normal course of play, he may:

(i) use the club in its damaged state for the remainder of the stipulated round; or 

(ii) without unduly delaying play, repair it or have it repaired; or 

(iii) as an additional option available only if the club is unfit for play, replace the damaged club with any club. The replacement of a club must not unduly delay play and must not be made by borrowing any club selected for play by any other person playing on the course.

2012 Ryder Cup Captains Share Secrets?

Ryder Cup Captains Davis Love III (left) and Jose Olazabal talk during the first round on Thursday.

Stricker's Home Practice Green a Success

Steve Stricker at Shell Houston Open

Snow on the ground. Temperature hovering in the 30s. No golf courses open for miles. And miles. Maybe a couple of states worth.

So what’s a golfer to do? Steve Stricker built a putting green in his basement. Undulations built up on the cement slab. Green carpet that’s slick. Almost as slick as the greens here at the Shell Houston Open.

What does it run on the Stimpmeter? “It’s pretty fast,’’ he grinned.

Good enough to keep him pretty sharp, even if he’s got about a 20-foot limit on lengths.

"Actually, you know, my carpet [has] imperfections," he said. "It rolls perfect. These greens (at Redstone) are just like my carpet. I mean, they’re so good. The speed is pretty similar, too. Mine may be a touch slower, but it’s pretty quick and, you know, it’s just getting the feel … Out here I got to do some lag putting from 30, 40 feet just to get the feel."

Which explains why he flew in Sunday and spent most of Monday working on his chipping and putting. And, why he came into the week with few expectations.

It doesn’t explain, however, his opening 5-under-par 67 at the Shell Houston Open.

"It was a good start,’’ he said. “I mean the weather is perfect, perfect today, hardly any wind. You know, going out there after I’ve been here the last three days with some little bit windier conditions, you knew scoring was going to be better today, and it looks like it is and the course is in great shape.

"So, guys are going to make some putts and take advantage of these calm conditions today, and I was just fortunate enough to get off to a good start, hit the driver well and hit a lot of greens in regulation and gave myself some chances."

And, he dropped four birdie putts in a row – 12 through 16 – before dropping a shot coming in.

"Those are holes you really kind of need to take advantage of, too,’’ Stricker said. “Maybe not so much the par 3, what is that, 13 — no, 14, but you have a short iron in at 12, par 5, 13, and then another par 5 at 15. You know, you go into that stretch thinking you’re going to get some birdie opportunities, and, you know, I hit some good wedges in there and hit a good 4-iron at 14 to about 8 feet and made some good putts. They’re all in that 5-to-10-foot range. So that was a good stretch and kind of got me going."

Not that Stricker needs much urging here. He didn’t play here last year, but he had three top-11s in the previous four times he’s played here, including a third in 2006.

"Well, it’s hard to tell because I come from Wisconsin this time of year and I don’t really know where my game is at,’’ he said. “I come down here early. Got here Sunday night. I played a bunch of holes on Monday over on the tournament course, then over on the other course. So it’s kind of always a wait-and-see, no expectations for me when I come out of the cold weather, and this is no different.

"So I just try to do as best as I can, play hard, you know, see what I’ve got at the time, and today was pretty good. I drove the ball well which sets up a lot here, you can drive it well, and, you know, that’s half the battle and I gave myself some opportunities.’"

And, yes, like everyone else, he has an eye toward next week’s Masters.

"Yeah, very much so," he said. “I can even feel like you’re getting — I feel like I’m even on edge a little bit thinking about next week and a little uneasy. You’re trying to figure out where your game is at. You know, for me I’m kind of cramming, you know, trying to play this week, see where I’m at, you know, see what I need to work on, see what’s doing — see what I’m doing well, but you always have that in the back of your mind.

"It’s a good test here this week, too. There’s a lot of water. It makes you focus. The greens are quick like next week, so there’s some similarities there that help you prepare for next week as well.’"

Kind of like that basement putting green got him ready for this week.

Jose Maria Open Plays Houston Open

Jose Maria Olazabal

DOUG MILNE: We'd like to welcome Jose Maria Olazabal. Thanks for joining us for a few minutes here prior to the start of the 2011 Shell Houston Open. Why don't we just start off with kind of the obvious question of kind of give us, bring us up to speed on the state of your game and how you're feeling as you're about to start the week off here in Houston.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: The game is not always that sharp. I missed the cut last week. That doesn't say many good things about it. I'm obviously working on my game. I'm been, as you know, off for quite awhile. I'm trying to, you know, play a few events, try to regain, you know, feel, confidence on the golf course, and apart from that, I'm feeling fairly okay. I'm feeling much better than I was a few months back. So that's a positive sign, and all I'm trying to do, as I said, try to stay competitive and do the best I can.

DOUG MILNE: Health-wise you're in good condition?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, not a hundred percent. Still the right arm hurts a little bit, but the rest of the body is feeling better.

DOUG MILNE: Good. With that we'll go ahead and take a few questions.

Q. Is it a matter now of just getting in some tournaments and getting the feel back and things like that at this point?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, I think so, yeah. At this point it's more down to, you know, practice a little bit and play a few events, you know, to, again get the feel of competition, playing in tournament conditions which are completely different to what we practice on, obviously tougher conditions being in a tournament. Just get back to the playing rhythm of competition. I think that will help as well, first of all, to know where my game is and to improve from there.

Q. Is there anything specific, one area of the game that really needs more work than others?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I would say pretty much everything needs a little bit tuning up. Kind of really, you know, one day could be the driver, next day could be the putting. That's how it's been last three, four weeks. It's not one particular area that is really weak. I think overall it's everything is a little bit off.

DOUG MILNE: Okay.

Q. Have you played a practice round?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I played yesterday, I played 18 holes yesterday, and the golf course is in great shape, I have to say. Conditions are great. Obviously, usually the wind blows around here and looks like the weather is going to be warm from tomorrow on. And I think as I said, just, you know, congratulate the staff for having the golf course in such great shape. And there is no excuses that regard.

Q. A lot has been made to try to set it up with to simulate Augusta conditions.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: It's true. The greens are fast, they can be really firm. Last night we had a little bit of rain and that softened the course a little bit. I think by the weekend the golf course will be playing fast and hard. As I said, the greens are quick and they are similar to Augusta, which I think is a great idea to have players come here to -- I don't think saying this, don't get it wrong, to tune-up for next week. I think this tournament is important enough to try to do your best and win this event, but it's true that at the same time, it can be useful in that regard.

Q. With that being said, can you -- you can't really simulate the undulations and the roll that Augusta has, right?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No. The greens at Augusta are more severe than the ones we have here. Chipping around the area, all those runoffs, they're shaved. If you miss the green, you have to either bump and run it or those shots are very, very similar to the ones you can get at Augusta next week.

Goosen Hoping Houston Helps Masters

Retief Goosen

Two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen hopes that’ll do the trick this week at the Shell Houston Open. And, maybe at next week’s Masters, too.

Goosen added Houston — and the Valero Texas Open the week after the Masters — to his schedule this year to play his way to Augusta.

“I think that’s the main thing,’’ he said. “You know, I’ve always done well at Augusta playing the week before when we had the event at Atlanta, and since that was moved, I don’t really do that well at Augusta. So I feel playing here hopefully this week will give me the feeling you need to have going into Augusta.’’

What drew him in was the course setup — fast greens, shaved runoff areas – that emulates conditions players will see next week.

“A lot of the players said it’s as close as you can get it to Augusta settings or grass, I should say,’’ he said. “So that’s definitely — that definitely made me decide to play this year.’’

Goosen finished third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship earlier this year and shared 12th at the Northern Trust Open, but his game still needs work. So, he’s changing his grip and going back to the YES! putter he used to win both of his U.S. Opens.

“Hopefully,’’ he said, “get some good feelings on the greens this week.”

His other concern? Driving.

“The game is not great, not really done much this year,’’ Goosen said. “Couple of good events but not really playing that well. I got my coach here this week, so we’re working on a few things, a little bit of a grip change. I think this week, which is always a bit hard, you know, to get comfortable on, but changing my grip slightly this week and hopefully, you know, come tomorrow, start hitting a few good shots and give you some confidence going into next week.’’ 

Melanie Hauser

Begas at Home in Shell Houston Open

Jhonattan Vegas 

Jhonattan Vegas could barely speak English when he made his first appearance in a PGA Tour event, as an amateur at the 2003 Houston Open.

He was 18 then, and qualified less than a year after moving from his native Venezuela to Houston to fine-tune his game with Franci Betancourt, an instructor who had taught him as a boy.

Vegas missed the cut, but felt secure enough to make the city his adopted hometown. He's back at Redstone for the Houston Open this week, now a fast-rising tour rookie with a victory already under his belt.

The big-hitting Vegas is one of 33 players in the field who have already qualified for next week's Masters. But a win in Houston would have additional meaning to Vegas, a former University of Texas star who now lives only 20 minutes from the course.

"That first tour experience was this one here and since that time, it's great to be back," Vegas said. "I think just the whole state of Texas, I've been in a pretty 'home' feeling. When I'm here, I feel really comfortable. I like everyone around."

Vegas earned his invitation to Augusta when he won the Hope Classic in January in just his fifth career start on the tour.

"I knew that I could win here - I didn't know it was going to be that quick," he said. "You never know when things are going to happen. That's kind of what I do and just try as hard as I can every single time and hope for the best."

Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Fred Couples are also in the field, using the tournament to tune up for the season's first major. Anthony Kim is the defending champion.

Organizers have embraced the Houston Open's distinction as the run-up to the Masters, setting up the Tournament Course with conditions similar to those at Augusta. The fairways are wide and mowed toward the tees, the rough is light, the greenside mounds are shaved and the greens themselves are lightning-fast.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen is playing the course for the first time after hearing positive feedback about it.

"A lot of the players said it's as close as you can get it to the Augusta setting or grass," Goosen said. "That definitely made me decide to play this year."

The course can also boast one of the tour's toughest holes, the water-lined, 488-yard 18th. It ranked as the 20th most difficult hole on tour last year, with a 4.317-stroke average, and usually yields final-round drama.

In 2007, Adam Scott had a one-shot lead, but pulled his tee shot into the water. He took his drop, hit his approach safely away from the water, then holed a 48-foot par-saving putt to win.

In 2009, Paul Casey bogeyed the 18th on the final day to slip into a playoff with J.B. Holmes. The players returned to the 18th tee, Holmes found the water with his drive, and Casey won with a conservative bogey.

Last year, Vaughn Taylor rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 18 in the final round to tie Kim and force another playoff. Taylor then hit the greenside bunker to the right off the tee, while Kim made a routine par for the victory.

"It's a tremendous hole," Kim said. "When the wind blows, it's as tough as it gets. You can't bail out anywhere. Right is no good. The second shot is actually harder if you're in that bunker than if you're right of the bunker.

"You have to hit a couple of quality golf shots," Kim said, "and the green's not very easy, either."

Westwood tied for eighth in 2010 and finished second to Mickelson at the Masters the following week, bolstering the notion that Redstone works as a suitable tuneup. Westwood is playing at Houston for the fourth time in five years.

"The main point is they try to get the greens as quick as possible which, when you get to Augusta next week, it's not as big a shock," Westwood said. "They're pretty immaculate this week and run at a great pace."

But Westwood is looking for more than just a few practice rounds this week. Now No. 2 in the world behind Martin Kaymer, Westwood has failed to crack the top 10 in six starts.

His routine of playing the week before a major has served him well, though it has yet to produce a breakthrough victory. He was the runner-up to Louis Oosthuizen at last year's British Open, and tied for third at both the British Open and PGA Championship in 2009.

"I like to be competitive going into the week of a major," Westwood said. "You look at all the major championships, I'm playing the week before. Like if I come into it, have another couple of weeks (without playing a tournament), I could be rusty for even nine holes, and that's too much in a major championship."

Shell Oil Company has sponsored the tournament since 1992. On Tuesday, the oil giant extended its title sponsorship through 2017.

Sunshine Schwartzel in Houston Open

Charl Schwartzel

Last year, Charl Schwartzel was riding a high on the US PGA Tour ahead of the Masters, and he will be looking to recapture a little of that feeling as he plays the Shell Houston Open in preparation for the first major of the year.

Schwartzel burst onto the PGA Tour scene last year after a few indifferent earlier attempts to make a mark there with a strong showing in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play, a second place behind Ernie Els in the WGC-CA Championship (now the WGC-Cadillac Championship), and a share of third in the Shell Houston Open.

That third place at the Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course in Humble, Texas, came after a relatively poor tie for 52nd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, also behind Els.

He’ll clearly be hoping for a similar rebound after last week’s 47th-place showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational behind champion Martin Laird.

Last year, he went on to finish in a share of 30th at the Masters, and that set him up for three top-20 performances in the remaining majors – T16 in the US Open, T14 behind Louis Oosthuizen in the Open, and T18 in the PGA Championship.

He seems to be struggling to find his form in America since becoming a member of the PGA Tour, and his progress has not been in the direction he would have hoped it would be: After a steady start to his campaign in the WGC- Accenture Match Play, he shared 14th in the Honda Championship, 24th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship and 47th last week.

But he’s not ranked 29th in the Official World Golf Rankings because he’s a poor player: He had a glittering 2010, winning the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit with two victories, three top 10s which included being runner-up twice, and a worst finish of 14th in his six tournaments in South Africa.

Schwartzel leads the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit for 2011 with his share of fourth in the Africa Open and his victory in the Joburg Open.

So when he tees off on Thursday with Billy Mayfair and Steve Elkington, he will be conscious of getting ready for frying of an altogether bigger fish – at Augusta National next week.

Shell Extends Houston Open Deal

Shell Oil Company has agreed to a five-year extension as the title sponsor of the Houston Open.

The oil giant has been the tournament's title sponsor since 1992, the third-longest tenure on the PGA Tour. The event dates to 1946, and is the 10th oldest tournament on the tour.

"To me, this is much more than a golf tournament," Shell president Marvin Odum said. "It is an opportunity for us to give back to the city and citizens of Houston through charitable contributions."

Since Shell became the lead sponsor, the tournament has raised more than $50 million for the Houston Golf Association to contribute to regional, youth-based charities. Last year, the tournament generated about $2.1 million for charities.

"Shell Oil Company has given our event great stability and its support has enabled our organisation to continue to positively impact the lives of young people every year," HGA president and CEO Steve Timms said.

The Houston Open begins on Thursday at Redstone Golf Club, the host site since 2003. In 2006 the event moved from the Members Course to the adjacent Tournament Course.

Anthony Kim is the defending champion this year. 

Kim, Mickelson, Westwood in Shell Group

Anthony Kim 2010 winner

Tee times have been released for the first two rounds of this week’s Shell Houston Open, and one of the featured groups includes two of the top six players in the Official World Golf Ranking, along with the defending champion.

No. 2 Lee Westwood and No. 6 Phil Mickelson will be part of a threesome that also includes Anthony Kim, who beat Vaughn Taylor in a playoff last year at Redstone. Kim is ranked No. 41 in the world. 

The Westwood-Mickelson-Kim trio will tee off at 1:40 p.m. pn Thursday off the first tee.

Playing in the next group behind that threesome is Transitions Championship winner Gary Woodland, along with multiple-major winners Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington.

Local favoirite Fred Couples, who played collegiately at the University of Houston, will be joined by Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan in a group that tees off at 8:50 a.m. off the 10th tee Thursday. 

Kuchar and Mahan are in line to be part of Couples’ U.S. team at this year’s Presidents Cup in Melbourne, Australia.

Jhonattan Vegas, the Bob Hope Classic winner, will be paired with Davis Love III and Jose Maria Olazabal, the two Ryder Cup captains in 2012. That threesome tees off immediately behind the Couples group in the first two rounds.

Other groups of interest:

Native Texans Justin Leonard, Scott Verplank and Johnson Wagner will tee off at 2 p.m. ET off the first tee Thursday. Wagner won the Shell Houston Open in 2008 and also won earlier this year at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun.

Long-hitting Robert Garrigus is paired with reigning British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen and Aaron Baddeley, who won the Northern Trust Open earlier this year. They tee off at 1:40 p.m. Thursday off the 10th tee.

International stars Stuart Appleby of Australia, Y.E. Yang of Korea and Francesco Molinari of Italy play in the next group at 1:50 p.m. Yang is ninth in Presidents Cup points for the International team, while Appleby is 20th.

 Click here for tee times.

Padraig Harrington Heads to Houston

Padraig Harrington 

Padraig Harrington travels back to the USA this week for his sixth Shell Houston Open which will be the final event before the Masters next week in Augusta - in what forms part of the Dubliner's traditional preparations for Georgia - by playing at the Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course in Humble, Texas.

Last year Harrington opened with two rounds of 69 but finished with a final day 77 that dropped him down the field to 45th place and eleven strokes behind the winner, Anthony Kim

Former champion Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els and Robert Karlsson of Sweden are the latest additions to the world class field of the $5.9 million Shell Houston Open.

Couples, a regular on the Champions Tour, is making his 19th start in the Shell Houston Open, where he won in 2003, and became the first University of Houston golfer to claim a title at Houston’s PGA TOUR event.

The fast and firm setup at Redstone Golf Club – Tournament Course the last four years has proved especially appealing for competitors headed to Augusta National the following week. 

Mickelson, the defending Masters champion, has played here four straight years. 

Retief Goosen, who had heard about the superb course conditions, will be making his first start.

The 2011 Shell Houston Open will include 12 former Major Championship winners on the commitment list. 

Back on the east coast Tiger Woods will use this week for some added practice at Augusta National.

Shell Houston Open field