News

Mahan outmatches McIlroy

Published

14 years ago

Feb 26, 2012

Seth Kerr

By Seth Kerr

GolfWRX Staff Writer

The buzz entering the final day of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship was whether Rory McIlroy or Lee Westwood would be able to reach No. 1 in the world. The talk at the end of the day was all about Hunter Mahan.

Prior to today, Hunter Mahan’s most well know match play memory was flubbing a chip on the final hole at Celtic Manor to lose to Graeme McDowell, allowing Europe to win the Ryder Cup.

But Mahan helped put those memories to bed with his 2 and 1 victory over McIlroy to win the World Golf Championship-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Mahan reached the finals after beating Mark Wilson 2 and 1 in the semifinal match to set up the final match with McIlroy.

McIlroy beat rival, Westwood, 3 and 1 to give himself a chance to reach No. 1 with a victory over Mahan. Westwood took control of the match early, going 3-up after just four holes but then McIlroy came roaring back. McIlroy birdied six holes from Nos. 6-13 to not only make up the deficit but take a 3-up lead. From there, McIlroy kept control of the match, closing out Westwood on No. 17.

While the two players say all the right things, it is clear McIlroy and Westwood’s relationship has changed since McIlroy left Chubby Chandler’s stable. McIlroy wanted badly to beat Westwood, calling the match, “his finals” and failed, or could not; raise his intensity any higher for his match against Mahan.

“I was getting myself up for that semifinal match and I knew I would have to get myself up for it again in the finals,” said McIlroy.

Mahan had no problems getting himself up after beating Mark Wilson. Mahan won the first hole and never trailed against Wilson, finally ending the match with a halve on No. 17.

Both players seemed sluggish to start the final round with both failing to take control of the match early. McIlroy had an opportunity to take the lead after No.1, but failed to make a three footer for par. Both players then birdied Nos. 2 and 3 and bogeyed No. 4.

Mahan then won three straight holes, winning Nos. 6-8 with birdie, bogey, and par.

Mahan took a 4-up lead after the tenth, and finished off McIlroy with a halve on No. 17 to win 2 and 1.

“I felt great with my game coming in,” Mahan said. “I made a putter switch to the PING Nome putter and felt great on the greens immediately. And boy, I got hot there in the middle of the week and was able to ride it out.”

While Mahan is most well known for his ball striking and play from tee to green it was his short game that carried him on the back nine.

After the victory, Mahan said, “You’re not going to hit it perfect every day. Ball striking is a strength of mine but I have to chip and putt if I want to win. And I felt like that was a strength this week and that was definitely a huge key.”

Mahan made 35 birdies on the week and becomes only the sixth player to win multiple World Golf Championships.

The next World Golf Championships event is the WGC-Cadillac Championship March 8-11 at the TPC Blue Monster course at Doral in Miami, Fla.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

1 day ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.