Q & A
Question:
Hunter, I met you today at TP. You signed a ball and hat for me. I just wanted to tell you, “I like how you golf”. I am your fan. Nicholas age 7 (San Diego)
Answer:
Thanks Nicholas! Hope you had fun. Thanks for coming out!
Question:
How did the environment of the Ryder Cup differ from that of a normal tournament?
Answer:
There was just more crazy energy. There’s always pressure in any tournament you play, but like I said, it’s so definitive on one side or the other. When you play a major, there are a ton of guys trying to win. You don’t feel like the fans are cheering for anyone; they just want to see good shots. It was nothing I’ve ever seen or felt before. It’s just different. It’s hard to describe to someone how it’s different from a major, but it is. You’ve got teammates and wives and captains and fans completely cheering against you. But it was a great feeling. That’s what the Ryder Cup is all about. They had a home-field advantage. That’s what helped us succeed in ’08 and that’s what helped them succeed this year.
Question:
What do you do off of the course during tournament weeks?
Answer:
It depends on the city, but as a big basketball fan I like to take in a game anytime I can. At the Northern Trust Open in L.A. I caught a Lakers game. During baseball season I always try to catch a game in cities with teams. The worst thing you can do is sit around and think about your round. You have to give your mind a rest.
Updates
Mon, Jul 6th 2009, 11:08
Mahan's Star Turn Nearly Wins It
The ball rolled 14 feet and 10 inches from Hunter Mahan’s putter into the cup at No. 18, concluding a round that tied a course record and sent reverberations throughout Congressional Country Club.
Fans arrived yesterday expecting the champion of the AT&T National to be determined by the final pairing of Tiger Woods and Anthony Kim. But seven holes ahead of Wood and Kim, Mahan finished a masterful 8-under-par 62. It was the same record Kim set on Thursday, placing Kim in a position to contend with Woods. Mahan’s round yesterday put him in contention with Woods, creating a potential playoff until Woods birdied on No. 16.
After Woods’s shot, Mahan’s memorable afternoon was not enough. He would instead finish second overall with a 12-under 268, his third top-10 finish in the last three weeks and fifth this season.
“I think everybody was watching [Kim] and Tiger and expecting kind of a battle there,” said Mahan, who was the only player to finish every round under par. “I figured with great players on the leader board like that, I figured they would get to at least 13 or 14 under.”
Mahan retreated to the clubhouse once he conducted interviews and signed autographs following his round. He grabbed an early dinner and watched Woods on television, awaiting the possibility of a sudden-death playoff. Mahan shared the room with Elin Woods, Tiger’s wife, and their two children.
When Woods missed a putt on No. 14, Mahan shouted “yes!” in glee. Mahan had expected Woods to birdie early in the back nine — “He’s pretty good,” Mahan admitted — but when the score remained tied before No. 16, Mahan returned to the practice green to warm up.
While on the practice green, Mahan’s caddie, John Wood, checked for updated scores on his cellular phone. Wood revealed that Woods birdied No. 16, leaving it all but inevitable that Woods would win.
“It was kind of in Tiger’s court there,” Mahan said. “This gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I can shoot a low round at any point.”
Comments
Q & A
Got a Question for Hunter Mahan? Ask it here.
Caddie's Corner
Hunter’s Caddie, John Wood, gives you the inside scoop on life in the PGA. Find tips, recommendations, and insider info usually reserved for tour pros right here at the Caddie’s Corner.
Ryder Cup Journal: The Trip Out—Or Third Time’s the Charm
Ryder Cup Journal: The Course..and where are my red ruby slippers?