World Golf News - 05 April 2011

On the US PGA Tour, former world number two Phil Mickelson won the Houston Open by an impressive margin of three strokes. As the tour moved from Florida to Texas, taking advantage of the warm spring weather in the Southwest, the tournament course at Redstone golf club presented Mickelson with an opportunity to make his comeback after a quiet start to the 2011 season.

In an impressive four rounds of golf, Mickelson once again displayed the patient precision in his short game that won him the 2010 Masters, a title he will defend shortly at Augusta. The final round was a test of his nerve as he kept his game consistent, beating compatriots Chris Kirk and Scott Verplank by three strokes.

On the European Tour, the Hassan II Trophy was won by England’s David Horsey. The event, which took place in Morocco for the first time this year, was marked by superior performances on the final day that lead to a three-way sudden death playoff in the final round. Having been very close throughout the round, the top contenders were narrowed down to a game of three: Horsey, fellow-Briton Rhys Davies and South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl. After three playoff holes it was Horsey’s short birdie putt that guaranteed his victory, his second on the European Tour.

The Champions Tour travelled to Mississippi last week, where veteran golfer Tom Lehman secured a four stroke victory over a host of fellow-competitors to win the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. After lifting the trophy for the second time this season, Lehman reflected on the difficult weather conditions that resulted in a windy course throughout the tournament. With a consistent and trouble-free final round, however, Lehman showed golf fans once again that when you have great skill and a lifetime of experience even the toughest rounds can look easy.