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sport
golf
mastersaugusta
8425732
-----
# Phil Mickelson tunes up for Masters title defence at Augusta National with
Houston Open win
## Phil Mickelson, who defends his Masters title this week, fired a seven-
under par 65 in the final round to win the Houston Open by three shots on
Sunday.
![Phil Mickelson tunes up for Masters title defence at Augusta National with
Houston Open win][1]
In the swing: Phil Mickelson hit a a seven-under par 65 to win the Houston
Open Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Telegraph staff and agencies 1:19AM BST 04 Apr 2011
[Comments][2]
The 40 year-old Mickelson beat fellow American Scott Verplank and Chris Kirk
at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas, to claim his first title since winning
last year's Masters. It was also his first win since announcing at last year's
PGA Championship that he suffers from psoriatic arthritis which he controls
with medication.
Mickelson finished on a tournament record score of 20-under par 268. Verplank
carded a 68 for 271, where he was joined by second-round leader Kirk, who shot
a final-round 67.
Mickelson, who nows climbs to third in the world golf rankings, with Tiger
Woods dropping to seventh, is hoping history will repeat itself as he is the
last player to win the week before winning a Masters title. In 2006, he won
the BellSouth Classic and went on to take the green jacket.
Mickelson said: "I've got to maintain my focus throughout the round. There
were two points out there where I just lost focus. At Augusta, that course can
be very penalising."
Steve Stricker and Aaron Baddeley tied for fourth on 13 under, Stricker after
a 69 and Baddeley with a closing 71, while Robert Allenby and David Hearn were
a shot further back.
## Related Articles
* [Cowen's backing Britons][3]
04 Apr 2011
* [Westwood: Seve is with me][4]
02 Apr 2011
* [Donald: finesse can conquer power][5]
02 Apr 2011
* [McDowell perfect age for success][6]
02 Apr 2011
* [My Masters memories][7]
02 Apr 2011
* [Five players to watch][8]
02 Apr 2011
Padraig Harrington completed a solid week with a 70, for joint-eighth on 11
under. Lee Westwood had an eagle-three at the eighth but finished with a
dropped shot for a 68.
He needed a top-two finish to go back to No1 in the world, but ended up tied
for 30th.
England's David Horsey shook off a poor final hole to win a three-man play-off
for his ­second European Tour title, taking the ­Trophee Hassan II in Agadir,
Morocco.
Horsey, who hit a hole in one on the second in the final round, was one shot
ahead of defending champion Rhys Davies of Wales and two clear of Jaco Van Zyl
with one hole to play, but then double-bogeyed the last to be forced into the
play-off.
All three players parred the first extra hole and Horsey won on the second
with a birdie.
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Telegraph
## [The Masters][14]
* ### [Sport »][15]
* ### [Golf »][16]
* ### [US Tour »][17]
In sport
[![The Masters 2011: after the choke][18] ][19]
### [After the choke][19]
[![][20] ][21]
### [The Masters: final round][21]
[![The Masters 2011: Rory McIlroy is a carefree dreamer with the golf world at
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### [Collapse worse than Norman's][23]
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