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Jones holes out to earn last Masters spot

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It was a tale of two rounds on the 72nd hole at the Shell Houston Open as Australia’s Matt Jones drained a 46-foot putt for birdie to cap off a final-round 66. Matt Kuchar meanwhile, who had a four-shot lead entering Sunday’s final round, stumbled on the same hole. He pulled his hybrid into the water left of the green, but was able to get up and down for bogey to force a playoff with Jones at 15-under par.

In the end, the mistake proved fatal for Kuchar, who was bested by Jones following a 42-yard chip in for birdie on the first playoff hole. Kuchar also missed the green, but he left his bunker shot short, officially crowning Jones champion and moving Kuchar to 2-1 in career playoffs.

The victory marks the first of Jones’ professional career and earned the 34-year-old pro $1,152,000, 500 points FedEx Cup points and a berth in next week’s Masters tournament. For Kuchar, the runner-up finish marks his second disappointing Sunday in as many weeks. He previously shot a final round 75 to fall out of contention at the Valero Texas Open.

The Shell Houston Open, plagued by headlines of Tiger Woods’ indefinite absence from the game following a successful microdiscectomy earlier in the week, had no shortage of star power with players like Kuchar, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan all among those to make the cut.

Mickelson, who won this event in 2011, shot rounds of 68-70-72-71 to finish tied for 12th at 7-under. Other notable performances belonged to Garcia and McIlroy. Garcia shot 65 to take sole possession of the lead Friday heading to the weekend. Two days later, McIlroy matched Garcia’s feat, rounding out the weekend with a Sunday 65 of his own to finish T7. Garcia finished at 13-under to take sole possession of third.

For McIlroy, the current Masters favorite at 7/1, the closing round was too little too late for his hopes of victory in Texas, but it has the young pro hopeful heading to next week’s Masters. He took to Twitter describing his week at the Shell Houston Open as “productive” and voiced his excitement for the year’s first major.

One notable absence from the field during the weekend was that of defending champion D.A. Points. Points shot openings rounds of 71 and 74 to miss the cut. Joining Points on the sidelines were Jordan Spieth, Louis Oosthuizen, Paul Casey, Lucas Glover, Ian Poulter and Peter Uihlein.

The 2014 Shell Houston Open marked the 12th playing of the event at the Golf Club of Houston. Next week the tour heads to Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters.

Lukas Willems is an avid golfer and single digit handicap who grew up working and playing at Peninsula State Park Golf Course in Door County, Wis. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay cum laude in 2011 and immediately earned a position working media relations for the World Series of Poker. If he's not on the road for the WSOP or on the course, Willems says he's likely out enjoying the Lake Michigan shores he grew up on. Follow him on Twitter at @lukasmwillems.

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Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

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GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

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Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

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Photos from the ShopRite LPGA

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GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore was on site in Galloway, New Jersey, ahead of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern to snap some WITB photos and more.

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