Houston Open leaderboard 2018

Houston Open leaderboard 2018:

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Ian Poulter was told last week at the Match Play that he had just scraped into The Masters in 50th spot on the world rankings but was then notified that he had come up just short. He now needed to beat Kevin Kisner in the quarter-finals to book his place at Augusta, he would lose 8&6 and he left Austin unsure whether he would even play this week.

He did play, opened with a 73 and was literally packing his bags on Thursday night. But then he shot a 64 and followed it with a 65 and then Poulter did this on the final green to tie Beau Hossler with both players needing a win to make it to Augusta National.

The play-off was an anti-climax with Hossler, who had played a brilliant shot in regulation play from a fairway bunker to secure his par, fanning one right into more sand and then thinning it into the water.

Poulter, whose last win came at the end of 2012, parred for his first strokeplay win in the States and he can now head back to The Masters after missing out last year.

Hossler pushed brilliantly all day and birdied four on the bounce from the 12th to take the lead for the first time at the 15th but Poulter and that Medinah putter undid him at the 72nd hole.

Coming into the week Jordan Spieth seemed to be the only big name out of sorts going into The Masters but he will now head to Georgia on the back of a closing 66 which included a 25-footer for par to finish. The Texan’s putter hasn’t been working for him but there were 21 birdies and an eagle over the week and by playing this week will have done him all sorts of favours.

Emiliano Grillo tied for third with Spieth after he started holing everything on the back nine, collecting four birdies in six holes from the 10th, but he would come up three shots short after dropping a shot at the 18th for a 68.

Read Mark Townsend’s full Houston Open round-up here