Winners and Losers from the 2015 Shell Houston Open

Yet another PGA Tour event went to a playoff this week—the ninth in 21 tournaments. This week's playoff winner: a gritty, long-hitting boy from Kentucky, J.B. Holmes. 

Holmes torched the Golf Club of Houston's front nine Sunday en route to a final-round 64. After vanquishing the course, Holmes took down Jordan Spieth and Johnson Wagner in a three-man playoff. 

Who joined Holmes as a winner in the final tournament before the Masters? Who, well, didn't?

Read on to find out. 

Winner: Austin Cook

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A Monday qualifier nearly won on the PGA Tour this week, something that hasn't happened since Arjun Atwal won the Wyndham Championship in 2010.  

Austin Cook, who had his brother on the bag this week and has no status on the PGA Tour, opened with rounds of 68 and 65 to earn himself a spot in the final group Saturday...with Phil Mickelson. 

Cook held his nerve, and the University of Arkansas alum fired a third-round 70. 

Entering the final round one stroke back of Jordan Spieth, Carr struggled to a 75 Sunday. 

Still, the 11th-placed finish is impressive, and Austin Cook is a winner this week. 

Loser: GC of Houston's First 12 Holes Sunday

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J.B. Holmes got what would eventually be his victory Sunday off to quite a start. Holmes, who is presently 172nd in strokes gained putting, had an uncharacteristically brilliant stretch with the flatstick. 

The long-hitting Kentuckian obliterated the GC of Houston's front nine: He began with five straight birdies en route to an opening-nine 29. 

After birdies at 11 and 12, Holmes was nine-under through 12 holes. The streak was a barnstorming way to move to the head of the pack, and it lead ultimately to Holmes' second victory in as many seasons. 

Winner: Phil Mickelson's Short Game

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While he wasn't a factor on the weekend at the Golf Club of Houston, Phil Mickelson's much-maligned short game was much-improved this week. 

Lefty was happy with his work after his opening-round 66.

"My short game actually was what threw away so many shots (last week). I spent the last three days working on that. So I was able to turn that around in a few days and the game feels pretty good," he said, per Larry Fine for Reuters UK.

Mickelson tied for 17th for the week.  

Loser: Anybody Betting on J.B. Holmes Cooling off Sunday

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When the three-man playoff between Jordan Spieth, Johnson Wagner and J.B. Holmes began, Spieth and Wagner had to be the favorites. 

Why? 

Holmes had finished with his round more than an hour before the leaders. He had nothing to do except muddle around and beat balls, getting tight and nervous after signing for his brilliant final-round 64. 

Jordan Spieth and Johnson Wagner had each poured in critical putts at the 18th hole. The adrenaline was flowing, and both were on their respective clouds as the playoff began. 

It was Holmes, however, who triumphed. He carded a par four on the 18th hole, which Wagner matched. After Spieth fell out with a bogey five, Holmes did it again, two-putting after a deftly struck approach shot.

When Wagner couldn't convert from the sand, Holmes took home the trophy. 

The moral of the story: Don't bet against J.B. Holmes. 

Winner: Jordan Spieth

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While he came up just short in a playoff (thanks in no small part to the camera click that contributed to a fat bunker shot), Jordan Spieth is still a winner as he heads to Augusta next week.

Spieth, who entered the final round with a one-stroke lead, was toppled by J.B. Holmes and Johnson Wagner in a playoff. Still, the Texan finished tied for second in the playoff, which makes his list of recent finishes look like this. 

• AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am: T7
• Northern Trust Open: T4
• WGC-Cadillac Championship: T17
• Valspar Championship: 1
• Valero Texas Open: 2
• Shell Houston Open: T2

No golfer has more momentum than the 21-year-old Texan entering the Masters. 

Loser: GC of Houston's Course Record, Almost

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Scott Piercy, who has been playing on a major medical extension, found his game this week in Houston. 

Piercy poured in four birdies in a row in his opening round, eventually adding five more to open with a nine-under 63. 

With the score, Piercy joined Johnson Wagner, Adam Scott, Jimmy Walker and Phil Mickelson as course recordholders. 

One more birdie and Piercy would have owned the record outright. 

Piercy finished 10th, five strokes back. 

Winner: Patrick Reed's Caddie

Patrick Reed aced the 16th hole with a superbly struck iron during his third round. 

Never one for subtlety, Reed decided to race his caddie to the green to celebrate.

Unfortunately, he lost the race. Reed's caddie, his brother-in-law, laden with the young American's golf bag, won the footrace. 

The performance was the best example of bag-laden sprinting since the PGA Tour outlawed caddie races in 2013.  

Loser: Rickie Fowler

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Rickie Fowler, who tied for fifth at Augusta last year, came to the Shell Houston Open needing a strong showing.

Fowler has struggled this season with just one top-10 finish in six starts. He finished tied for 29th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational his last time out. 

After opening with two rounds of 69, the Oklahoma alum blew up on the weekend, carding rounds of 77 and 76 and struggling with all facets of his game. 

Fowler finished 71st, last among players who made the cut. 

All stats courtesy of PGATour.com and the PGA Tour media guide.