Hunter Mahan suffers a Ryder Cup flashback in defeat

If there's one thing all golfers need to have, if they want to be successful, it's a short memory. Make a triple bogey on the previous hole? You need to find some way to forget that big number when you get to the next tee.

That's a big reason why the pros are so good at what they do; they always seem to be able to erase bad memories in a matter of minutes. However, not all memories can be easily erased from the memory bank.

While Hunter Mahan may say he's moved on from last year's stubbed chip on the 17th hole of Ryder Cup, it's clear the moment is still camping out in the back of his mind.

Standing over another critical chip on the 17th hole of Friday's match with Martin Kaymer, Mahan replicated his Ryder Cup blunder, stubbing his chip a few yards in front of him and losing the match, 2 & 1.

You have to feel for the guy. After watching him break down at the Ryder Cup post-round press conference last year, it was clear he felt terrible about not being able to capitalize on the chance to be a hero. It's not fair to say the moment has ruined his ability to close out tournaments, because Mahan has been a clutch performer in the past, but the way he crumbled down the stretch on Friday -- going 2-up with six holes to play, and then losing four of the next five holes -- makes you wonder if the pressure-packed moments are starting to get to him.

Let's hope that's not the case. Hopefully Mahan finds some confidence in the near future, because you hate to see this sort of thing happen to the guy on two separate occasions. Maybe a weekend spent relaxing and spending time with his wife, who happens to be a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, will clear his mind and allow him to come back strong in the coming weeks.