John Huh will return to Masters in 2014

Immediately following a final-round 68 that got him to 2-under for the tournament, someone congratulated Masters rookie John Huh for earning an automatic berth in next year’s tourney.

“Well, it’s not over yet,” said Huh, knowing full well his position was precarious.

When Huh finished his Masters debut at 286, he was tied for eighth. With only the top 12 finishers and ties assured of a spot in the 2014 Masters field, Huh had to wait out the 28 golfers still on the course, more than half capable of altering his final position.

It was an agonizing wait, but one that proved to be worth it. Huh ended up tied for 11th, getting the 22-year-old New Yorker into next year’s field.

“Well, that was my goal, actually, before I teed it up today, trying to come back here next year if I could,” Huh said. “And I think that I did what I came to do.

“That’s a pretty special way to get in this event.”

Prior to this year’s tournament, the top 16 and ties at the Masters earned automatic berths. But a change in qualification standards announced earlier in the week trimmed the number to the top 12 and ties, making it even tougher on Huh as he began Sunday’s final round.

Huh started the day at 2-over and tied for 28th, leaving him plenty of ground to make up – even more when he began the round with a bogey on No. 1. From there, however, Huh bore down and got things going.

Birdies on 2 and 3 jump-started his round and he added two more at 7 and 9 to make the turn 3 under for the day and 1 under for the tourney.

Just when it seemed Huh was rolling, however, he nearly derailed the entire effort. The hole that produced more double bogeys than all but one bit Huh as he doubled No. 11.

If Huh was discouraged, it didn’t show. He made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 and then carded his first eagle of the week on No. 15 to get to 3 under for the tourney.

“I felt (the pressure) pretty much starting on the back nine because I knew I had to come up with a good number,” Huh said. “I had a really bad double on 11, and then kind of was disappointed, but I got back on No. 15.”

No. 16 held plenty of good feelings for Huh, who aced the hole during Monday’s practice round. But a bogey on the par-3 hole took him from safely within the top 10 to right on the bubble for the automatic bid. He parred his way in to finish a 4-under 68 and then waited.

In the end, he made it, as did Tim Clark, who started the day tied for seventh and slipped outside the top 12 before rallying late to tie Huh.

Victimized by the new rule were five players tied for 13th at 1 under — David Toms, Ernie Els, Dustin Johnson, Fred Couples and Nick Watney. Els and Couples already have automatic berths for 2014, with Els exempt from last year’s British Open win and Couples exempt as a former Masters champion.