2016 Shell Houston Open results: Longshot Jim Herman earns last minute Masters invite

We have a late Cinderella story coming to Augusta National, which will need to make room for one more. Jim Herman, with a career zero wins on the PGA Tour, completed a dramatic run to his first victory on Sunday at the Shell Houston Open.

Herman had just one Web.com Tour win in a combined 224 starts on that minor league circuit and the PGA Tour, but now he’s headed to the Masters and has a two-year exemption on the most competitive tour in the world. We have not seen many out-of-nowhere longshot winners on Tour in recent months (hey Vaughn Taylor), but Herman definitely fits that mold. He did it with some of the biggest guns in the game making charges at his 54-hole lead all day. Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, and Jordan Spieth were just a few of the chasers who either pulled ahead, matched, or came within one shot of the lead at some point on Sunday.

But it was Herman who grasped on for the win, hitting three-woods most of the day to keep himself in position and avoid the many hazards that line Golf Club of Houston. A chip-in at the 16th hole would put the journeyman on the lead for good.

Despite an interminable wait on the 18th tee with all the immense pressure of needing a career-altering par ahead of him, Herman managed to get into the cup one ahead of Stenson.

Instead of taking the week off, he’s now headed to Augusta National for his first start at the Masters. He’s only played in one major championship, a U.S. Open, in his career. Watching his post-round interview made it clear this was the better story out there instead of another million-dollar payday for Spieth, DJ, and friends.

The Masters field now stands at an even 90 players with Herman’s addition. He’ll be a longshot there but that’s beside the point. Here are your final results from Houston: