British Open Wrapup
It was an interesting scene.
Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia passed each other on the bridge between the 18th and 17th holes at Carnoustie GC on the final day of the British Open. Garcia flashed his exuberant smile while Harrington put his head down to mask the emotion of hitting his tee shot on the 18th hole into the burn. Garcia smiled then but that would all change.
Harrington had to finish 18 after that chance meeting. With a one stroke lead on the 72nd hole, his driver found the famous (or infamous) burn that runs throughout Carnoustie. His third shot would find the burn again and thoughts of Jean Van de Velde’s meltdown in 1999 began popping into people’s heads. 40 yards away from the hole, Harrington ran his pitch shot to four feet. With thoughts of Van de Velde probably going through his own mind, Harrington drained the left to right putt and escaped with a double bogey.
Back to Garcia.
No wonder Garcia was smiling after the 17th tee--he had just ripped a drive down the fairway. He eventually made par on 17 and then, after Harrington was in the clubhouse at 7-under par, could make a par to win the British Open. Wouldn’t you be smiling too?
Another fairway drive left him with over 240 yards to the 18th green. His approach found the left, greenside bunker. An up-and-down would wrap up the championship and erase the criticism of Garcia’s lack-of-a-major career. Garcia faced a six footer which looked to move left to right. He hit his championship winning putt on a good line but maybe the ball didn’t know to move to the right because it started left and stayed there. Needless to say, Garcia was not smiling anymore.
The two went to a playoff just as the Open did in 1999 when Van de Velde, the eventual champ Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard played extra golf. It was a four-hole playoff, but really the championship was decided after the first hole.
Harrington commanded the playoff with a birdie on the opening hole while Garcia bogeyed it. The two stroke deficit plus the mental let down of allowing his first major to slip out of his hands appeared to take its toll on Garcia and he could not close the gap on Harrington’s lead.
Finally a major champion, will Harrington become the next Paul Lawrie (win a major then never be heard from again)? No way.
Harrington’s win comes as no surprise. He has recorded eight top-ten finishes in major championships since 1997, so he has performed well on major-style golf courses. Add into the equation he just won a tournament he might hold in higher esteem than the majors, the Irish Open (his national championship), and it appeared that all the stars aligned for Harrington to pull off the victory this week in Scotland.
And, though he lost, let us not forget about Garcia. Most people remember him as the kid doing scissor-kicks in the fairway at Medinah trying to take down Tiger Woods and doing a damn good job at it. Unfortunately for him he came up short in 1999. Since that close call, he has been dubbed many things: the guy who waggles more than he wins, the next great Spanish golfer, and the next player to challenge Tiger. But, all this came at an early age (and by this writer’s estimation waaaay too early).
Garcia is only 27-years-old...that is still really young. Professional golfers hit their stride around Garcia’s age and then hit their peaks in their early to mid-30s. Garcia will win a major...sometime.
For now, Harrington is our latest first-time major winner (the third of the 2007 season).
If watching the taxing play of Carnoustie was too much on the viewing public, go drink an Irish coffee and calm down--it’s on Paddy’s tab.
