SOUTHPORT, England – The world’s elite should have been doing some soul searching as they departed Royal Birkdale after the 137th Open Championship.
Or maybe – hopefully – they left inspired.
If ever there was a time for the best players in the world to step into the lead role in a major championship, it was at Birkdale.
With Tiger Woods rehabbing on his couch in Florida, it was time to reach for the old Claret Jug with both hands. Most didn’t even get close to the game’s most-coveted wine ewer.
Vijay Singh, Aaron Baddeley, Stewart Cink, Charles Howell III and Rory Sabbatini all missed the cut, players you would expect to contend.
It didn’t get much better for other marquee names. Justin Rose finished T-70. Lee Westwood wasn’t much better – T-67. Stuart Appleby and Sergio Garcia tied for 51st.
So much for Garcia resolving his putting woes. He hasn’t.
Retief Goosen started well but fizzled, ending up T-32. Phil Mickelson never got going. He did well to recover from his opening 79, but T-19 says that Lefty’s game isn’t suited to links golf.
The world No. 2 has just one top 10 in 16 Open Championships, a third at Royal Troon in 2004.
Adam Scott did marginally better with a T-16 finish, but a third-round 77 wasn’t what was expected of this talented Australian.
Paul Casey and Ernie Els managed to finish T-7, but both were derailed by poor starts. The South African looked like he’d rather be elsewhere in posting an 80 on Day 1, while Casey was only two shots better with 78.
That such players can play average in this major is a mystery. What does it say about the above marquee names that they can lose the U.S. Open to a guy with a broken leg, and then be usurped by a 53-year-old part-time golfer well past his prime?
Not a lot.
At least Padraig Harrington, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Jim Furyk stepped up and contended for the title.
Harrington is worthy of his world No. 3 spot, while Poulter’s second place proves his desire to reach world No. 2 is anything but fanciful. As for Furyk and Stenson, they at least put themselves in a position to win.
Those elite players who failed to perform at Birkdale should take heart from Norman. If he can contend in a major at his age then it should be much easier for Garcia, Mickelson, Singh, Goosen, Els and others.
I know the game of golf can be capricious. I know how difficult it can be from day to day, tournament to tournament, let alone major to major. I know players lose more than they win. Not even Tiger Woods wins every tournament.
I also know that right now many of our marquee players don’t challenge enough in the majors. It’s only a few years since the talk of the “Big Five” of Els, Mickelson, Goosen, Singh and Woods.
Now we have the “Big Two” – Woods and Harrington. Els, Mickelson, Goosen and Singh don’t challenge enough in the majors. Neither do other marquee names. Too often they go AWOL when it matters.
They should listen to Norman.
“The game of golf is there to be played,” he said. “If you go in there with the right attitude and keep yourself physically fit, you can put yourself in position no matter what.”
Harrington, Poulter, Stenson and Furyk proved at Birkdale that they have the correct attitude.
Mickelson, Els, Singh and others need to find it too.
Posted: 7/22/2008
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