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SOUTHPORT, England – Let’s ditch the talk about asterisks beside the name of whoever wins this year’s Open Championship. The champion golfer of the year for 2008 deserves more credit than that.
The asterisk theory says that whoever wins this year’s championship deserves a star beside his name since Tiger Woods is not competing at Royal Birkdale. It’s a theory that’s been posed to quite a few players this week.
Thankfully, all have given the idea as much respect as it deserves – very little.
“If I manage to win this week,” Sergio Garcia said, “I’m not going to go, ‘Oh, I won the British Open but Tiger wasn’t there.’”
Ernie Els called Woods’ absence a “big blow,” but doesn’t seem too upset about it.
The South African opened up more than other players, admitting that he feels Woods’ presence in the elite events. Els has won two majors with Woods in the field (1997 U.S. Open and 2002 Open Championship), but has also finished runner-up to him twice in Grand Slam events.
Conventional wisdom says that players like Els, Garcia and Phil Mickelson wilt under Tiger’s pressure in the heat of major battles. Els seemed to confirm that theory.
“I think the thought of him around is quite ominous, especially coming down the stretch or even preparing yourself for the last round when he’s in the mix,” Els said. “You know he’s going to be in contention at the end of the day. There’s definitely a thought of him in your mind all the time.”
Els qualified that statement by saying the pressure was less in the Open Championship than in the three other majors.
“He’s won The Open three times, but if there’s a soft major, it’s probably this one,” Els said. “Last year he wasn’t in contention, and quite a few years he hasn’t been quite up to his standard.
“I think players like Sergio, like myself, feel very comfortable in this event more than any other one. I feel ... I’m on a much better level with Tiger in this kind of environment than say at the Masters or the PGA Championship.”
The asterisk theory would have viability if Woods did win every major he played in. He doesn’t.
Woods has won the Open Championship three times in 11 attempts as a professional, and two tries as an amateur. That’s 13 tournaments in a history that stretches back to 1860, and 136 Opens.
“I think we should be talking about the tournament and not somebody that’s not here,” Lee Westwood said. “This is the biggest tournament in the world. It’s bigger than any one golfer really.”
No one cast aspersions on Tony Lema’s win in 1964 when Arnold Palmer was a no-show at St. Andrews.
Woods is obviously a big loss to this year’s championship, but whoever wins this week deserves the same respect that goes to any major champion.
As Garcia said, it’s not the eventual champion’s fault that Tiger Woods was laid up at home.
Finally, the last word on the asterisk issue goes to a man who knows all about winning Open Championships. Tom Watson won five Opens in an eight-year spell between 1975-1983. He put the asterisk in its place when he simply said:
“I think that’s foolish. That’s a foolish thought.”
Well said, Tom. Whoever becomes the champion golfer of the year deserves all the credit and respect that goes with that achievement.
Posted: 7/15/2008
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