On the Brink of Greatness

It was thrilling stuff but even so, the Open Championship is a different test altogether. Castle Stuart, undoubtedly one of the finest modern courses in the British Isles, was playing generously; the rough was almost non-existent, allowing Mickelson the leeway he tends on occasion to need.

Indeed, as we edged closer to The Open, all the talk was of Mickelson’s fellow countryman, Tiger Woods, the opinion being that Mickelson would struggle with Muirfield’s fearsome tall grass and the need to play the ball more along the ground. This was real links golf. The purest form of the game. Popular Phil was the guy who hits the flop shot. Tiger, back to form and looking as focused as ever, was the master tactician. He was the man to beat.

This looked to be the case going into Sunday’s final round. Woods trailed England’s Lee Westwood by just two shots. Westwood, the undisputed crowd favourite, had suffered his own fair share of major heartache but Britain, basking under cloudless skies, was expecting. And who could blame them? Almost a year since the London Olympics – which were a resounding success for the home nation – Andy Murray had won Wimbledon, Rose had emerged victorious at Merion, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome had triumphed at the Tour de France and the English cricket team were hammering the Australians in The Ashes. There has never been a better time to be a British sports fan.

Alas, it wouldn’t continue. Westwood couldn’t find a fairway in that final round and his up-until-then brilliance on the greens went AWOL. Adam Scott, who had banished his own major demons at Augusta in April, looked at all at sea with his belly-putter. Ian Poulter was on fire after coming from nowhere but then bogeyed the tough 16th to effectively end his hopes. As for Woods, well he was hardly a factor. Tiger has never won a major when behind heading into Sunday, and things weren’t about to change. Rory McIlroy had worn a face of pure misery on his way to missing the cut by some margin two days earlier, but Tiger nearly outdid him such was his own look of despair. Woods is too fine a player not to win another major but the argument against him breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record haul gets stronger by the tournament.