Wrapping up the British Open

It has been a full day since the British Open officially ended and we all saw Padraig Harrington choke it up his skirt on 18 yet still win take home the Claret Jug.

Harrington played himself into perfect position in both regulation and in the playoff where he had some breathing room on 18 to make a five (or six). The hungover Irishman played the first 17 holes of Sunday six-under before making double on 18, pretty much letting Sergio back into the tournament.

Everyone continues to talk about the choke job by Garcia, but I disagree. El Nino's putt on 18 in regulation was hit exactly where he wanted it, similar to Mickelson's putt in 2003 at Augusta to win his first green jacket. The putt needed to slide a smidgen right to go in and didn't. It stayed out of the hole, rolled the lip and the rest was history.

Maybe the only bad part of the entire tournament besides Tiger Woods' tee shot on the first hole to start day two was the infant approach to a post-round interview put on by Mr. Garcia. Sergio blamed the Carnoustie grounds crew, the flag stick on 16 and, ironically, his continued string of bad luck.

Personally, I try not to rile up the golf gods, unlike Mr. Garcia. Sergio did just that, with his best Roberto Alomar impersonation at Doral a few years ago. Maybe that has something to do with it, maybe not, but the worst thing in the world is a sore loser. (Ok, maybe other stuff is a lot worse, but sore losers really do suck.)

Nonetheless, Carnoustie again brought the drama and number 18 didn't disappoint. If anything, this was just as good if not better than 1999, with both Garcia and Harrington playing the 18th a combined four-over par in both regulation and the playoff.

If you combine the historic golf courses, the imagination that it takes to play links golf and the possibility of multiple female streakers, the British Open has to be the best golf tournament in the world. Personally, I can't wait until Royal Birkdale next year. Mark O'Meara won the thing nine years ago, and everyone knows which current golfer he'll share his secrets with.


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