DTCC POLL! Who is YOUR Player of the Year?

DTCC's Take on Gary Player

The announcement last week by Gary Player that steroids have found their way into the country clubs of our world shocked a lot of people and irritated a lot of professional golfers.

Some of the pros focusing on Carnoustie said they thought the comments were intrusive and unnecessary so close to a big event like the British Open.

The bottom line is that anyone that things steroids hasn't made its way on the golf course obviously doesn't understand the enticing nature of a pill that makes you automatically bulk up for less. Personally, I think steroids are too much - something that gives you an edge but takes away your dignity, honor and trust. If you decide to "cheat" with your workout, you are selling short the Tiger Woods and Carmillo Villegas' of the the golf world.

Golf, as s whole, is a polished sport, eclipsing anything else by a large margin. With the NFL dealing with players shooting up nightclubs and hosting dog fighting in their back yard, the NBA faced with a referee that fixes games and the MLB having to worry about this whole Barry Bonds situation, Gary Player's comments put the PGA Tour on the map.

In a way, it was explaining to the world that we aren't as clean as you think. Guys do shoot up for an advantage, and that isn't fair to the clean ones. Length in golf is the one advantage in golf that can't be changed. If I hit the ball further than you, I'm automatically at an advantage in numerous ways. To think that people really believe that steroids weren't going to eventually make its stamp on the PGA Tour obviously don't know much about the sport. Too much money is out there for guys not to look for the smallest aid on the big tours.

It's here, and the eventual positive tests will make Player look like Nostradamus, not the kid who cried wolf.

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.


Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Padraig Har-ball

FORE RIGHT!

18 never seems to disappoint, eh? Padraig just hit it right, into the burn, now facing some sort of shot with a kitchen knife while Sergio is looking at a birdie putt on 17.

I would have to say it might not be choking as much as it is the golf course just being what it is.

OH NO, Harrington just smacked it back in the burn. He might make a Van De Velde before this whole thing is over.

Somewhere, a middle-aged man is drinking a Kronenberg, smiling like he just won the lottery.

Alastair Grant/AP

Forget What I Just Said

Um, everything I just typed, disregard it.

For some reason, when you get past hole 16 at Carnoustie you lose all common sense and your caddy gets some form of cotton mouth.

Romero just tried to hit a 2-iron out of the trash and hit it out-of-bounds just right of Glasgow.

Lord have mercy, Paraig just made eagle. This might be the most excited I've been at 9:12 in the morning ever.

Maybe the Argentina Open Should Be A Major?

This is one of those moments, similar to Ben Curtis in 2003, where you wish you had that "Back to the Future" sports betting book.

Argentine Andres Romero is doing his best video game impression, making nine birdies in 15 holes of the final round, including five of the six holes he's played on the back nine. If not for a blocked iron shot into a GORSEEEE bush on 12, he'd be running away with this damn thing.

Ummm, he just made another birdie, on 16, the 400-yard par-3. That is now ten birdies in 16 holes at Carnoustie, which is pretty much like hooking up with Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Cameron Diaz and Carrie Underwood all in the same night.

If Romero can hold onto this crazy tournament, he will be the second straight Argentine to win a major, plus I will have to figure out how to spell his name without have to continually fact check it.

Sergio Garcia is doing his best Sergio Garcia impression, plodding along at two-over for the day, two shots back in a tie with Padraig Harrington.

Looks like 18 will again be the deciding factor, even though it's playing downwind and seems to be the easiest hole I've ever seen playable today.

Photo courtesy of Alastair Grant/AP

Hiccup, Hiccup

Man oh man oh man oh man.

In case you're a little confused, I have never actually played in a major golf championship, but I can tell you from the television feed that the pressure has to be off the Richter Scale.

As I tried to stay awake during the early points of this round, Sergio Garcia looked to be comfortable as Steve Stricker was missing makeable birdie putts by the hundreds.

Now, it is Garcia at plus-two for the day, just one shot ahead of Stricker and having a ton of Carnoustie left with Richard Green already posting five-under for the tournament.

Green bogeyed the 18th hole to shoot 64 on Sunday, while Hunter Mahan shot a 65.

Low scores are out there, it just doesn't seem that a ton of the afternoon group is going really red. If Ernie Els can continue to par along, he might just find himself with another Claret Jug.

Poor, poor Tiger. The leaders are doing just what he needed, yet he just can't get anything going. For the first time this week, Carnoustie is showing it's teeth, making this a very watchable next three hours.

Stayed tuned, and let me know in comments who you think is going to take home the trophy.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Redington/Getty Images