A few thoughts about this years Open from our regular columnist, Martin Vousden, golf writer and former editor of Today’s Golfer
“A whimper, not a bang
So, for the second Major championship in a row we get the most anti-climactic finish imaginable. At both Bethpage Black and Turnberry we could have had a complete unknown (Ricky Barnes or Mathew Goggin) emerge blinking into the unaccustomed glare of the spotlight; a local favourite (Phil Mickelson or Lee Westwood) sending the fans into raptures, or the most improbable comeback (David Duval or Tom Watson) since Muhammad Ali gave George Foreman the rope-a-dope in Kinshasa. Oh, and in either case we could have seen Ross Fisher notch up a big one.
Sadly, in both instances what we had instead of any of these remarkable stories, was the emergence of a clean-cut, journeyman American pro as victor, first with Lucas Glover in the US, closely followed by Stewart Cink at Turnberry. And while it is true that whoever posts the lowest score after 72 holes (or in Cink’s case, 76) deserves the crown, in both instances it was the tales of those who didn’t win that contained all the drama and excitement.
Paul Lawrie has, with some justification, spent the last 10 years trying to educate the rest of us to the fact that at Carnoustie in 1999 he won the Open, rather than Jean Van de Velde lost it, but are you convinced? I suspect that Mr Cink may have to make a few similarly unconvincing statements of his own in the next few years.
Sport is a cruel mistress, and none more so than golf, who’s four day, 72 hole examination tests every last element of technique, talent, and most tellingly, nerve. And when the big questions were finally asked, both Westwood (three bogies in his last four holes) and Watson – who performed in the playoff like the weary old man he no doubt felt himself to be – had no answers.
So congratulations Stewart Cink, who has earned our respect but not yet our love.
Other Open thoughts
The golf course was everything we were led to believe it would be – and more. But thank heaven the wind blew over the last three rounds to show that it has teeth as well as beauty.
Both Tom Watson and Stewart Cink left the clubhouse in buggies at the same time for the long drive to the first playoff hole, but Watson was left on the tee for a full three or four minutes before Cink joined him. Was this gamesmanship?
Retief Goosen is definitely the most boring man in the world – he would make a sloth on Nitrazepam look animated in comparison, but he does at last seem to be putting his putting worries behind him, so it was good to see him (almost) in the thick of it again.
Winners like Cink really should be banned from thanking God for victory, or dedicating their win to Him. What’s he saying – that God doesn’t like Tom Watson, or the other 154 competitors who didn’t win? I’ve always felt that one’s spiritual beliefs (or lack of them) are among the most private parts of one’s life and should not be shared with strangers unless invited so please, give us all a break and thank your God as he should be thanked, on your knees, and on your own.
The BBCs coverage was its exemplary self but I am of the growing number who believes that Peter Alliss may be past his sell-by date. If you actually listen to what he says, rather than just be soothed by the mellifluous tone, it’s often just a load of old waffle. People like Wayne Grady, Sam Torrance and Ken Brown are much more informative, lively and in touch with the current crop of players.
That nice lad Andrew Cotter seems to be being groomed for greater things and Mark James, as ever, could be relied on for a few choice comments. At one point during the final day he quoted Jay Haas as saying: ‘The difference between praying in church and praying on the golf course is that on the course you really mean it.’
Earlier, following one of those sad Hazel Irvine interviews in the locker room, Jesse remarked: ‘A marvellous performance there, beating John Daly’s record of 10 logos in view at the same time.’ Incidentally, don’t you find it just a tad bad mannered that all the players now keep their hats on, even when being interviewed indoors, because they’re obliged to offer their major sponsor as much TV exposure as possible?
But I thought Mark James surpassed his own high standards by saying of one shot: ‘That was more crooked than and MPs expenses’.
PS
A lot of the pre-Open publicity focussed on the spat between Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, when the former suggested that the latter had taken a drop, in Jakarta four years ago, that was both highly favourable to him and highly questionable. Sandy is right on both counts and it’s about time someone of his stature said so.”
There’s more of Martin’s stuff here, here and here.
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