There were many big storylines found at Sandwich, England last week during the 2011 British Open. By the end of the tournament, that number had shrunk significantly. Amateur Tom Lewis of the U.K. had a share of the lead after the first day, then faltered. However, he made the cut and finished as the top amateur, no small honor, at +9.
Two of the big favorites, and among my favorites, were Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. They responded to the pressure by wilting in the rain flurries and blowing wind, failing to make the cut.
Remarkably, several Americans showed good form all four days--that was the second biggest story. Some biased commentators kept referring to the choke job performed by Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. Are you kidding me? Two problems with that. First, the biggest story, Darren Clarke, gobbled up the course in all conditions, earning the victory with the best tee-to-green performance. If he had made more putts, he would have won by at least eight shots. You could call some of his misses "choke jobs," too.
As for Mickelson and Johnson, give them credit for being in contention on Sunday. It's impossible to win a major without putting yourself in contention on Sunday. Mickelson had played three steady days leading to Sunday, where he was six under after ten holes! That's not choking. Did he miss an easy putt on eleven? Yes. Was he wayward with a few drives on the final seven holes? Yes. Did he miss a few more makeable putts? Yes. Did he land one in the bleachers beside the green? Yes. Does everybody do it? Yes.
Commentators Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger were particularly harsh on Johnson, since they had fingered him as the "obvious" favorite on Sunday. They could not understand how a man of Johnson's skill could drive a ball out of bounds on the 14th hole. Ridiculous! Johnson and Mickelson wound up tied for second place, three shots behind Clarke. To finish second at a British Open under such difficult conditions is a huge accomplishment, especially if you're a so-called "soft" American.
Finishing second at a major is no crime, and it certainly is no choke. Jack Nicklaus ,who may be best known for winning 18 majors and being the greatest golfer of all time, also finished second or tied for second in 17 other majors. Who would call Nicklaus a choke artist? Some weeks you win it all; some weeks you don't. Both Mickelson and Johnson put themselves in a good place for Sunday's final round. That's all you can ask for.
Meanwhile, Darren Clarke was criticized by the same American ESPN commentators for shifting his eyes during putting. They made it sound like he had Marty Feldman or Jack Elam eyes and thus would be handicapped down the stretch. Clarke missed a few, but he made more putts than he missed on Sunday. Everybody has a different putting style. Get used to it.
I give Clarke credit for not crying when prompted to by interviewers after the round. Yes, he lost his wife to cancer in 2006. Yes, a once-talented golfer had been given up for dead by the elite competition until this year. Yes, he was known more for being a heavy drinker, good-hearted soul, and Ferrari hobbyist than a seriously competing golfer in 2010. Yet, Clarke didn't crow or boast. He also didn't do a phony "aw-shucks" routine and wallow in bathos in an act of pandering for endorsements. Darren Clarke is a man.
Other Americans who had a fine week at Royal St. George's included youngsters Rickie Fowler and Anthony Kim, midsters Chad Campbell and Lucas Glover, and old veterans Davis Love III and Steve Stricker. Of the eight Americans who finished in the top 12, only Stricker was chosen by me to finish in the top 20.
Best of all (and I'm truly glad my predictions were wrong), Americans like Mickelson, Fowler, and Love were yukking it up at day's end, genuinely happy for Darren Clarke. In contrast, former golf poster boy of the summer, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, complained about the weather and the course while splitting with his longtime girlfriend to "celebrity upgrade" to a women's tennis champion. It's nice to see somebody besides an American with a prominent character issue! Tables turned!
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