The British Open 2012: Another Epic Fail at an Open and the Return of Another Epic Hero

  The 2012 British Open concluded on Sunday with an overused scenario of late in major tournaments: the leader stumbled, allowing an earlier finisher who had a strong final round to claim victory. Last year at the Masters it was Rory McIlroy who did the colossal collapse in the final round. This year at the U. S. Open it was Jim Furyk. At the British Open on Sunday, it was Australian Adam Scott.
  Scott had a five-shot lead at one point. He had a four-shot lead with four holes to play. Did he have a one-hole meltdown like Tiger Woods, who dared a pot bunker and lost, resulting in a triple-bogey? No. Scott's epic fail was methodical and meticulous, one bogey at a time. 
  As writer David Dusek reported, Scott's biggest bonehead move was using a fairway wood from the 18th tee, putting the fairway pot bunkers into play. However, by that time the Aussie was a shell of his former steady self. On the 17th, he had pulled his second shot into the rough near the green, resulting in a bogey. On the 16th, he had missed a three-foot putt, resulting in a bogey. He also heard the roar of the crowd on the 18th when Ernie Els sank a long putt, resulting in a birdie and a two-under par round of 68. 
  Rattled, Scott approached the 18th in a tie with Els, who was wolfing down a sandwich by the clubhouse. All Scott had to do was shoot par to gain a four-hole playoff. In case you had forgotten, Scott's caddy was Tiger Woods' former caddy, Stevie Williams. Williams had to know a fairway wood was the one club NOT to use on the 18th tee. Did Scott foolishly reject Williams' advice? If he had to reject the prudent suggestion of an iron, he could have at least been a man like Els and used a driver. He didn't. The fairway wood choice led to an impossible pot bunker lie, which led to a sideways pitch-out. 
  Scott wasn't done. He hit a great iron to leave him with a ten-foot putt on a relatively flat green. Unfortunately for him, the putt just drifted left at the last moment, and Scott found himself with his fourth consecutive bogey and second place all to himself.
  Ernie Els backed into his fourth major victory, two British Opens and two U. S. Opens. Symmetry. He was not undeserving. He had shot four-under par on the back nine on Sunday. He had not only sunk two long putts, but he had defied the late-for-the-party stiff winds by using his driver at every opportunity. He played like a champion, and Els acknowledged another champion, South African President Nelson Mandela, in his gracious speech on the 18th green while accepting the Claret Jug.
  To his credit, Adam Scott did interviews after the collapse. Will he ever win a major tournament? At 32, Scott's in his golfing prime. What did he do after the interviews? Perhaps Jim Furyk bought him a drink at some out-of-the-way pub.
  Who were the winners and losers of the week besides Els and Scott?  First, eight Americans finished in the top 20. Second, 52-year-old Mark Calcavecchia had a top ten finish, tied for ninth seven strokes off the pace.