For the second year in a row, our nation's Open Golf Championship was decided on a Monday. Unlike last year, this year's result left a bad taste in my mouth.
After battling the course, the competition and the weather for five days, Lucas Glover sank the final putt of the tournament on his 72nd hole to seal a two-shot victory.
I like Glover. He's seems quiet, polite and humble. Ordinarily, I could not ask for a better champion. But this week's storylines were anything but ordinary.
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Lucas Glover -4 Ricky Barnes -2 David Duval -2 Phil Mickelson -2 Ross Fisher -1 Soren Hansen E Hunter Mahan E Tiger Woods E |
Phil Mickelson returned after taking some time away from the game to be with his wife, Amy, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Lefty started his final round, late Sunday, six shots behind the leader, Ricky Barnes, and five behind Glover. When play resumed on Monday, Mickelson made his charge.
With a pink ribbon stitched into the side of his cap and another pinned to the bill, Mickelson stared down an eagle putt at the par-5 13th. He dropped the putt and gained a share of the lead. The tears would have been hard to hold back if Mickelson could have held on, but ultimately, his putter failed him down the stretch and he would finish in a tie for second with Barnes and David Duval.
Duval was another great story going into the final round. Here's a major championship winner and former number one ranked player in the world who had fallen to 882 in the world. He said after his round that he thinks people can relate to him better than guys like Tiger Woods because the game has kicked him around recently. I can certainly relate to that feeling.
I look forward to seeing Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open winner, at the Buick Open in July. Hopefully, I won't still be bitter.
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