PHIL MICKELSON - CHAMPION GOLFER !

And so it was not to be Westwood's year.

 

After going into the final round of the Open Championship with a 2 shot lead, which was extended to 3 at one point, Lee Westwood's bid for immortality eventually faded away with a string of wayward blows. Tiger Woods challenge never materialised though Ian Poulter made a determined bid from several strokes back, though he also faltered towards the end. Others came and went at the front, including my own choice for the title, Adam Scott, who looked a near certainty before either the course or his nerves, or both, produced several dropped shots in quick succession.

 

At the death it was the American Phil Mickelson who burst out of the pack with a magnificent round of 66 and claimed a title he's always coveted. Mickelson's eventual winning margin of 3 shots was a true reflection of his dominance on a day when few others made a real challenge and most of the round 3 leaders simply fell away. It was his 5th major triumph and he also became the first golfer to win the Scottish Open and The Open in successive weeks. Westwood finished third, alongside Ian Poulter and Adam Scott, 4 shots behind, while the runner-up was the hardly-mentioned Henrik Stenson.

 

Mickelson is one of those sportsmen about whom it's very hard to find anything bad to say. He is always courteous and polite, he smiles a lot with no effort and he truly loves his sport. He also loves his family and is effusive in his thanks to and praise for others; in short Phil Mickelson is a truly great sportsman. If he has one slight drawback, it's that he's American and not British, but he's also such a great gentleman I'm even prepared to forgive him that and cheer him on.

 

Well done, Phil Mickelson, "Winner of the Gold Medal and Champion Golfer for the Year" !

WESTWOOD FLIES THE FLAG AS ROSE, McILROY AND DONALD DISAPPOINT.

As usual, the media built up British expectations to fever pitch prior to the start of the Open Golf Championship, this year being played at the Muirfield course in North Berwick.

 

Would McIlroy regain his form ? Could Rose add 'The Open' to his US Open title ? Might it be time for Donald to win his first major ? In the event, none of these three vaunted players has even survived to play the last 2 rounds, having failed to make the half-way cut. Yet again, the great British media built them up only to see them fall flat.

 

Muirfield has proved to be a very hard test, even though the weather has been beautiful. Warm and sunny, no rain and just a bit of wind, and yet the world's finest golfers have struggled to break par. With 2 rounds completed, Spain's 'old man', Miguel Angel Jimenez, has the lead at three under par, but he's hotly pursued by another 9 players within 3 strokes, including the ominously placed Tiger Woods. Jimenez's immediate pursuers are a mixed bunch, though, including 4 from the US, another Spaniard, a Swede, an Argentinian, a Scot and an Englishman.

 

The Englishman who's emerged as the current leading contender is Lee Westwood, now getting a bit long in the tooth but playing some lovely golf before losing his way a bit over the last 6 holes of round 2. Martin Laird of Scotland is there and looking good while the 2011 winner, Darren Clarke from Northern Ireland, and England's Ian Poulter are only another shot behind. Also close at hand is my tip for the title, Adam Scott, the Australian who missed out narrowly last year and is on one over par.

 

Who will win ?

JUSTIN ROSE COMES GOOD !

In 2005, an 18 year old Andy Murray burst upon the tennis world as a somewhat skinny but obviously talented player; his early promise was finally fulfilled in 2012 when, as a much more muscular specimen, he became the first Briton for 76 years to win one of the 'Grand Slam' tournaments of tennis, the US Open.

 

Yesterday, another former teenage prodigy achieved a similar feat.

 

Justin Rose first came to notice as far back as the 1998 Open championship at Royal Birkdale when, as a not-quite 18 year-old, he tied for 4th place being beaten only by Mark, O'Meara and Brian Watts who tied for first place and Tiger Woods. On that memorable occasion, Rose beat his then fellow amateur Sergio Garcia by no less than 10 shots, but their careers followed very different courses thereafter.

 

Rose turned professional immediately after his Open performance and Garcia joined him in the following spring but while Garcia enjoyed considerable early success, Rose had a miserable time and missed the cut in all of his first 21 professional events. It seemed that his career might be over almost before it had begun but he persevered and gradually began to prosper, at least a little. Garcia, meanwhile, became one of the world's leading players and was frequently touted as a likely winner of one of the four 'Majors'. 

 

Over time, Garcia has had his ups and downs but he's still to win that elusive 'Major'. Rose, on the other hand, has kept going and slowly but surely overhauled his more illustrious rival, rising to the giddy heights of number 3 in the world. Yesterday, the boy from 1998 finally came to full manhood by becoming the first Englishman since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win the US Open Golf Championship and the first Englishman to win any 'Major' since Nick Faldo lifted his third 'Masters' title in 1996.

 

One of the 'Sky' commentators referred to Rose as a 'plodder', a somewhat derogatory term on the face of things but probably meant rather differently. Rose actually played the best golf of any of the leading contenders in the final round, being cautious and ensuring that he avoided trouble. On a difficult course, it was the best way and, if that's 'plodding', give me a plodder every time.

 

The original 'Open Championship' will get underway at Muirfield on 14th July with the main event starting on 18th. Rose must now be considered as one of the favourites to win that event but, whoever wins, it will hard to match the tension and excitement of yesterday's last round as he, Mickelson, Mahan and Stricker fought it out to the last.

 

And finally, a word for poor old Phil Mickelson who came up one place short yet again at the US Open, the sixth time he's suffered that agony. Mickelson is one of the real gentlemen of world sport and it was very sad to see his obvious distress at the end; most unusually for him, he didn't even have a public word of congratulation for the winner when interviewed after the tournament, though I think we can forgive him that lapse given his previous immaculate record in such matters and his obvious heartbreak at yesterday's outcome. He will, of course, be back and will be a front-runner at Muirfield; perhaps he'll even 'return the favour' to Rose and win our Championship for the first time !