Sergio Garcia was on the cusp of his first win in a major on Sunday taking a three shot advantage into the final round of the British Open. Only 40-year-old American Steve Stricker could keep anywhere close to the Spaniard and he needed a course-record equalling 64 on Saturday to do that.
With apologies to all weekend hackers, there are no mulligans in golf. Too bad, Ernie Els. He should have been right in the thick of things at the British Open after making six birdies on Saturday. Instead, he could only grumble about what might have been, knowing he’ll go to the final round needing to overcome a disheartening six-shot deficit to Sergio Garcia.
Irishman Padraig Harrington beat Sergio Garcia of Spain by one stroke in a four-hole British Open play-off on Sunday to land his maiden victory in a major and the first by a European for eight years. Harrington (35) completed the extra holes in 15 shots (level par) after the two Ryder Cup colleagues had finished the championship locked together on seven-under 277.
Ernie Els turned the air blue in frustration as putting woes continued to hamper his attempts to force his way on to the leaderboard at the Open Championship on Friday. The big South African has yet to win this year. But he had come into the tournament with high hopes of challenging after rediscovering his form in the Scottish Open.
The Open Championship organisers on Friday defended a referee accused of giving Tiger Woods preferential treatment, despite evidence that he had mistakenly offered the world number one an advantageous free drop. Woods was offered the drop by referee Alan Holmes after his ball came to rest beside television cabling in light rough during his first round on Thursday.
Sergio Garcia slayed his Carnoustie demons and left Tiger Woods trailing in his wake as he stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the Open Championship on Thursday. The Spaniard, playing immaculate golf on a course that had reduced him to tears when it last hosted the Open in 1999, shot a superb six-under-par 65 to lead by two strokes.
Retief Goosen has blasted Gary Player for claiming that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is rife in golf. Goosen, speaking after opening his British Open campaign with a one-under-par 70, said he did not agree with Player and criticised his fellow South African’s judgement in speaking out about the issue without being willing to provide any evidence.
Tiger Woods got his quest for a hat-trick of Open Championship wins off to a solid start on Thursday, carding a two-under 69 in the first round. The world number one looked comfortable despite the early morning chill and damp that saw him keep a light jacket on for the front nine and pull on thick gloves between shots to keep his hands dry and warm.
Tour golfers are taking performance-enhancing drugs and escaping sanction because the sport does not have dope testing, Gary Player said on the eve of the 136th Open Championship. ”I know there are golfers doing it [taking drugs], whether it’s HGH [human growth hormone], whether it’s creatine or whether it’s steroids,” Player said.
Ernie Els’s record in the British Open is of the highest order, but the suspicion remains that it could and should have been even better. The big South African will be playing in his 17th Open Championship at Carnoustie this week with his one win to date coming in the 2002 edition at Muirfield, where he won a four-man play-off.
Five-time Major winner Seve Ballesteros announced his retirement from golf on Monday, ending one of the most glittering careers in the modern game. The Spaniard, who won the British Open three times and the United States Masters twice, told a news conference at Carnoustie: ”This has been the most difficult decision of my life.”