It was one of the ugliest rounds of golf at one of the most
picturesque venues on Earth, and it had a beautiful ending.
The final day of the 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links
was a frustrating chess match against a terrain as unforgiving as a
life sentence.
The course humbled the best golfers in the world. The
championship begged for someone to take control. But golfer after
golfer, the most gifted players fell by the wayside, humanized by
the demanding greens and narrow fairways.
PEBBLE BEACH
It was one of the ugliest rounds of golf at one of the most picturesque venues on Earth, and it had a beautiful ending.
The final day of the 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links was a frustrating chess match against a terrain as unforgiving as a life sentence.
The course humbled the best golfers in the world. The championship begged for someone to take control. But golfer after golfer, the most gifted players fell by the wayside, humanized by the demanding greens and narrow fairways.
Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods, a trio of golf’s prominent figures, all jostled for the top spot. But each faltered under the pressure. Where perfection and precise ball striking was of the utmost importance, a mortal frailty and human error quelled championship aspirations.
The leader by three strokes going into the final day, Dustin Johnson, had a catastrophic collapse to begin his round, dropping six shots through the first four holes en route to an 11-over par day.
As late afternoon approached, it seemed that no one wanted it.
Instead, Graeme McDowell, of Northern Ireland, steadied his nerves and became the first European to win the U.S. Open in 40 years. He did it with an even par championship.
“I think I have died and gone to heaven for sure,” McDowell said following his round. “It’s a very special feeling to pick this trophy up on the 18th green, one of the most special golf courses in the planet.”
Embraced by his father on the 18th green after sinking a short putt to win, the moment washed away the battle that had just ensued on the 7,040-yard landscape.
“There’s not too many bad golfers on this trophy,” McDowell said. “And to join an elite list of names, I mean, careers are defined by Major championships and my career’s off and running today.”
McDowell joins Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Woods to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Each had their memorable moments, and at the foundation of them all were the jagged yet spectacular cliffs, the chilly ocean breeze and the never-ending panoramic views of Pebble Beach.
Isn’t golf considered a gentlemen’s game? Polite, sophisticated and soothing … not in the gallery. It’s every man and woman for themselves. Enlightening experience, and probably why most of the reporters watch what unfolds on the course from the media tent.
Walking the grounds on the final day of the U.S. Open, being sucked into the Woods’ vortex was unavoidable.
A sea of people in the gallery, jockeying for a glimpse at the man who has carried the PGA on his shoulders for 14 years – and a man who has been scrutinized under the proverbial microscope since an early-November morning last year.
From the moment Woods walked onto the driving range prior to his final round, as one member of the grandstands exclaimed, “You can feel his presence.”
That person was correct. There is a mystique, as an undeniable aura envelops the onlookers as he passes by.
But Woods seems different now, a meager form of the confident and cocky No. 1 golfer in the world. Though he is still ranked at the top, his demeanor has changed, but the crowds that surround him are rougher than ever.
Was it a Major championship or a rock concert?
People packed so tightly that once you are in the cluster, it’s not easy to get out. The Marshals try their best to keep the gallery subdued when a golfer tees up and, it’s not as quiet as it appears on TV. There are always whispers and more jostling for position. Once he hits, you better be prepared to move or else it’s a few elbows and shoves.
It was clear Woods has become as regular as the next guy. Any tournament is wide open and the other competitors are starting to realize that. There is no more looking over their shoulder to see what Woods is doing.
However, he is still the man to see on tour and will continue to draw the largest following. Golf is better off with the new Woods. There is still plenty of drama but a lot less domination.
