U.S. Open finale marred by collapses large and small
Somewhere in France, Jean Van de Velde is chuckling over a glass of Bordeaux and some stinky cheese. The man who threw away the 1999 British Open admitted several new members to his ignominious Blown-Major Club on Sunday.
By T.J. Auclair, Junior Editor
MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- At a chateau somewhere in France, French golfer Jean Van de Velde is having a chuckle over a glass of Bordeaux and some stinky cheese and crackers.
Van de Velde, of course, will forever be remembered for blowing a three-shot lead on the final hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, making a nervy 7-footer for triple-bogey to force the playoff he eventually lost to Paul Lawrie. As far as major championship dark comedies go -- if they gave such awards -- that was an instant Oscar winner.
However, the award for most collapses in a featured major, hands down, goes to the 106th U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.
There wasn't just one goat at Winged Foot, there were four of 'em. Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie, Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington combined to play the final hole of Sunday's final round in a jaw-dropping 6-over-par.
Let's start with the smallest collapse of all and work our way up to the biggest.
Furyk was brilliant throughout the final round. In his words, "I played my heart out," as he finished with an even-par 70 to wind up at 6-over 286.
The quirky-swinging Furyk's fatal mistake was a missed par putt from short range on 18 that would have been good for a playoff with eventual champion Geoff Ogilvy.
"I'm happy that I went out there and played well today," he said. "It was a lot of fun to be back in the thick of it. But overall I'm also disappointed because I let an opportunity to win the U.S. Open slip by."
If Furyk let it slip by, Harrington's slip was akin to that of a ski crash on the steepest of icy trails. His debacle actually began on Saturday.
Playing the 18th hole at 1-over on the day in the third round, Harrington made a triple-bogey, which had a lot to do with his choice to use a utility wood from thick rough instead of pitching out. There was no pot o'gold at the end of the Irishman's rainbow with that decision. He was as shocked as a discovered leprechaun when his ball advanced roughly 10 yards and was the start of what became a devastating three-shot swing.
Harrington was going around Winged Foot masterfully on Sunday, putting together the most consistent round of the championship. After 15 holes, he was the only player in the tournament to go that far along without carding anything worse than a par.
Then came the final three holes. While he didn't make a mess of one hole in particular, three costly faux pas resulted in three straight bogeys to close his final round, and no U.S. Open for Harrington. He finished at 7-over 287.
"I'm very disappointed," he said. "You know, three pars to win the Open. It probably doesn't get any easier than that. It sounds very easy anyway. You know, I hit three good shots, got it in play. That's the way it goes. As I said, I certainly ruined this one."
If Furyk and Harrington were feeling sorry for themselves, all they had to do was watch Montgomerie and Mickelson close to realize, heck, it could have been worse.
At 5-over on the 17th tee, Montgomerie seemed out of contention. But just one stroke of genius can erase a career full of major championship tragedies.
After knocking his approach 60 feet from the hole, Monty was left with a curling left-to-right breaker -- the kind you only make on accident. Since accidents plagued this U.S. Open, why not make the putt, which is exactly what Monty did.
Looking bogey square in the eyes, Monty poured the ball into the hole, and walked off with birdie and a share of the lead with Mickelson with one hole to play.
With a perfect drive on No. 18, Monty looked poised to win that elusive first major in his 58th career attempt. Instead, after a long internal debate over whether to hit a 6-iron or 7-iron, he chose the 7 and promptly sent his 171-yard approach short and right of the green and into some gnarly rough. His pitch from the hairy stuff settled on the far left side of the green.
After three putts, Monty was in with a double-bogey 6, for a 6-over 286 total, and provided the preview for the biggest blunder to come.
"This is as difficult as it gets," Montgomerie admitted. "You wonder sometimes why you put yourself through this. I doubled the last there and Phil holed a very good putt to double the last. It?' a very tricky hole, but it shouldn't be that tricky from the fairway.
"That's my strength normally. I hit the wrong club for my second shot. We put ourselves into poor position after two shots, and then it was difficult from then on because that green is very fast."
Despite a bogey at No. 16 that put him at 4-over, Mickelson had the tournament in hand, teeing it up on No. 18 with a one-shot advantage over Ogilvy, who was in the clubhouse at 5-over.
If it weren't for Mickelson's recent run of major wins -- the 2004 and 2006 Masters and 2005 PGA Championship -- you almost would have anticipated an epic meltdown. But not the new and improved, under-control, no-need-to-always-go-for-broke-in-the-majors Mickelson.
This is the "What-will-Phil-do-next?" Phil -- the one who closes the deal in the big ones.
Not at Winged Foot, though. Perhaps, just for old time's sake, Lefty got aggressive off the 18th tee. What ensued was a monster slice that would make every hacker blush. Maybe he really is the people's champion. The shot ended up left of the fairway, nestled between thick rough and hospitality tents.
With trees obstructing Mickelson's line to the hole, he tried to be a hero. Instead of punching out and taking his medicine, Lefty swung for the fences, attempting to hit a monster cut, but a large tree had other plans for the little white ball. It caromed off the tree and back to Mickelson.
Uh-oh.
The miscue forced Mickelson to now hit the same shot just to have a chance at a playoff. The second time around, he cut it all right. The ball buried itself in the left greenside bunker, much the same as Mickelson would have liked to bury his head in the rough he just gouged it out of.
Three shots later -- just like Monty before him -- Lefty had a double-bogey 6, carded a 6-over 286 of his own, allowed Tiger Woods to remain the only player in 50 years to win three or more majors in succession and handed Ogilvy his first major.
"I still am in shock that I did that," Mickelson said. "I just can't believe that I did that. I am such an idiot.
"I just couldn't hit a fairway all day. I just couldn't hit a fairway all day. I tried to go to my bread-and-butter shot, a baby carve slice on 18, and just get into the fairway and I missed it left," he explained. "It was still OK, wasn't too bad. I just can't believe I couldn't par the last hole. It really stings.
"As a kid I dreamt of winning this tournament. I came out here and worked hard all four days, haven't made a bogey all week [on No. 18] and then double-bogeyed the last hole. Even a bogey would have gotten me into a playoff. I just can't believe I did that."
Neither could anyone watching.
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