lookupsport

What a fantastic weekend of sport, with the European Grand Prix, a “weakened” England cricket team in pole position and one of the most exciting finished to The Open ever.

It’s not just hindsight, but I did say on Saturday that I doubted Sergio Garcia would hold on to his 3 stroke lead to lift the Claret jug.  I thought though that the challenge might have come from Ernie Els and not either Romero or Padraig Harrington. 

After 6 holes I was wishing I had put my money where my mouth was when Els was on a charge but this soon fell away - how must he rue the 8 he took the day before.

However, with the course according to the experts playing “easy for the last 4 holes”, it seemed it was all down to nerves, and not so much who was going to win it but who was going to lose it.  First Romero and then Harrington threw away 2 shot leads over the closing holes, with Harrington hitting into the bairn twice on 18.

The psychology books tell you to avoid looking at the score board if possible, so as not to put yourself under extra pressure.  Romero admits to knowing he was in the lead when teeing off on 17 and then changing his mind on which club to use for his second shot - the demons of self doubt and pressure costing him the Championship.

Harrignton seemed to avoid looking at the scoreboard and Garcia when they had to pass each other at one point, but still let his nerves get the better of him. It must be impossible these days to not know what the score is.

Garcia, who has shown his fraility of mind on more than one occasion in the past “only” had to make parr on 18, but only managed a bogey 5 having found the bunker and then saw his putt to win spin round the inside of the cup before shooting out.  The toughness of the 18th showed, in that 5 out of the last 6 players made either bogey or double bogey.  All this though made for riveting entertainment for all of those except the friends and family of the players involved no doubt.

The 4 hole play off was pretty much decided after the first hole when Garcia bogeyed and Harrington made birdie, although Garcia had a half chance to force sudden death.

Garcia has said that he had a large number of putts lip out during his last round, but really he hit some loose shots early on, putting himself under too much pressure on he green.  I’m not sure how he will come back from this - I fear he could be another Colin Montgomerie, and never actually win a major, but only time will tell.

The best thing for me about the entire final round was that not only was it exciting but I really didn’t mind who won - I was just glad that neither Tiger Woods or any other American were in contention.  Finally a European winner to the best championship in the World.