Final Britsh Open thoughts

As you might expect we have a few final thoughts on the British Open. Read on!

Tom Watson: What a shame. Is there a golf fan alive who wasn't hoping for the miracle? We were all having flashbacks to 1980 and listening to Al Michaels in our heads. But alas, even though we believed in miracles, it was not to be. Not this time. One super hard bounce on the approach to the 72nd hole seemed to seal Watson's fate. All the talk has been about the 8-foot putt he so nervously stroked. Now, we realize it's easy to second guess these decisions and I'm sure old Tom lost a few winks of sleep Sunday night pondering whether he should have just maybe gently pitched the ball onto the edge of the green and let it trickle to the hole. But, one of the best pitchers of the ball in modern times, chose to putt up the fringe and down to the hole. At best it's 25% guess work. Even sitting on our couch nine hours and six thousand miles removed we were shouting at the ball to stop. When it failed to halt its momentum where we desired, our hearts sank. We knew the inevitable was about to happen.

Stewart Cink: Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. If you happen to be in the half of the population of the world that follows him on Twitter, then you know what we're talking about. In the end Stewart got the job done with a clutch performance.
Okay, we have had enough of expectant husbands playing in a major tournament and declaring, “I don't care where I am or what my position is in the tournament, I'm outta here the second I get the call.” It was okay for Phil the first time, but now it's becoming melodramatic especially for television announcers. Enough is enough. If you think you might have to leave in the middle of the event, why bother to play? Leave the drama for the playing of the event.

ABC: Too bad ABC doesn't get to do more events. We know there's a whole lot of corporate and political wrangling, but it's a shame. Tirico is settling without being overbearing in rhetoric and Azinger has a wonderful touch when explaining what's happening and the significance of the situation. We need more of them!

Rick Reilly: While Reilly can be a bit over the top at times, his essay at the conclusion of the tournament focusing on the gentleman qualities of Tom Watson (as compared to another TW) was a masterpiece.
What can the British Open do for a three-peat to keep the seniors interested? In 2008 it was Norman and this year it was Watson. My pick for 2010 is Mark O'Meara who, in case you didn't notice, also made the cut a finished all 72 holes.