Deadspin: the open championship

Sergi...NO! (Do You See What I Did There?)

Unsilent Majority — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:45:08 EDT

Holy shit. My boy Paddy Harrington did everything he could to hand Sergio Garcia his first Major Championship. He even hit a ball into the burn on the last hole...twice! When Garcia stepped on to the 18th tee he knew he needed par to take home the (Maurice) Claret Jug. You just had to know he'd find a way to fuck up the golden opportunity; he didn't disappoint. After the skittish Spaniard (waggle waggle) dropped his approach into the bunker he needed and up-and-down for the win. Well the sand shot drifted about eight feet past the hole and Sergio's alleged BFF, the belly putter, failed him miserably. And there's your tie.

The two golfers are now back on the course drawing for position in the upcoming 4-hole playoff. Bodog lists both competitors at -110 going into the extra frames. I'm not sure I'd bet on either guy at this point.

UPDATE: My pre-tournament prediction holds water as Paddy Harrington dispatched Sergio Garcia in the playoff. This time nobody hit the ball in the burn/bern but it was still pretty exciting. Maybe next time they could play an entire 18 hole playoff comprised entirely of the 18th hole. That would kick substantial ass. Congratulations to Paddy on his first major, and for becoming the second Irishman to ever win The Open Championship. Additional congratulations to commenter Ukrainenotweak for putting $30 down on Paddy at 25-1.

You Didn't Have To Be Kreskin To See This Coming

Unsilent Majority — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:45:34 EDT

We're past the halfway point in the final round of the Open Championship and Sergio Garcia is slowly working his way back to the field. Either he's simply trying to add some drama to the final nine holes at Carnoustie or he really is going to blow it in epic fashion. So far he's given two stokes back to the course and all of a sudden he's found himself in a tie at -7 under with my pick, "Irish" Padraig Harrington and Andres "The Argentine" Romero.

There are plenty of other potential champions lurking on the course but the round of the day has already been completed by Richard Green. The relatively unknown Aussie matched the record-setting round of 64 fired yesterday by Steve Stricker. With a -5 finish Green can enjoy a leisurely afternoon as the leader in the clubhouse with a pint of Fosters. The ever-dangerous Ernie Els is surely giving the trio of leaders something to think about. After nailing a crucial par put he remains just one stroke back.

Tiger Woods just wrapped up his round, he finished five strokes back of the current leaders at -2. I hate to be a Debbie Downer but I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's probably out of this thing

Update: Pars are for pussies! This Romero kid is kicking some serious ass right now. He's moved to -9 through 17 and he could be on his way to joining countryman Angel Cabrera as a 2007 major championship winner.

Sergio Garcia Retains Lead At Carnoustie; Enjoys a Michelob

Unsilent Majority — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:45:08 EDT

The last time The Open Championship strolled through Carnoustie Sergio Garcia looked like a an overwhelmed high school player who struggled to break 90 both days. Eight years later he's back in Scotland and he's just one round away from becoming this year's wire-to-wire champion. There's no question that he's done an outstanding job setting the stage for tomorrow's Van de Veldean style collapse. The only player within reasonable striking distance of the Spaniard is last season's Comeback Player of the Year, Steve Stricker. He stands three back at -6 after humbling the hallowed grounds with a record-setting 64.

A victory tomorrow will change the way everyone thinks about Sergio. His much-maligned performances in previous Championships would be tossed out the window and he might just start to gain back some respect on tour. But let's be real, nobody wants to see that happen. The real story of the tournament is the affable Stricker.

The Wisconsin native is playing about as well as anybody in the world right now and I couldn't be more thrilled to see him back on top. I had a chance to follow Stricker at US Open qualifying back when his game had fallen apart. Even though it was a frustrating time in his career he was about as likable as one could be.

Padraig Harrington, my pick to win, is lumped in a large group at -3 containing other stars such as Ernie Els and one of my personal favorites, Chris DiMarcco. Keep an eye out for those guys tomorrow, DiMarcco's claw style putting grip could get hot and knock off Garcia and his fruity belly putter. Go Gators.