Major Focus Last Man Standing It had been 40 years since a European had won the US Open. But down the stretch on a breezy Sunday afternoon at Pebble Beach, after Tiger, Phil and Ernie had let their chances fall by the wayside, only two men had a shot at victory: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and Gregory Havret of France. McDowell (pictured here lagging his approach putt at the par-five eighteenth) did just enough to edge out Havret with a final round 74, the highest last day score by a winner since Andy North prevailed in 1985. CONTINUED OVERLEAF...
Photograph by AFP
McDowell, known as GMAC to his European Tour chums, was the only player who didn't finish the event in black numbers. His winning level-par total of 284 – a score that would have delighted the powers that be at the USGA – was sufficient to claim the first-place cheque of US$1,350,000. As befits America's national championship – without question the most gruelling tournament on the international golf calendar – it was a frustrating day for many players. 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson, arguably the PGA Tour's longest hitter, imploded after a triple bogey at the second and a double on the third. Ernie Els, who led for most of the first nine, struggled around Pebble's fiendishly difficult coastal holes, racking up bogeys like they were going out of fashion. Phil Mickelson knocked in a birdie putt from off the green at the first, but soon spiraled out of contention. While Tiger Woods, whose brilliant birdie-birdie finish to his third round the night before vaulted him back into championship contention, failed to find any rhythm to his swing nor touch with his putter to slide back down the leaderboard and into a share of fourth. All of which suited McDowell absolutely fine. While it would be wrong to suggest that the 30-year-old was entirely nerveless over the tumbling fairways and tiny, angled greens of the Monterey Peninsula layout, the hard and fast conditions at Pebble suited the Ulsterman down
Monterey Moments: Tiger Woods (top) reacts after nailing a spectacular three-wood into the eighteenth green of his third round; 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson (bottom) attempts a shot lefthanded after finding himself in trouble at the second hole on the final day. Johnson would make a triple bogey at the hole.
The US Open
Pebble Beach Golf Links, June 17-20, 2010 1 2 3 4= 6= 8= 12= 14= 16= 10
Graeme McDOWELL (NIR) Gregory HAVRET (FRA) Ernie ELS (RSA) Phil MICKELSON (USA) Tiger WOODS (USA) Matt KUCHAR (USA) Davis LOVE III (USA) Brandt SNEDEKER (USA) Martin KAYMER (GER) Alex CEJKA (GER) Dustin JOHNSON (USA) Sean O’HAIR (USA) Tim CLARK (RSA) Ben Curtis (USA) Justin LEONARD (USA) Peter HANSON (SWE) Scott LANGLEY (USA) Lee WESTWOOD (ENG) Jim FURYK (USA) Russell HENLEY (USA) Charl SCHWARTZEL (RSA)
HK Golfer・AUG/SEP 2010
71 68 71 74 73 71 69 72 73 68 72 73 75 66 73 73 74 72 66 75 74 72 74 68 75 74 68 71 75 74 69 71 74 71 72 72 70 72 74 73 71 70 66 82 76 71 70 73 72 72 72 74 78 70 75 68 72 73 73 73 73 76 74 69 75 69 77 71 74 71 76 71 72 75 74 71 73 74 72 73 74 71 74 73
284 285 286 287 287 288 288 289 289 289 289 290 290 291 291 292 292 292 292 292 292
$1,350,000 $810,000 $480,687 $303,119 $303,119 $228,255 $228,255 $177,534 $177,534 $177,534 $177,534 $143,714 $143,714 $127,779 $127,779 $108,458 $108,458 $108,458 $108,458 $108,458 $108,458
to the ground. Reared on the famous links at Portrush, a hour's drive north of Belfast, he used his extensive links course knowledge to great effect. While others faltered when chasing the game, McDowell played educated, near risk-free golf, safe in the knowledge that pars would earn him a maiden championship victory. "Pebble Beach is a links course, it plays like an Irish course, which helped me a lot this week," said McDowell in the winner's press conference. Later that evening, long after he had been swamped on the final green by his father Kenny upon sinking the final putt and long after the ensuing presentation ceremony and media obligations, McDowell lifted up the weighty US Open trophy to read the names of champions past. As a self-confessed golf trivia nut, McDowell already knew whose were inscribed, but the act was enough to send a shiver down his spine. "Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and, erm, me," said McDowell. "I'm not quite sure if I belong on that list. But, hey, I'm there." HKGOLFER.COM