WOMEN’S PRO AMATEUR
JUNIOR GATEWAY
Last Man
Standing
Graeme McDowell
Thompson Says
Yes To S2s ( 4)
U. S. Open
Day-By-Day ( 8-9)
Len Shapiro on
Tom Watson ( 12)
If Sunday's final round of the U.S. Open
had been a reality show, all the favorites
would have been voted off the island.
The winner was a terrier from North-
ern Ireland named Graeme McDowell; the
runner-up an obscure Frenchman called
Gregory Havret.
One of the last men in McDowell's path
at treacherous Pebble Beach was Ernie
Els, a guy who should have known better
but performed worse. As late as the eighth
hole, Els and McDowell were tied for the
lead. Quicker than you can say “Big Un-
easy,” Els went bogey, double-bogey and
never seriously threatened again.
As for 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson?
In 10 monosyllabic words or less, he is
big, young, strong, lean, quick, fast, sure,
cool, deft and long. Sunday, he was gone.
The three-shot lead he took to the first tee
disappeared before Bob Costas had
knotted his tie.
Tiger Woods? The world's No. 1 player
bogeyed six of the first 12 holes while star-
ing at a gaping opportunity big enough to
drive a 2009 Cadillac SUV through. For his
part, Phil Mickelson, who birdied the first,
seemed to get lost after that in the haze of
the marine layer.
This U.S. Open will not be remembered
so much as a full examination as it will
be a full exposure of the shortcomings of
a bunch of famous golfers who forgot to
study the Cliff's Notes.
All credit to Graeme McDowell.
