Look at some of the players that we expected a lot more from this week and didn't deliver
Disappoint all around for Chris Wood, Simon Wakefield, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Jim Furyk.
Photo: © Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images | | A bogey at the last hole cost Chris Wood a invite to the Masters. |
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So we got through a major championship without Tiger Woods, yes we got a bit of surprise on Sunday when amateur Chris Wood worked his way up the leaderboard, shades of Justin Rose from ten years ago. The difference between Wood finish today and Rose a decade ago, Rose chipped in for birdie to finish T4th. If Wood could of accomplished the same feat and chip in for birdie he would of finished 3rd alone. Unfortunately he wasn't able to chip in or even get it up and down and the bogey cost him a trip to the Masters (those in the top four got the invite). How close did Wood come to really winning, not close. He know on the tenth tee that he was just three back but as he said afterward, "It's probably not by day." As for the immediate future he isn't planning on turning professional.
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Photo: © Andrew Redington/Getty Images) | | Simon Wakefield had a disappointing finish on Sunday. |
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Another Englishman that showed some potential was Simon Wakefield. Now the pressure is intense to become the first Englishman to win the British Open on foreign soil, it hasn't been accomplished in 40 years since Tony Jacklin did it in 1969. So when Westwood got within a couple a shots at the turn it was a big disappointment to finish bogey, par, triple-bogey, par. His back nine 43 turned a good round into a 79 and with it he dropped into a T19th and with it won't get an automatic invite next year at Turnberry. Still he is a rising player and the $75,000 that he earned this week raised him to 68th on the European order of Merit so with a couple of weeks off he will be ready for the home stretch on the European Tour schedule.
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Photo: © Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images | | Tournament favorite Sergio Garcia didn't play like a favorite this week. |
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Other disappoints this week was the favorite Sergio Garcia. He shot 78 on Sunday and finished T51st. His problem was with just about every part of his game, he was T35th in driving accuracy, was T49th in greens hit missing half of them and was T42nd in putting. Five three putts and four doubles played havoc for him. The stretch of holes 10, 11 and 12 were brutal for him as he was 8 over on them. Now Garcia won the Players Championship which is a really big deal, but in the majors it's been a bust for him missing the cut at the Masters, T18th at the U.S. Open and now T51st.
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Photo: © Richard Heathcote/Getty Images | | Another bewildering week for Phil Mickelson with the putter. |
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Another bust was Phil Mickelson, again a very inconsistent week shooting 79-68-76-71. Of course it was a serious of excuses from Mickelson, first how well he hit the ball in the wind but didn't capitalise on some of the shots that he hit. More for him to worry about, his putting. This week he finished T75th and he admits that it's been a problem for him this year. "When I had a couple of good putting weeks, like at Colonial and L.A., I ended up winning," Mickelson said. He knows that he can do better and will be working on nothing but putting before the Bridgestone in two weeks.
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Photo: © Stuart Franklin/Getty Images | | Ernie Els got off to a poor start on Thursday |
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Another player we can't explain this week was Ernie Els. 80-69-74-69, he was the only player in the field other than Padraig Harrington to break 70 twice. Of course that was the good side of his week, but again Els is frustrated with his game and lack of consistency. He played himself out of the tournament shooting 45 on the back nine on Thursday. If he could of played it around even par he would of been contending with Padraig. Again no rhyme or reason to what ails his game, this week he didn't hit many fairways and plans on flying to Las Vegas next week to work with Butch Harmon before the Bridgestone. We just wonder if it's the mechanics of his game or if it isn't mental. He swings the ball as smoothly as before, he putts as well as he always has, his bunker play is top quality but his game isn't the level that it was three or four years ago. Just wonder if all of these sessions with Butch Harmon will pay off.
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Photo: © Richard Heathcote/Getty Images | | With Jim Furyk's finish on Sunday, it will give him more confidence to defend his title in Canada. |
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One last person that kicks himself for this weekend is Jim Furyk. Between the 10th hole on Saturday and the 2nd hole on Sunday he was nine over par, what more do I have to say. But he did get things together playing his last 16 holes in one under, which will feel great on the plane to Canada. For Furyk he will again be the top favorite in the Canadian Open.
Other disapointments saw Justin Rose finish 70th, that isn't helping his Ryder Cup cause as he is 10th with a hot Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter right behind him. But his lack of good play isn't giving Ryder Cup Captain Justin Rose any reasons to make him a wild card pick. Those that helped there cause this week was Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter, both of them gave Faldo a message with their T3rd and runner-up finish. If I was to look into my crystal ball I would say that those on the team right now are Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington. The rest of the spots will be wide open as even players like Colin Montgomerie will have to play better in the next month to make the team.
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