THIS WEEK'S NEWS & NOTES

British Open Notes

Sergio Garcia has played in 36 majors and eleven times he was close to the leaders after 2nd round and screwed the poach. Here is all of the majors that he could of won during his career if he could of kept things together after 36 holes.

1999 PGA Championship
after 2nd round is 2 back of Tiger Woods Shots 68-71 but Tiger shots 68-72 and wins by one

2000 British Open
after 2nd round is T3rd, 4 back of Tiger Woods shots 73-76 and finishes T36th, 17 back of Woods

2001 U.S. Open
After 2nd round is T4th, 2 back Shots 3rd round 68 and isT3rd, one back Final round 77 finished T12th, 7 back of Goosen

2002 Masters
After 2nd round is T4th, four back Shots 3rd round 70 and is T4th, four back Final round 75 finished 8th, 8 back of Tiger Woods

2002 U.S. Open
After 2nd round is T3rd, seven back of Tiger Woods Shots 3rd round 67 and is 2nd four back of Woods Final round 74 and finished 4th, six back of Woods

2003 British Open
After 2nd round is T4th, 3 back of leader Shots 3rd round 70 and is T3rd, 2 back of leader Final round 74 and finished T10th, 5 back of winner Ben Curtis

2005 U.S. Open
After 2nd round is T6th, 2 back of leaders Shots 3rd round 75 and is T15th, 8 back of leaders Final round 70 and finished T3rd, five back of Michael Campbell

2005 British Open
After 2nd round is T10th, six back of leader Tiger Woods Shots 3rd round 69 and is T5th, four back of leader Woods Final round 73 and finished T5th, 7 back of Woods

2006 British Open
After 2nd round is T9th, 7 back of leader Tiger Woods Shots 3rd round 65 and is T2nd, one back of Woods Final round 73 and finished T5th, 7 back of Woods

2006 PGA Championship
After 2nd round is T12th, 3 back of leader Shots 3rd round 67 and is T5th, 4 back of leader Final round 70 and finished T3rd, 6 back of Tiger Woods

2007 British Open
After 2nd round is leader by two Shots third round 68 and is leader by three shots Final round 73, losses playoff to Padraig Harrington.

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It's not "Carnasty" this year

Look at all the scoring averages of all the British Open's held at Carnoustie, this year it played a lot easier by three and a half shots.

2007 73.38
1999 76.82
1975 74.70
1968 77.08
1953 75.14
1937 76.44
1931 77.50

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Best Agentinian finish at Carnoustie

2007 Anders Romero 3rd
1999 Angel Cabrera T4th
1975 Roberto DeVicenso T28th
1968 Roberto DeVicenso T10th
1953 Antonio Cerda T2nd
1937 None played 72 holes
1931 Jose Jurado 2nd

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Biggest comeback by a winner in a major (from 1910) after 54 holes

10 by Paul Lawrie, 1999 British Open
8 by Jack Burke Jr., 1956 Masters
7 by Gary Player, 1978 Masters
7 by Arnold Palmer, 1960 U.S. Open
7 by John Mahaffey, 1978 PGA Championship
6 by Padraig Harrington, 2007 British Open
6 by Nick Faldo, 1996 Masters
6 by Fuzzy Zoeller, 1979 Masters
6 by Art Wall, 1959 Masters
6 by Johnny Miller, 1973 U.S. Open
6 by Bob Rosburg, 1959 PGA Championship
6 by Lanny Wadkins, 1977 PGA Championship
6 by Payne Stewart , 1989 PGA Championship
6 by Steve Elkington, 1995 PGA Championship

FEATURES FROM THE GALLERY

Sal Johnson Preview and picks from the Deutsche Bank Recap of the British Open, looking at how Padraig Harrington won
Al Barkow Myths passed down A look at Oakland Hills A look at Royal Birkdale
GolfObserver "Buzz" The "Observer" looks at the big "GolfBuzz" for today, August 20th on Michelle Wie Buzz from the first five months
Jay Flemma Oakland Hills: Long-Toothed Monster for '08 Flemma archives
John Huggan Life and times of Greg Norman Huggan Archives
David Barrett Stirring drama on a proper stage Tiger is human...sometimes
Lorne Rubenstein Golf has survived without Tiger Rubenstein archives
George White Is Tiger a sure bet this week. White Archives
GolfObserver Blog Our Solheim Cup Blog GolfBallSelector, a new way to choose your golfball

Be sure to check out our Sunday blog for all of the information and news from the final round.

Photo: © Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Padraig Harrington after winning the British Open.

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland., July 22 - No two ways about it, just about every British Open played at Carnoustie has seen an unbelievable finish. Maybe it's because 16, 17 and 18 could be the toughest finish in golf, the next time the British Open rolls around they should think about giving out barf bags on the 16th tee. The tradition started in 1931 when Agentinian Jose Jurado was cruising along with over 10,000 people and the Prince of Wales watching. As he was standing on the 17th tee, he needed a par-par finish to win. Unfortunely he sent his teeshot into the burn and took six on the hole, followed by a par 5 on the finishing hole to finish one back. In 1975 we had the other end of the spectrum when Tom Watson made a birdie three on the hole just to get himself into a playoff which he beat poor old Jack Newton the next day. Of course everyone in golf with the exception of maybe Boo Weekly knows what happened to Jean Van de Velde in 1999 when he made a triple bogey seven at 18 and lost the playoff.

2007 was a lot of the same. The 18th played to a scoring average of 4.611, the hardest hole of the week and again it played a big part of the drama. It all began with Anders Romero, a young Agentinian who started his implosion on the 17th hole when he got greedy from the rough and hit a terrible shot that went out of bounds and he made double bogey. He then stepped on to the 18th tee and proceeded to make bogey. That three over finish made him the first casualty of the 2007 British Open. The next was Padraig Harrington. He was rolling along in fine fashion at 9 under par and there was not two ways about it, make a par and let the celebration begin. But after his drive caught the burn right, he was very stupid and hit it into the burn again in front of the green and made a gallant up and down for double that basically should of lost the tournament for him. But you had Sergio Garcia left, now if you want to bet your life savings that this charismatic Spaniard wouldn't make par you would be a big winner. After a good drive, Garcia couldn't get a three-iron on the green and then couldn't get up and down from a greenside bunker to complete Carnoustie's wild finish.

In the playoff, Harrington had a two shot lead going into the 18th hole and he played it like a par 5, which it use to be, and made his five to bring the Claret Jug back to Ireland for only the second time and the first in 60 years. Unfortunely history may remember the 2007 British Open more for the implosion of Sergio Garcia, who again should of won a major and just didn't have the game and maturity to do it. Of course it's hard to win leading after every round, still you have to wonder how Tiger Woods would of handled a three shot lead with 18 holes left. As for Harrington, he finally won his first major championship in a manner that I thought he would win it, backing into it. Not to say that his final round 67 wasn't a gem for at least 17 holes but I fear that if he would of been in Sergio's shoes in the final group with a three shot lead he too would of had problems. In a way Harrington's career has followed that of Payne Stewart, who for a decade was called "Avis" for his many runner-up finishes. He finally broke all of that with his PGA Championship victory in 1988 which opened up the floodgates. I think the same will happen to Harrington, this won't be his only major victory.

As for Sergio Garcia, what can we say. He looked great for 56 holes, having the charm and confidence with his game that we have seen before. Of course many say that Sergio could be the greatest Spain has ever produced but I tend to doubt that. I never saw Seve imploded like Garcia does on a regular basis and nobody was on top of his game and more ruthless in the clutch than Jose Maria Olazabal. Garcia in a way is like a cheap deodorant, smells great when first applied but then breaks down under the heat of battle giving us a bad smell afterwards. We experienced that on Sunday after play when Garcia came in into the press room. Let me give you a taste of the crap we had to hear from him:

When Garcia was asked if he was bitterly disappointed: "No, I'm thrilled. Of course, you know, I felt I definitely struggled a little bit on the front nine."
No Sergio, you struggled a lot shooting 38.

On Sergio hitting the pin on the 2nd hole of the playoff: "It's funny how some guys hit the pin and go to a foot. mine hits the pin and goes 20 feet away."
Now of course someone forget to tell Garcia that the ball was traveling at a high pace of speed and probably would of gone off the green.

Sergio got the question if it was meant for him not to win: "You know what's the saddest thing about it? It's not the first time. It's not the first time, unfortunately. So I don't know, I'm playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field."
At about that time I know that I was ready to stand up and say, "Hey Sergio, you shot 73 today when everybody else was under par.

When the topic turned to his close calls on putting, a reporter asked Garcia if that was the first time he ever had so many putts come close and miss: "Obviously you haven't been watching me much. You only watch the guys that make the putts and get the good breaks and things like that."
Guess this was Gracia's way of saying the reporter just watches Tiger Woods.

The point of this is not to make fun of Garcia, but I have wondered for years when he would mature and handle things a better. He showed some maturity on Thursday and Friday, he slipped a bit on Saturday and really showed his colors on Sunday. In a way I wonder when Garcia will show his true potential of if he will just live with his millions and close calls. We have witness the career of Colin Montgomerie, who has found a way to become rich without really winning a true championship, weather it's a major or an event on the PGA Tour. It be a shame if Garcia went his whole career without a major.

Keys to victory for Padraig Harrington

Of course everyone cares and treasures those special moments when they win a major championship and Harrington's moments were the best. On Monday morning he talked about the excitement of winning the trophy but most of all those quiet moments. After he finished his obligations to media and the R&A, he got back to his rented house and took a shower. While the water was running, Harrington said he just couldn't believe that he had won the Jug and would pear out of the shower to make sure it was really there. That night he and his family got together with close friends, and to drink some special Irish Whiskey out of the jug was special. After a night of partying Harrington and his wife Caroline didn't get to sleep until 4am, but he was up bright eyed at 6, again staring at the jug not believing he had won it. He was so overwhelmed with having the Claret Jug at the end of his bed, he woke his wife up to ask her if this was believable and not a dream.