Vincent Publishing - Index

Vincent Publishing - 2008 Northern Trust Open - Index

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The only other Argentine to win a major was Roberto de
Vicenzo in the1967 British Open at Hoylake. He was equally
famous for signing the wrong scorecard a year later at the
Masters, keeping him out of a playoff.
It was only the second time in his career that Woods played
in the final group at a major without holding at least a share
of the lead after 54 holes. The first was at Augusta earlier in
the year. The results were the same, too.
It was Woods’ fifth top-three finish at the U.S. Open. Only
seven other golfers have had at least five - Nicklaus (9),
Bobby Jones, Jr. (8), Ben Hogan (8), Gene Sarazen (7),
Arnold Palmer (6), Sam Snead (5) and Julius Boros (5).
Not long after thinking he threw the Claret Jug into Barry Burn
along with two water balls at the diabolical closing hole at
Carnoustie, Padraig Harrington defeated Sergio Garcia by
one shot in a four-hole playoff to win his first major championship
and end Europe’s drought in the majors at 31 events.
Ireland’s Harrington came from six shots back of the Spaniard
Sergio Garcia to capture his first major title in his 35th major
start and 11th in the Open.
In a nail-biter that stirred memories of Jean Van de Velde’s
famous collapse in 1999, Harrington delivered the fitting finish
to a day that kept everyone guessing. He took a two-shot
lead to the final hole of a playoff, and still had to sweat out a
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2008 OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT MAGAZINE
three-foot bogey putt to beat Garcia. It was high theatre on
the shores of the North Sea.
By August, we had Woods redirecting the history of golf, but
he had yet to win a major. Through the first three, first-time
major champions had won. We were all scratching our collective
heads. Okay, Woods finished second in two of them,
but it was weird not having him hoist a jug, grab silver handles,
or slip on his 42-long Masters green member’s jacket.
Strange.
Just getting started to finish
As we came to find out, in the words of Al Pacino’s character
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in the movie “Scent of a
Woman,” Woods was, “...just gettin warmed up.”
Woods took a week off after finishing T12 at the Open and
came to Akron with that look in his eye. You know, the “old”
Tiger look. Just ask Rory Sabbatini who noticed it first. The
South African was beat twice this year by Woods taking the
lead in the final round.
By Sunday, Woods overcame a one-stroke deficit by the time
he finished the fourth hole and then went on to win the tournament
by a tidy eight strokes. He won that event for the third
time in a row and six out of nine times.