Five talking points from the 113th National Open:
The Winner. In its own way, Justin Rose’s Sunday at Merion was every bit as special as Adam Scott’s at Augusta. Rose hit only two bad lag putts and one truly poor shot (from the bunker at #14) all day. His ball-striking was pure enough to make Ben Hogan smile – OK, maybe just nod once in approval – from the grave; in particular, his approach at #18 was a worthy successor to Hogan’s famous 1-iron in 1950. He bounced back from his first three bogeys with immediate birdies, two of which he followed with additional birdies as well. His win felt…just right. He was due, and he delivered, and I’m really happy for him. Now, will a single major quench his thirst, or can Rose rise again and kick on from here?
The Runners-Up. Jason Day has now played in 11 majors and finished second or third four times. He’s 25 years old; his best days surely lie ahead.
As for Phil Mickelson? If the hole were a quarter-inch wider he’d have won by 10 shots, but he just couldn’t get enough good putts to drop. More worryingly, he still makes too many silly Sunday mistakes, both physically and mentally: the wedges he hit on #13 and #15 were ghastly, and the double-bogeys he made in not knowing how to cut his losses at #3 and #5 cost him the tournament. Plus, does anyone really need five wedges? One down with one to play, don’t you need a driver in your bag? When asked what he’ll take away from Merion, he responded simply “heartbreak”, and I fear Mickelson will become this century’s Sam Snead; not the worst golfing fate by any means, but his US Open chances are running out.
The Course. Merion simply doesn’t work as a modern tournament venue – its main property is too compact for silly things like hospitality tents, practice ranges and spectators. I’m afraid we’ll never see the world’s best golfers there again, but wow, what a swan song: among recent US Open venues, I rate only Shinnecock Hills more highly. Both architects and administrators should study Merion’s wonderfully sloping terrain very closely to understand how a soft, 6,996-yard course with perfectly puttable greens managed to defend par so successfully. (Hint: acreage is overrated.)
The USGA. Kudos: its gamble in returning to Merion succeeded, and Mike Davis’s familiar course setup helped produce another memorable tournament. (Who doesn’t like watching pros hit drivers into par 3s?) Brickbats: Saturday’s final threesome of Mickelson, Luke Donald and Billy Horschel took 170 minutes to complete nine holes. I’ve played with Scots who complain when 18 holes take that long; the USGA’s new campaign to fight slow play is off to an inauspicious start.
The Tiger. For the first time in his life, Tiger Woods looks mentally trapped. He’s on the back nine of his career, his body looks increasingly frail, and he’s still four down in majors to Jack Nicklaus. He cares about four events each year, and it shows: the Players Championship and the Farmers Insurance Open don’t get him closer to the magic number of 19. If your life depended on it, would you bet on Tiger to win his next major before he misses his next major cut? Muirfield is up next, and I know where my money is.