Mother Nature Cages Tiger
by Erskine McCullough
Tiger Woods: "This is a tough and difficult golf course with the rough being knee high."
PARIS (AFP) - Tiger Woods - world number one by far - finally met his match on the golf course. But it wasn't Phil Mickelson or Ernie Els that dramatically snatched away his chances of becoming the first player ever to win all four Majors in a single season.
It took the pent-up force of a vicious Scottish
summer storm to blow away the 26-year-old's 'impossible' dream.
Already winner of the Masters and the US Open, Woods was looking
for his third straight Major victory.
But the face of the 131st Open was turned inside out by the driving rain and howling winds that moved in off the Firth of Forth as the second round leaders set off on Saturday.
Woods staggered off the 18th after a 10-over par 81, his worst score as a professional and the end of this year's dream of winning the Grand Slam.
Woods was stunned by the Scottish summer but had no complaints.
"This is a tough and difficult golf course with the rough being knee high and the wind and the rain coming sideways. It was blowing so hard out there that it was difficult to stand. That is just the way the Open championship is," he said.
Els survived the tempest and despite nearly throwing victory away on Sunday, managed to snatch his first Open to go with his two US Open championships in a play-off with unheralded Frenchman Thomas Levet.
Woods then found himself pipped at the post in the USPGA championship by party animal Rich Beem. The American, better know for his wild private life than his golf game, held his nerve in the face of a stunning last round fightback by Woods to join the list of Major winners.
It was a well merited victory that showed an ability to close out the thoughts of Woods rushing into view of his rear mirror - an ability lacking in Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and the other Tiger pretenders.
But if mother nature protected the Grand Slam, the good name of golf was protected by the performance of the European and American Ryder Cup captains Sam Torrance and Curtis Strange.
Both players were determined there would be no repeat of Brookline.
Three years ago the Ryder Cup, once the standard of golfing etiquette, nearly imploded when the battle between the Americans and Europeans was reduced to a shameful display of jingoism in what became known as the Bearpit of Brookline.
So bad was the behaviour of the beer-fuelled American fans that the whole future of the Ryder Cup was thrown into doubt.
Even some of the American players joined in the fray and the fiasco on the 17th hole on the final day when Justin Leonard sank a huge putt that sent his teammates rushing across the green to celebrate despite the fact Jose-Maria Olazabal was still to putt to try and salvage a half, even now rankles with many of the European team.
On the opening two days a simmering ill-feeling was clearly present.
Hal Sutton and Tom Lehman encouraged the crowds to become louder and louder.
Despite such moves, Europe began the final day four points ahead and looking poised for victory. But the United States staged one of the greatest comebacks in the Cup's history to win.
The team's stunning performance was overshadowed, however, by the unruly behaviour.
Colin Montgomerie's father was forced to quit the course by the abuse hurled at him and his son, a regular target for US golf hecklers.