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It had been 39 years since the world's best trod the turf | 7:16:21 | 7:16:24 | |
of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club while competing for the Claret Jug. | 7:16:24 | 7:16:29 | |
In 2006, they returned | 7:16:29 | 7:16:31 | |
and produced an Open Championship well worth the wait. | 7:16:31 | 7:16:34 | |
Welcome to Hoylake... | 7:16:53 | 7:16:54 | |
for the 135th... | 7:16:54 | 7:16:56 | |
Open Championship... | 7:16:56 | 7:16:57 | |
-at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. -It was 1967... | 7:16:57 | 7:17:00 | |
since we last hosted the Open. | 7:17:00 | 7:17:01 | |
-So we can't wait... -for the action to start. | 7:17:01 | 7:17:04 | |
The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, also known as Hoylake, | 7:17:06 | 7:17:10 | |
shares its coast location with those other notable Open Championship | 7:17:10 | 7:17:13 | |
venues, Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes. | 7:17:13 | 7:17:18 | |
But, unlike them, it had fallen out of the Open spotlight. | 7:17:18 | 7:17:21 | |
Until, that is, the making of a momentous | 7:17:25 | 7:17:27 | |
and popular decision to take the Open back to the glorious links. | 7:17:27 | 7:17:31 | |
For the vast majority of the players who arrived with | 7:17:32 | 7:17:34 | |
understandable anticipation for the 135th staging of the game's | 7:17:34 | 7:17:38 | |
oldest major, it was their first experience of the course. | 7:17:38 | 7:17:42 | |
But many were aware of the rich history surrounding the club | 7:17:42 | 7:17:45 | |
that welcomed the first of its 11 Open Championships in 1897. | 7:17:45 | 7:17:49 | |
The winner back then was Harold Hilton, | 7:17:52 | 7:17:54 | |
a Royal Liverpool club member. | 7:17:54 | 7:17:56 | |
A decade later, the champion was Arnaud Massy. | 7:17:56 | 7:18:00 | |
When Hoylake staged its fifth Open, an American showman came good. | 7:18:00 | 7:18:04 | |
That was Walter Hagen in 1924. | 7:18:04 | 7:18:07 | |
Six years later, the great Bobby Jones won the second leg | 7:18:07 | 7:18:10 | |
of his Grand Slam, otherwise known as the "impregnable quadrilateral". | 7:18:10 | 7:18:14 | |
Peter Thomson won his third consecutive Open in 1956, | 7:18:14 | 7:18:18 | |
and Hoylake's most recent champion was Roberto de Vincenzo. | 7:18:18 | 7:18:22 | |
The Argentine's emotional victory was achieved before many | 7:18:25 | 7:18:28 | |
of the modern contenders were born. | 7:18:28 | 7:18:30 | |
But that didn't prevent them from appreciating | 7:18:30 | 7:18:32 | |
Royal Liverpool's hefty chapter in the annals of the game. | 7:18:32 | 7:18:36 | |
Having it be part of Bobby Jones' Grand Slam is terrific and having | 7:18:39 | 7:18:43 | |
it be part of Peter Thomson's three British Opens in a row, | 7:18:43 | 7:18:47 | |
and de Vincenzo, | 7:18:47 | 7:18:48 | |
it was neat to know that these great players walked these fairways. | 7:18:48 | 7:18:52 | |
The defending champion was also keen to supplement Hoylake folklore | 7:18:54 | 7:18:58 | |
with his name. | 7:18:58 | 7:19:00 | |
Following a heart-wrenching three months mourning | 7:19:00 | 7:19:02 | |
the death of his father and mentor, | 7:19:02 | 7:19:04 | |
Tiger Woods sought to honour the late Earl Woods with more success. | 7:19:04 | 7:19:08 | |
There is not a day that I don't think I will ever go through life | 7:19:11 | 7:19:13 | |
without thinking about my dad. | 7:19:13 | 7:19:15 | |
The bond we've had transcended just a normal parent-child relationship. | 7:19:15 | 7:19:19 | |
So any time I go back to my basics and work on grip, posture, | 7:19:19 | 7:19:22 | |
stance and all the things I learned from him, you know, | 7:19:22 | 7:19:25 | |
I'll always think about those younger days. | 7:19:25 | 7:19:27 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:19:27 | 7:19:29 | |
And being back at the Open had a special | 7:19:29 | 7:19:31 | |
resonance for Woods, as his father liked nothing more than | 7:19:31 | 7:19:34 | |
watching his son tackle the unique challenges | 7:19:34 | 7:19:36 | |
supplied by traditional golfing terrain. | 7:19:36 | 7:19:40 | |
On links golf courses, you have to use your imagination | 7:19:40 | 7:19:42 | |
and create shots. It presents so many different options. | 7:19:42 | 7:19:46 | |
And he thoroughly enjoyed it. | 7:19:46 | 7:19:48 | |
Watching me go out there and hitting all these weird shots, | 7:19:48 | 7:19:52 | |
he always got a big kick out of that. | 7:19:52 | 7:19:53 | |
There were genuine concerns that given such benign conditions, | 7:19:55 | 7:19:59 | |
the course would be overpowered. | 7:19:59 | 7:20:01 | |
But that opinion was not shared by those best qualified to judge, | 7:20:01 | 7:20:05 | |
the players themselves. | 7:20:05 | 7:20:06 | |
It's going to be really pure links golf this week. | 7:20:08 | 7:20:12 | |
I think the golf course is so well bunkered that even with these | 7:20:12 | 7:20:17 | |
calm conditions, you have still got to be careful. | 7:20:17 | 7:20:21 | |
It's a great golf course. | 7:20:21 | 7:20:22 | |
With the intensity of the heat wave temperatures | 7:20:25 | 7:20:27 | |
and the growing size of the galleries over the practice days, | 7:20:27 | 7:20:30 | |
6.30 on Thursday morning could not come soon enough. | 7:20:30 | 7:20:34 | |
Welcome to day one... | 7:20:42 | 7:20:43 | |
of the Open Championship. | 7:20:43 | 7:20:44 | |
-The waiting is over... -and the action begins... | 7:20:44 | 7:20:47 | |
in what is always... | 7:20:47 | 7:20:48 | |
a tense and exciting day... | 7:20:48 | 7:20:49 | |
for us all. | 7:20:49 | 7:20:51 | |
There were thunderstorms overnight, but nothing could dampen the | 7:20:52 | 7:20:55 | |
excitement felt by Chris Moore, the Royal Liverpool club secretary. | 7:20:55 | 7:21:00 | |
With electrical activity not far away, | 7:21:01 | 7:21:03 | |
the start of play was delayed for 30 minutes. | 7:21:03 | 7:21:06 | |
But when you've waited 39 years, that was only a minor disruption. | 7:21:06 | 7:21:10 | |
After Sweden's Peter Hedblom struck the initial shot, | 7:21:12 | 7:21:14 | |
Chris was overjoyed, and busy. His thoughts, predictable. | 7:21:14 | 7:21:18 | |
As you can imagine, | 7:21:20 | 7:21:22 | |
delighted that the Championship has come back to Hoylake. | 7:21:22 | 7:21:24 | |
It has been a marvellous four or five years | 7:21:24 | 7:21:28 | |
since we've known the Championship was going to return to Hoylake. | 7:21:28 | 7:21:32 | |
And now that it is under way, it is absolutely wonderful to see | 7:21:32 | 7:21:36 | |
so many of the top players walking our fairways after an absence | 7:21:36 | 7:21:41 | |
which we regard as too long. | 7:21:41 | 7:21:42 | |
'My role now is to make sure that things are working | 7:21:46 | 7:21:49 | |
'in the way that the plans were set up, | 7:21:49 | 7:21:51 | |
'as well as interfacing with, you know, the R&A, who bear the | 7:21:51 | 7:21:55 | |
'final responsibility for the event, with the police on security matters. | 7:21:55 | 7:22:00 | |
'I'm pleased to say that most of my activities have been completed now | 7:22:01 | 7:22:07 | |
'and that was obviously the way I had hoped it would be.' | 7:22:07 | 7:22:10 | |
So I tend to float around talking to people, | 7:22:10 | 7:22:15 | |
making sure they have got what they need, | 7:22:15 | 7:22:18 | |
'and obviously reacting to any emergency which may arise.' | 7:22:18 | 7:22:22 | |
Pleased you did that. Very good. | 7:22:22 | 7:22:24 | |
'We don't recognise the golf course much at the moment | 7:22:26 | 7:22:28 | |
'because of all the infrastructure, but the atmosphere, | 7:22:28 | 7:22:31 | |
'the goodwill, the enthusiasm of the members is very evident.' | 7:22:31 | 7:22:36 | |
GENERAL CHATTER | 7:22:36 | 7:22:38 | |
'It will be a great test for the top golfers of the world. | 7:22:42 | 7:22:46 | |
'I think that it will pose questions. | 7:22:46 | 7:22:49 | |
'They will not simply be able to take a driver out and hit the ball | 7:22:49 | 7:22:53 | |
'wherever they wish.' | 7:22:53 | 7:22:54 | |
They all have to plot their way round | 7:22:54 | 7:22:57 | |
and we should end up with a great champion on a very fair test of golf. | 7:22:57 | 7:23:03 | |
And those expectations were finally put to the test, | 7:23:06 | 7:23:09 | |
and immediately it became apparent that Hoylake would be no pushover. | 7:23:09 | 7:23:14 | |
Trouble awaited errant shots, | 7:23:14 | 7:23:16 | |
but birdies were not in short supply either. | 7:23:16 | 7:23:18 | |
Among the first taking advantage of greens softened by the storm, | 7:23:18 | 7:23:21 | |
Mikko Ilonen, the Finn who won the millennium | 7:23:21 | 7:23:24 | |
Amateur Championship on this very course six years earlier. | 7:23:24 | 7:23:28 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:23:28 | 7:23:31 | |
The charismatic Spaniard Sergio Garcia was also finding | 7:23:33 | 7:23:37 | |
the greens to his liking. | 7:23:37 | 7:23:38 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 7:23:44 | 7:23:46 | |
Would Sergio be the first European to win a major | 7:23:46 | 7:23:49 | |
since Paul Lawrie's Open triumph at Carnoustie in 1999? | 7:23:49 | 7:23:52 | |
As the scoreboards began to fill, it became clear that | 7:23:58 | 7:24:01 | |
while many were under par, no-one was going to forge clear. | 7:24:01 | 7:24:04 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:24:06 | 7:24:08 | |
Of course, not everyone prospered, but Colin Montgomerie, | 7:24:08 | 7:24:11 | |
second at St Andrews 12 months ago, was a surprise struggler. | 7:24:11 | 7:24:14 | |
The Scot didn't survive the halfway cut. | 7:24:14 | 7:24:17 | |
Tiger Woods, Monty's conqueror round the Old Course, | 7:24:19 | 7:24:22 | |
was favourite to retain possession of the Claret Jug. | 7:24:22 | 7:24:25 | |
He played the first hole conservatively, | 7:24:25 | 7:24:27 | |
a sign of things to come, | 7:24:27 | 7:24:29 | |
but shocked all and sundry with an uncharacteristic three-putt bogey. | 7:24:29 | 7:24:33 | |
GROANING | 7:24:35 | 7:24:38 | |
While Tiger showed early vulnerability, | 7:24:39 | 7:24:42 | |
home players were acquitting themselves with distinction, | 7:24:42 | 7:24:45 | |
such as the Englishman Anthony Wall, who served up | 7:24:45 | 7:24:48 | |
a candidate for shot of the day with his second to the par-5 16th. | 7:24:48 | 7:24:51 | |
CROWD: Ooh! | 7:24:57 | 7:25:01 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:25:01 | 7:25:06 | |
Another was produced by Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell. | 7:25:06 | 7:25:10 | |
CHEERING | 7:25:11 | 7:25:13 | |
The highlight of a six-under-par round of 66. | 7:25:13 | 7:25:16 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:25:16 | 7:25:18 | |
Coming down there today and seeing my name up there, | 7:25:18 | 7:25:20 | |
it's a lot of fun, you know? | 7:25:20 | 7:25:22 | |
I know it's Thursday but I just want to get it up there come Sunday | 7:25:22 | 7:25:25 | |
and be able to enjoy myself. That would be pretty nice. | 7:25:25 | 7:25:28 | |
But all had one eye on Tiger who, | 7:25:32 | 7:25:34 | |
despite his indifferent start and other stumbles along the way, | 7:25:34 | 7:25:37 | |
refused to be flustered or grow impatient. | 7:25:37 | 7:25:40 | |
Leaving the driver in the bag, | 7:25:40 | 7:25:42 | |
Woods plotted his way round the fast-running course | 7:25:42 | 7:25:45 | |
before causing alarm bells to ring on the 18th. | 7:25:45 | 7:25:48 | |
CROWD SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT | 7:25:58 | 7:26:00 | |
CHEERING | 7:26:00 | 7:26:02 | |
An eagle three for a 67. | 7:26:02 | 7:26:03 | |
On a day when a total of 32 players broke par, | 7:26:06 | 7:26:09 | |
Tiger was only one off the lead, proudly held by McDowell. | 7:26:09 | 7:26:12 | |
As for the hard-working Chris Moore, it's been a successful | 7:26:15 | 7:26:18 | |
and enjoyable first day of the Championship. | 7:26:18 | 7:26:21 | |
'A wonderful day. | 7:26:21 | 7:26:23 | |
'We were so pleased to see the competition of the Championship | 7:26:23 | 7:26:26 | |
'actually under way. | 7:26:26 | 7:26:27 | |
'We couldn't be more happy that there are so many people here | 7:26:27 | 7:26:31 | |
'and moving around the course happily.' | 7:26:31 | 7:26:32 | |
And with good scores, some good scores under par, | 7:26:32 | 7:26:37 | |
a number which are over par, | 7:26:37 | 7:26:39 | |
and I think the course has held up well, despite the early rain. | 7:26:39 | 7:26:42 | |
-Day two... -of the Open Championship. | 7:26:46 | 7:26:48 | |
The busiest day of the week... | 7:26:48 | 7:26:49 | |
-with an estimated... -50,000 spectators. | 7:26:49 | 7:26:52 | |
It's the last chance... | 7:26:52 | 7:26:53 | |
(to watch all 156 players...) | 7:26:53 | 7:26:55 | |
before the cut. | 7:26:55 | 7:26:57 | |
Once again, the wind farm wasn't about to gather a bumper harvest. | 7:26:58 | 7:27:02 | |
The beach looked especially welcoming as the mercury rocketed, | 7:27:02 | 7:27:07 | |
although not quite to the unprecedented levels | 7:27:07 | 7:27:10 | |
earlier in the week. | 7:27:10 | 7:27:11 | |
It was wonderful for sunbathers. | 7:27:13 | 7:27:15 | |
But not for those intent on fire prevention. | 7:27:15 | 7:27:17 | |
It was actually quite a live issue on Tuesday and Wednesday, | 7:27:19 | 7:27:22 | |
when we had temperatures over 100 degrees. | 7:27:22 | 7:27:24 | |
But, nevertheless, we were exercising due caution all around. | 7:27:24 | 7:27:28 | |
Merseyside Fire Brigade have two of their main engines here and a team, | 7:27:28 | 7:27:32 | |
so, if anything was to happen, they are on site and could react quickly. | 7:27:32 | 7:27:37 | |
Parched and susceptible, fire units were present, | 7:27:40 | 7:27:43 | |
but thankfully no problems were encountered throughout the week. | 7:27:43 | 7:27:47 | |
As a member of the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, | 7:27:54 | 7:27:57 | |
Richard Sterne felt right at home in the heat. | 7:27:57 | 7:28:00 | |
Especially on the par-3 15th. | 7:28:00 | 7:28:02 | |
CHEERING | 7:28:02 | 7:28:06 | |
Sterne's fellow countryman, Retief Goosen, | 7:28:11 | 7:28:13 | |
was also enjoying the tropical weather. | 7:28:13 | 7:28:16 | |
And many believed the twice US Open champion | 7:28:24 | 7:28:27 | |
would be a significant threat. | 7:28:27 | 7:28:28 | |
But, thrust into a familiar role, the man most licensed to thrill | 7:28:30 | 7:28:34 | |
was Tiger Woods. Teeing off early, the Californian was quickly | 7:28:34 | 7:28:38 | |
into his stride, combining accuracy from the tee with a warm putter. | 7:28:38 | 7:28:43 | |
The game face was painted on | 7:28:52 | 7:28:54 | |
and those hoping to catch a glimpse of something extra special | 7:28:54 | 7:28:57 | |
on the dogleg 14th would not be disappointed. | 7:28:57 | 7:29:00 | |
And after yet again erring on the side of caution, | 7:29:06 | 7:29:09 | |
by laying well back off the tee, | 7:29:09 | 7:29:11 | |
it was there that Tiger, this time employing a four iron, | 7:29:11 | 7:29:15 | |
struck a marvel of a shot that resonated around the world. | 7:29:15 | 7:29:19 | |
CHEERING | 7:29:31 | 7:29:34 | |
And while Tiger was entertaining the crowds on the links, | 7:29:48 | 7:29:52 | |
earlier in the week another larger-than-life American | 7:29:52 | 7:29:55 | |
was top of the bill in nearby Liverpool city centre. | 7:29:55 | 7:29:59 | |
The last time the open was played at Hoylake, The Beatles, | 7:30:01 | 7:30:04 | |
who'd started their career in The Cavern Club, | 7:30:04 | 7:30:06 | |
had just released Sgt. Pepper. | 7:30:06 | 7:30:09 | |
With echoes of the Swinging Sixties everywhere, | 7:30:09 | 7:30:12 | |
John Daly, the 1995 Open champion, was excited to perform there. | 7:30:12 | 7:30:16 | |
# When you're alone | 7:30:21 | 7:30:24 | |
# Raising all these kids of mine On my own | 7:30:24 | 7:30:28 | |
# Living on the edge | 7:30:31 | 7:30:34 | |
# Is what they say Night to the morn... # | 7:30:34 | 7:30:40 | |
I think it's, like everybody else, it's more of a hobby, | 7:30:40 | 7:30:43 | |
my playing and writing. | 7:30:43 | 7:30:44 | |
But I collect guitars and jerseys more than anything and it's awesome. | 7:30:44 | 7:30:48 | |
I mean, you look at these walls | 7:30:48 | 7:30:50 | |
and you look at the back of the T-shirts | 7:30:50 | 7:30:52 | |
and all the greatest artists and bands that have ever played music | 7:30:52 | 7:30:56 | |
or been here and it's pretty phenomenal and, you know, | 7:30:56 | 7:31:00 | |
there's a lot of history in Memphis, but not like this bar right here. | 7:31:00 | 7:31:04 | |
All the greatest have played here. | 7:31:04 | 7:31:06 | |
For most of the second round, Daly had pretty good rhythm, | 7:31:19 | 7:31:22 | |
but I'm afraid the 18th brought the blues. | 7:31:22 | 7:31:25 | |
Twice out of bounds, he recorded a treble-bogey eight | 7:31:25 | 7:31:28 | |
and sadly wasn't around at the weekend. | 7:31:28 | 7:31:31 | |
Several other former Open champions saw their participation | 7:31:33 | 7:31:36 | |
limited to 36 holes, as well. | 7:31:36 | 7:31:38 | |
Among them, US Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman | 7:31:43 | 7:31:46 | |
who followed a vintage 68 with a 77. | 7:31:46 | 7:31:48 | |
One of Friday's biggest moves was achieved by a player | 7:31:51 | 7:31:54 | |
who's been very close to winning a major without quite pulling it off, | 7:31:54 | 7:31:58 | |
America's Chris DiMarco, | 7:31:58 | 7:32:00 | |
beaten in a play-off at the 2004 US PGA and 2005 Masters. | 7:32:00 | 7:32:05 | |
He shot a 65 to reach nine under par. | 7:32:05 | 7:32:08 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 7:32:10 | 7:32:14 | |
In terms of pure imagination, Jim Furyk produced one of the shots | 7:32:19 | 7:32:23 | |
of the week with this dinky putt from the bunker... | 7:32:23 | 7:32:26 | |
..helping him to finish five under par and firmly in the hunt. | 7:32:28 | 7:32:32 | |
But, while every one of the 156 players contributed to the story, | 7:32:40 | 7:32:45 | |
the headlines belonged to Tiger. | 7:32:45 | 7:32:47 | |
He shot 65 for 12 under par. | 7:32:47 | 7:32:50 | |
Only bettered by the 130 aggregate from Nick Faldo at Muirfield | 7:32:50 | 7:32:54 | |
in 1992, on the list of low 36-hole totals in the Open. | 7:32:54 | 7:32:58 | |
As you might imagine, Woods thoroughly enjoyed himself. | 7:32:58 | 7:33:01 | |
'It's just a fun way to play golf. | 7:33:03 | 7:33:04 | |
'We don't get a chance to play golf like this. | 7:33:04 | 7:33:07 | |
'You've got to be creative | 7:33:07 | 7:33:08 | |
'and you've got to really understand how to control your ball. | 7:33:08 | 7:33:11 | |
'There are plenty of opportunities out there.' | 7:33:11 | 7:33:14 | |
As Tiger wrapped up another fruitful day, | 7:33:16 | 7:33:19 | |
Ernie Els set off and was fully aware | 7:33:19 | 7:33:22 | |
of the importance of keeping Tiger firmly in his sights. | 7:33:22 | 7:33:25 | |
'If he's 12 under, there's some birdies to be made out there. | 7:33:27 | 7:33:30 | |
'I felt I had to get my share of them. | 7:33:30 | 7:33:33 | |
'He's quite a good frontrunner. | 7:33:33 | 7:33:35 | |
'You need to reach out and hold him back. | 7:33:35 | 7:33:39 | |
'It will be very tough to do, but you need to get close to him.' | 7:33:39 | 7:33:42 | |
With a definite target at which to aim, | 7:33:49 | 7:33:51 | |
and motivated by a desire to regain the Claret Jug | 7:33:51 | 7:33:54 | |
after his victory in 2002, Els played beautifully. | 7:33:54 | 7:33:58 | |
An early birdie on the third established the tone | 7:33:58 | 7:34:01 | |
as the South African, | 7:34:01 | 7:34:03 | |
who won the Tillman Trophy as a pencil-thin teenager | 7:34:03 | 7:34:05 | |
around these links in 1988, | 7:34:05 | 7:34:08 | |
made a positive statement by matching Tiger's 65. | 7:34:08 | 7:34:11 | |
With good cause, Ernie was content. | 7:34:21 | 7:34:23 | |
I'm playing nicely. | 7:34:24 | 7:34:26 | |
Obviously, after the 65, you feel quite confident | 7:34:26 | 7:34:30 | |
and my injury is something of the past now, I've done the work. | 7:34:30 | 7:34:34 | |
I just want to try and play as good as I can over the weekend. | 7:34:34 | 7:34:37 | |
Woods, accompanied by Els in the third round. | 7:34:40 | 7:34:43 | |
A mouthwatering prospect with much class a little lower down | 7:34:43 | 7:34:47 | |
fiercely determined to overshadow the big two. | 7:34:47 | 7:34:50 | |
-The third day... -Of the Open Championship... | 7:35:00 | 7:35:02 | |
-It's called... -Moving Day... -As players... -Jostle for position... | 7:35:02 | 7:35:05 | |
Ahead of the final day's drama. | 7:35:05 | 7:35:07 | |
Regardless of the end result, | 7:35:08 | 7:35:10 | |
it was already a proud week for Australian golf | 7:35:10 | 7:35:13 | |
with an unprecedented 23 players teeing off in the Championship. | 7:35:13 | 7:35:17 | |
What a fitting venue to break that record, because it was right here, | 7:35:20 | 7:35:24 | |
50 years ago, that Peter Thomson won the third of his five Open titles. | 7:35:24 | 7:35:29 | |
And, on the golden anniversary of that triumph, | 7:35:29 | 7:35:32 | |
a great man returned to relive those wonderful memories. | 7:35:32 | 7:35:35 | |
-Welcome to Hoylake. -Thank you. -Very lovely to see you again. | 7:35:36 | 7:35:40 | |
-Lovely to be back. -Thank you. Fantastic. Good. | 7:35:40 | 7:35:42 | |
50 years ago, it was a long way back, but, as I am here, | 7:35:45 | 7:35:50 | |
I can get the same feeling I got then and that's one of, | 7:35:50 | 7:35:53 | |
I suppose, exhilaration because this is a very sacred place for golf. | 7:35:53 | 7:35:59 | |
In 1956, Thomson won his third successive Open. | 7:35:59 | 7:36:03 | |
Half a century later, he was afforded a tribute by the club. | 7:36:03 | 7:36:07 | |
Thomson also had an ambassadorial role, | 7:36:08 | 7:36:11 | |
offering advice and encouragement to his compatriots | 7:36:11 | 7:36:14 | |
who started out on Thursday dreaming of emulating his success. | 7:36:14 | 7:36:18 | |
I think I kissed you 50 years ago! | 7:36:19 | 7:36:22 | |
'None of these boys were born or even thought of | 7:36:22 | 7:36:25 | |
'when I was playing at Hoylake. | 7:36:25 | 7:36:27 | |
'I think Geoff Ogilvy is our best hope.' | 7:36:27 | 7:36:31 | |
He's more likely to win than any of the others. | 7:36:31 | 7:36:35 | |
Because of the way he plays, | 7:36:35 | 7:36:37 | |
his coolness and his beautiful swing and rhythm. | 7:36:37 | 7:36:42 | |
I think they're the things that one must have to be a real champion. | 7:36:42 | 7:36:47 | |
Ogilvy was one of ten Australians who made the cut. | 7:36:49 | 7:36:53 | |
He's given his compatriots collective belief that they | 7:36:53 | 7:36:55 | |
can transport the Claret Jug down under for the first time | 7:36:55 | 7:36:58 | |
since Greg Norman at Royal St George's in 1993. | 7:36:58 | 7:37:02 | |
We've spoken to a lot of them | 7:37:02 | 7:37:04 | |
about Geoff Ogilvy's win at the US open | 7:37:04 | 7:37:06 | |
and to a man, said it's inspired them and kicked them on a bit, | 7:37:06 | 7:37:09 | |
but this has always been the tournament that Aussies have | 7:37:09 | 7:37:12 | |
aspired to and we still have a love/hate relationship. | 7:37:12 | 7:37:15 | |
We don't have the Ashes, we'd like to have the Claret Jug. | 7:37:15 | 7:37:17 | |
It's a good opportunity for them and, of course, they want to win it. | 7:37:17 | 7:37:21 | |
About 15% of the field was pretty good. I'm very happy with that. | 7:37:23 | 7:37:26 | |
I know everyone involved with Australian golf is happy about that. | 7:37:26 | 7:37:30 | |
I would just like to see one of them go out there and do it. | 7:37:30 | 7:37:32 | |
You've got to beat a pretty tough guy in Tiger Woods and it would certainly | 7:37:32 | 7:37:37 | |
mean something, considering Geoff has just won the last major. | 7:37:37 | 7:37:40 | |
Two in a row would be something special. | 7:37:40 | 7:37:43 | |
There was no double for Ogilvy. | 7:37:43 | 7:37:46 | |
He eventually finished his championship alongside Aussie | 7:37:46 | 7:37:49 | |
Brett Rumford in a tie for 16th. | 7:37:49 | 7:37:51 | |
After a third-round 70, Adam Scott did remain in contention, | 7:37:54 | 7:37:57 | |
sharing eighth and harbouring big ambitions for the final round. | 7:37:57 | 7:38:01 | |
And John Senden, who only secured his place at Hoylake by winning in | 7:38:04 | 7:38:08 | |
America the previous weekend, won't forget his dash across the Atlantic. | 7:38:08 | 7:38:12 | |
The second hole-in-one of the championship, this time on the 13th. | 7:38:18 | 7:38:22 | |
Cheers were ringing out across the course | 7:38:26 | 7:38:29 | |
and not only for the Australians. | 7:38:29 | 7:38:30 | |
Japan's Hideto Tanahara was also in the groove. | 7:38:32 | 7:38:35 | |
Starting out four under par, he was swiftly into his stride, | 7:38:39 | 7:38:42 | |
shooting 33 on the front nine. | 7:38:42 | 7:38:44 | |
The most telling forward progress, though, was made by Sergio Garcia. | 7:38:48 | 7:38:52 | |
It began on the second. | 7:38:55 | 7:38:57 | |
Nine-iron perfection. An eagle two and more was to come. | 7:39:02 | 7:39:07 | |
Even when he was faced with what appeared to be an escape | 7:39:11 | 7:39:14 | |
blocking lie on the fourth, Garcia's magic did the trick. | 7:39:14 | 7:39:17 | |
Gathering momentum, | 7:39:25 | 7:39:26 | |
the highest-placed European in the world rankings astoundingly | 7:39:26 | 7:39:30 | |
reached the turn in 29, thanks to an eagle and four birdies. | 7:39:30 | 7:39:34 | |
Suddenly, he was on Tiger's tail. | 7:39:50 | 7:39:52 | |
And yet this wasn't a one-man show, | 7:39:54 | 7:39:56 | |
because Garcia's playing partner, Jim Furyk, was also going well. | 7:39:56 | 7:40:01 | |
The super consistent American couldn't quite replicate | 7:40:01 | 7:40:04 | |
Garcia's front nine heroics, | 7:40:04 | 7:40:06 | |
but he did go out in 31, mustering four birdies of his own. | 7:40:06 | 7:40:10 | |
APPLAUSE AND CHEERING | 7:40:20 | 7:40:22 | |
For the multitude who had again flocked to Royal Liverpool, | 7:40:24 | 7:40:27 | |
it was difficult to imagine anything better. | 7:40:27 | 7:40:30 | |
Hospitable weather, golf of the very highest standard | 7:40:30 | 7:40:33 | |
and the opportunity to indulge in a spot of light refreshment | 7:40:33 | 7:40:36 | |
before Ernie Els and Tiger Woods stepped on the first tee at 2.30. | 7:40:36 | 7:40:41 | |
Golfing tales were swapped, scoreboards were scanned, | 7:40:42 | 7:40:46 | |
the big screen again had magnetic qualities | 7:40:46 | 7:40:48 | |
and diets were temporarily suspended for lunch at The Open. | 7:40:48 | 7:40:52 | |
But few meals or beverages can compete with the lure of watching | 7:40:55 | 7:40:59 | |
Tiger in action, whether through technical advancement from a | 7:40:59 | 7:41:02 | |
whole variety of angles on television, or in the flesh. | 7:41:02 | 7:41:06 | |
As it turned out, the Woods/Els shoot out didn't fire to | 7:41:09 | 7:41:12 | |
life in the early stages, as Woods bogeyed the second | 7:41:12 | 7:41:14 | |
after Els had begun inauspiciously himself | 7:41:14 | 7:41:18 | |
by dropping a shot at the first. | 7:41:18 | 7:41:20 | |
While Els stayed pretty much on the back foot, Tiger remained calm, | 7:41:30 | 7:41:34 | |
birdied the fifth then underlined just how sweetly he was swinging | 7:41:34 | 7:41:38 | |
his mid-irons with a tee shot from heaven on the ever demanding sixth. | 7:41:38 | 7:41:43 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:41:49 | 7:41:51 | |
The putt fell, just, and Woods improved to one under | 7:41:52 | 7:41:55 | |
for the day, 13 under for the championship. | 7:41:55 | 7:41:57 | |
In recent times, | 7:42:00 | 7:42:02 | |
Tiger has been a little unpredictable with his driver. | 7:42:02 | 7:42:05 | |
He consciously shied away from it at Hoylake | 7:42:05 | 7:42:08 | |
but Chris DiMarco wasn't perturbed by seeking maximum length | 7:42:08 | 7:42:11 | |
and that bold philosophy helped him to a round of 69. | 7:42:11 | 7:42:15 | |
With his unconventional trademark claw putting grip, | 7:42:19 | 7:42:22 | |
DiMarco was finding the hole with regularity. | 7:42:22 | 7:42:25 | |
It had already been a frustrating season as he slowly regained | 7:42:30 | 7:42:33 | |
full fitness following a skiing accident. | 7:42:33 | 7:42:36 | |
But, much worse was trying to overcome the death of his mother, | 7:42:36 | 7:42:40 | |
Norma, who had passed away on July 4th and left the family devastated. | 7:42:40 | 7:42:45 | |
I have been extremely lucky | 7:42:49 | 7:42:51 | |
because I've had an overwhelming amount of support. | 7:42:51 | 7:42:54 | |
It's helped tremendously and obviously playing good is helping. | 7:42:54 | 7:42:57 | |
It's therapeutic. I know there is divine intervention out there. | 7:42:57 | 7:43:01 | |
My mum's name was Norma and I got on the first tee and the score, | 7:43:01 | 7:43:05 | |
her name was Norma. As soon as I introduced myself, I got goose bumps. | 7:43:05 | 7:43:08 | |
I told my caddie. I said, "She is right there with us, I know she is." | 7:43:08 | 7:43:11 | |
So, I've got somebody up there on my side tomorrow | 7:43:11 | 7:43:14 | |
that is going to be looking over me. | 7:43:14 | 7:43:16 | |
The 1967 champion, De Vincenzo, was unable to make the trip | 7:43:19 | 7:43:22 | |
back to the scene of his greatest triumph | 7:43:22 | 7:43:25 | |
but octogenarian Roberto was at home, watching | 7:43:25 | 7:43:28 | |
intently as another easy-going Argentine, Angel Cabrera, | 7:43:28 | 7:43:32 | |
came home in 32 for a third-round 66 that placed him | 7:43:32 | 7:43:36 | |
only two behind the leader. | 7:43:36 | 7:43:37 | |
Here's a man with Open credentials, | 7:43:41 | 7:43:43 | |
having only missed the play-off at Carnoustie in 1999 by a single shot. | 7:43:43 | 7:43:47 | |
But what of the fortunes of young Garcia, who made his Open | 7:43:52 | 7:43:55 | |
debut as a 16-year-old in 1996? | 7:43:55 | 7:43:58 | |
Well, his approach play on the back nine was at times outstanding. | 7:43:58 | 7:44:02 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:44:10 | 7:44:13 | |
But his putter cooled and several birdie opportunities were wasted. | 7:44:15 | 7:44:20 | |
He did, though, pick up another shot with a tap in on the par-5 18th, | 7:44:21 | 7:44:25 | |
kept a bogey off his card and signed for a 65, | 7:44:25 | 7:44:29 | |
one better than Saturday companion, Furyk. | 7:44:29 | 7:44:31 | |
Both left the course prepared to be back in the thick of things | 7:44:33 | 7:44:36 | |
the next day. | 7:44:36 | 7:44:38 | |
I was very pleased the way I played all day long. | 7:44:38 | 7:44:42 | |
I felt like I struck the ball very nicely | 7:44:42 | 7:44:45 | |
and today was a thrill with the people | 7:44:45 | 7:44:46 | |
and all the cheers coming into the greens. It was just amazing. | 7:44:46 | 7:44:50 | |
Back out on the course, | 7:44:53 | 7:44:54 | |
a much-needed birdie at the ninth balanced | 7:44:54 | 7:44:56 | |
the books for Ernie Els who went out in 35 with no real fireworks. | 7:44:56 | 7:45:01 | |
The same number of shots were required for Tiger to cover | 7:45:05 | 7:45:09 | |
the front nine. | 7:45:09 | 7:45:10 | |
In truth, an average day for the overnight leaders | 7:45:10 | 7:45:13 | |
expected in many quarters to run away from the rest. | 7:45:13 | 7:45:16 | |
The back nine saw little improvement. | 7:45:16 | 7:45:18 | |
Els bogeyed the 13th but birdies at the closing par fives, | 7:45:18 | 7:45:22 | |
the 16th and the 18th, enabled the three-time major champion to keep | 7:45:22 | 7:45:26 | |
thinking about the possibility of claiming number four. | 7:45:26 | 7:45:29 | |
Woods is normally such an unstoppable front runner, | 7:45:33 | 7:45:36 | |
that his mistakes coming home were a shock. | 7:45:36 | 7:45:39 | |
All things considered, it was a very un-Tiger like performance. | 7:45:39 | 7:45:43 | |
Particularly on the greens. | 7:45:43 | 7:45:44 | |
He was left to rue a trio of three putts | 7:45:55 | 7:45:57 | |
and wonder how costly they might prove to be. | 7:45:57 | 7:46:00 | |
Mind you, he did birdie two of the last three holes for a 71 | 7:46:03 | 7:46:07 | |
and 13 under. | 7:46:07 | 7:46:08 | |
It was the 11th time that Woods had led a major championship | 7:46:10 | 7:46:13 | |
heading into the final round and on every one of the previous ten | 7:46:13 | 7:46:17 | |
occasions, he had staved off the challengers to triumph. | 7:46:17 | 7:46:21 | |
Would that 100% record remain intact at Hoylake? | 7:46:21 | 7:46:24 | |
Only if putting kinks were ironed out. | 7:46:24 | 7:46:27 | |
Hopefully tomorrow I can putt better. | 7:46:28 | 7:46:30 | |
If I putted normal today and take away my three putts, | 7:46:30 | 7:46:33 | |
I should have fallen apart today. | 7:46:33 | 7:46:36 | |
Sergio played beautifully today. | 7:46:42 | 7:46:44 | |
Tomorrow, it'll be fun for both of us to go out there and try | 7:46:44 | 7:46:47 | |
and win the Open Championship. But, it's not just Sergio and myself. | 7:46:47 | 7:46:50 | |
There are a bunch of guys out there. | 7:46:50 | 7:46:53 | |
So, we've got our work cut out for us tomorrow. | 7:46:53 | 7:46:56 | |
What a Sunday to savour! | 7:46:57 | 7:46:59 | |
The inability of Woods and Els to pull away | 7:46:59 | 7:47:01 | |
meant that only five shots separated the top 15 players | 7:47:01 | 7:47:05 | |
with only two shots covering the top six. | 7:47:05 | 7:47:07 | |
As for Tiger using his driver only once in 54 holes, | 7:47:13 | 7:47:17 | |
that was a tactic Peter Thompson appreciated and understood fully. | 7:47:17 | 7:47:22 | |
None of these championships are won by accident. | 7:47:22 | 7:47:25 | |
Somebody arriving and they haven't got any hope of winning, | 7:47:25 | 7:47:28 | |
it doesn't happen like that. | 7:47:28 | 7:47:30 | |
Even the ones that are long shots | 7:47:30 | 7:47:33 | |
have some kind of plan in their head that they follow. | 7:47:33 | 7:47:37 | |
I think that's what's so necessary. | 7:47:37 | 7:47:39 | |
A ringing endorsement from a man with a deep knowledge | 7:47:42 | 7:47:45 | |
of the Open's demands. | 7:47:45 | 7:47:46 | |
-Welcome to... -..the final day's action. | 7:47:51 | 7:47:53 | |
-Little in sport can compare... -with the drama and the tension... | 7:47:53 | 7:47:56 | |
-..of the final round... -of the Open Championship. | 7:47:56 | 7:47:59 | |
-By the end of today... -another worthy champion... -will be crowned. | 7:47:59 | 7:48:02 | |
Bringing the Open back to Hoylake proved an undeniable success, | 7:48:04 | 7:48:07 | |
but it did present a series of planning challenges. | 7:48:07 | 7:48:10 | |
Logistics of a modern-day championship are far removed from | 7:48:10 | 7:48:13 | |
those back in 1967 when the total attendance for the entire week | 7:48:13 | 7:48:18 | |
was slightly fewer than 30,000, | 7:48:18 | 7:48:20 | |
less than any single day of the 2006 event. | 7:48:21 | 7:48:25 | |
Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Wirral Council and the R&A | 7:48:27 | 7:48:31 | |
were essentially forced to work from a blank canvass. | 7:48:31 | 7:48:34 | |
One of the big problems was the infrastructure needs of 2006 | 7:48:34 | 7:48:39 | |
are massively different from the infrastructure needs of 1967. | 7:48:39 | 7:48:43 | |
A new venue is a challenge which is good for all of us. | 7:48:45 | 7:48:47 | |
On the other hand, what we're trying to do is take a footprint | 7:48:47 | 7:48:51 | |
from one venue to another. | 7:48:51 | 7:48:52 | |
So, there are certain aspects of the championship | 7:48:52 | 7:48:55 | |
that we just have to have, | 7:48:55 | 7:48:57 | |
certain tents for public catering, etc. | 7:48:57 | 7:49:00 | |
A certain number of grandstand seats. | 7:49:00 | 7:49:02 | |
So we did have an annual footprint to work to. | 7:49:02 | 7:49:04 | |
We've been able to provide space on our municipal course. | 7:49:07 | 7:49:11 | |
Finding the necessary traffic plans | 7:49:11 | 7:49:13 | |
to accommodate everybody coming and going, | 7:49:13 | 7:49:15 | |
trying to make sure everybody can get here without waiting | 7:49:15 | 7:49:18 | |
too long so people can enjoy what they've come for, | 7:49:18 | 7:49:20 | |
which is to see the golf, the players and enjoy the sunshine. | 7:49:20 | 7:49:24 | |
One of the most essential cogs for any Open championship | 7:49:26 | 7:49:29 | |
is public transportation to and from the course. | 7:49:29 | 7:49:32 | |
This year, spectators had the choice of an adapted railway service | 7:49:32 | 7:49:36 | |
from Liverpool city centre or, instead, using the park and ride. | 7:49:36 | 7:49:41 | |
With a huge bus fleet moving thousands of people | 7:49:41 | 7:49:43 | |
on any championship day, it was the largest such service | 7:49:43 | 7:49:47 | |
ever provided for at an Open. | 7:49:47 | 7:49:49 | |
And it came through with flying colours. | 7:49:49 | 7:49:51 | |
Having identified the best pieces of ground for the parking facilities, | 7:49:54 | 7:49:58 | |
I think we got about 120 buses working to bring people in, | 7:49:58 | 7:50:03 | |
and some people who've never been on a bus in their life | 7:50:03 | 7:50:06 | |
have said it's been fantastic! | 7:50:06 | 7:50:07 | |
Regardless of exactly how they arrived, | 7:50:09 | 7:50:12 | |
the crowds for the final round were eager to soak up the atmosphere | 7:50:12 | 7:50:15 | |
on what promised to be a day of high drama. | 7:50:15 | 7:50:18 | |
Around midday, the leaders also started to surface | 7:50:18 | 7:50:21 | |
in ample time to fine tune their respective games | 7:50:21 | 7:50:24 | |
before the heat of competition. | 7:50:24 | 7:50:26 | |
The defending champion checked in early and marched straight to the | 7:50:30 | 7:50:33 | |
putting green for an intensive practice session | 7:50:33 | 7:50:36 | |
on the three-footers that had eluded him at the tail end of round three. | 7:50:36 | 7:50:40 | |
While the main men were applying the final touch to their preparations, | 7:50:44 | 7:50:48 | |
trying to slip into an unshakeable zone of concentration, | 7:50:48 | 7:50:52 | |
the rest of the field was supplying an engrossing warm-up. | 7:50:52 | 7:50:55 | |
It hadn't been the most productive Open for the home nations, | 7:50:57 | 7:51:00 | |
but Paul Broadhurst gave those around the tenth green something to cheer. | 7:51:00 | 7:51:04 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 7:51:06 | 7:51:08 | |
Anthony Wall was also going well | 7:51:12 | 7:51:14 | |
and hoping to post an early clubhouse score. | 7:51:14 | 7:51:16 | |
An unlikely birdie on the third did his cause no harm. | 7:51:22 | 7:51:25 | |
When the leaders finally got under way, it was with trouble | 7:51:28 | 7:51:31 | |
at the opening holes. | 7:51:31 | 7:51:33 | |
Jim Furyck trod water. | 7:51:33 | 7:51:35 | |
He bogied the first and slipped even further back by repeating that error | 7:51:35 | 7:51:38 | |
on the second, | 7:51:38 | 7:51:40 | |
learning that you find Hoylake's bunkers at your peril. | 7:51:40 | 7:51:43 | |
Also struggling on the first, Chris DiMarco, having found deep rough | 7:51:45 | 7:51:48 | |
from the tee, partly caused by the adrenaline of the moment. | 7:51:48 | 7:51:52 | |
Being in contention in a major is like a drug. | 7:51:54 | 7:51:57 | |
It is so awesome to be playing when everything is on the line. | 7:51:57 | 7:52:02 | |
As a player, it is the best thing in the world. | 7:52:02 | 7:52:04 | |
But falling victim to a bogey on the first is not a good feeling. | 7:52:08 | 7:52:11 | |
DiMarco needed this to salvage par. | 7:52:11 | 7:52:13 | |
DiMarco retreats to 11 under. | 7:52:23 | 7:52:26 | |
Now two behind Woods, just embarking on his final round. | 7:52:26 | 7:52:29 | |
Tiger has many strengths, | 7:52:34 | 7:52:36 | |
none more so than his unswerving focus from the very first hole. | 7:52:36 | 7:52:40 | |
'I believe in the way I play golf. You turn a switch on the first hole. | 7:52:43 | 7:52:48 | |
'You have it on the entire time. | 7:52:48 | 7:52:50 | |
'You don't try any harder on each and every shot, | 7:52:50 | 7:52:52 | |
'you have the same effort level, | 7:52:52 | 7:52:54 | |
'give it everything you have on every shot.' | 7:52:54 | 7:52:56 | |
Almost robotic in that oh-so-clinical outlook, | 7:52:57 | 7:53:01 | |
poles apart from Garcia, | 7:53:01 | 7:53:03 | |
who rides a wave of emotion and won't disguise his feelings. | 7:53:03 | 7:53:06 | |
CHEERING | 7:53:14 | 7:53:16 | |
His round off and running. A drive that merited no complaints. | 7:53:16 | 7:53:20 | |
The eagerly anticipated duel had commenced, | 7:53:24 | 7:53:27 | |
accompanied by the traditional media entourage along for the afternoon. | 7:53:27 | 7:53:32 | |
Garcia retained sufficient nerve to par the 1st. | 7:53:32 | 7:53:35 | |
CHEERING | 7:53:38 | 7:53:40 | |
But would Tiger's pre-round toil on the practice green pay off? | 7:53:45 | 7:53:48 | |
A positive start. | 7:53:54 | 7:53:56 | |
Following a par on the 1st, | 7:54:03 | 7:54:05 | |
Cabrera was stopped in his tracks at the 2nd. | 7:54:05 | 7:54:07 | |
When he left the green with a treble-bogey seven | 7:54:09 | 7:54:12 | |
the big man from Cordoba with bundles of support | 7:54:12 | 7:54:14 | |
knew that any title aspirations had effectively | 7:54:14 | 7:54:17 | |
been snuffed out. | 7:54:17 | 7:54:18 | |
But there was cheerier news for fellow Argentine Andreas Romero. | 7:54:25 | 7:54:29 | |
In the championship after finishing tied second in the Scottish Open | 7:54:29 | 7:54:32 | |
at Loch Lomond seven days earlier, | 7:54:32 | 7:54:34 | |
the 25-year-old European tour rookie who aptly won | 7:54:34 | 7:54:38 | |
the Roberto Di Vicenzo Classic in his homeland last year | 7:54:38 | 7:54:41 | |
made his presence felt with three birdies in a row from the 4th. | 7:54:41 | 7:54:44 | |
Fuelled by that burst, Romero climbed to 11 under par. | 7:54:46 | 7:54:49 | |
Only two behind Woods. | 7:54:49 | 7:54:51 | |
He registered another safe and sure par on the 2nd. | 7:54:51 | 7:54:54 | |
Garcia meanwhile was adding to a lengthy list of those | 7:54:54 | 7:54:57 | |
who could not get to grips with that 2nd hole, | 7:54:57 | 7:55:00 | |
after missing a short par putt. | 7:55:00 | 7:55:02 | |
He was then presented with another shortly after, at the 3rd. | 7:55:03 | 7:55:06 | |
CROWD GASP | 7:55:15 | 7:55:18 | |
The raw pressure of Open Championship Sunday | 7:55:18 | 7:55:21 | |
is guaranteed to expose any frailty. | 7:55:21 | 7:55:24 | |
Garcia had lost two shots in three holes. | 7:55:28 | 7:55:31 | |
Cracks were beginning to appear. | 7:55:31 | 7:55:33 | |
In stark contrast, Woods was the epitome of self control | 7:55:35 | 7:55:38 | |
and discipline, as he put together a sequence | 7:55:38 | 7:55:41 | |
of four straight untroubled pars. | 7:55:41 | 7:55:43 | |
The only other member of the leading group with identical figures | 7:55:47 | 7:55:51 | |
for the first four holes was Ernie Els. | 7:55:51 | 7:55:53 | |
On the 5th, the friendly 36-year-old | 7:55:53 | 7:55:55 | |
with almost 60 worldwide titles on his CV | 7:55:55 | 7:55:57 | |
had a birdie putt to catch his great rival. | 7:55:57 | 7:56:00 | |
A tie at the top. | 7:56:07 | 7:56:09 | |
Back down the fairway of the 528-yard par five, | 7:56:09 | 7:56:12 | |
Woods was conscious of that development. | 7:56:12 | 7:56:14 | |
The hole had been to Tiger's liking | 7:56:17 | 7:56:19 | |
with a birdie on each of the first three days. | 7:56:19 | 7:56:21 | |
And another was highly desirable. | 7:56:21 | 7:56:23 | |
Although his body language suggested otherwise, | 7:56:28 | 7:56:31 | |
Woods had struck a perfect approach to the heart of the green. | 7:56:31 | 7:56:35 | |
He was now thinking not of a mere birdie, | 7:56:35 | 7:56:37 | |
but of an eagle three, in order to led by two. | 7:56:37 | 7:56:41 | |
It was quite a response. | 7:56:41 | 7:56:42 | |
Refusing to be flustered by his bogey on the 1st, | 7:56:51 | 7:56:54 | |
DiMarco regrouped with four pars before setting up a gilt-edged | 7:56:54 | 7:56:58 | |
birdie chance on the not-so-short par three 6th. | 7:56:58 | 7:57:02 | |
Sink that and he would climb to within one of the lead. | 7:57:04 | 7:57:07 | |
As he has shown numerous times in the past, tenacity is second nature. | 7:57:16 | 7:57:21 | |
One common factor linking all great champions | 7:57:21 | 7:57:24 | |
is the priceless knack of raising their game | 7:57:24 | 7:57:27 | |
at precisely the right moment. | 7:57:27 | 7:57:29 | |
When it was required, Woods delivered, an eagle at the 5th. | 7:57:38 | 7:57:41 | |
'I kept telling myself that basically only Ernie and I | 7:57:47 | 7:57:50 | |
'have won this championship. | 7:57:50 | 7:57:52 | |
'And I just think that there is a certain calmness that | 7:57:52 | 7:57:57 | |
'comes about, being able to say, with honesty, "I have done this before." | 7:57:57 | 7:58:04 | |
'When I am out there, that is the calmest I feel.' | 7:58:04 | 7:58:07 | |
'He has an uncanny ability, when someone gets close to him, | 7:58:12 | 7:58:17 | |
'to just turn it up another level. | 7:58:17 | 7:58:19 | |
'He does the best in the world and that is why | 7:58:19 | 7:58:21 | |
'he is number one in the world. | 7:58:21 | 7:58:23 | |
Woods, two under for the day, 15 under in total. | 7:58:23 | 7:58:27 | |
His overnight lead doubled thanks to one exceptionally played hole. | 7:58:27 | 7:58:31 | |
For now, Els and DiMarco repelled. | 7:58:33 | 7:58:36 | |
Up ahead on the 18th green the gargantuan grandstands | 7:58:36 | 7:58:39 | |
were already near capacity | 7:58:39 | 7:58:41 | |
as Anthony Ward put the finishing touches to a round of 69. | 7:58:41 | 7:58:46 | |
When the dust settled it would transport the Londoner | 7:58:46 | 7:58:50 | |
into a tie for 11th, and ensure he was the leading Brit. | 7:58:50 | 7:58:53 | |
Deserved acclaim. And, a few minutes later, | 7:58:56 | 7:58:58 | |
Carl Pettersson likewise closed with a birdie | 7:58:58 | 7:59:01 | |
to share the clubhouse lead at nine under. | 7:59:01 | 7:59:03 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:59:08 | 7:59:09 | |
The fast-improving Swede bettered par in three out of four rounds. | 7:59:09 | 7:59:14 | |
It was now, for players and spectators alike, | 7:59:19 | 7:59:21 | |
a case of scrambling for position. | 7:59:21 | 7:59:24 | |
But around the turn, it proved heavy going for Tiger's chasers. | 7:59:24 | 7:59:27 | |
Els collected his first bogey of the day at the eighth | 7:59:27 | 7:59:30 | |
and, disappointingly, failed to birdie the 10th. | 7:59:30 | 7:59:33 | |
DiMarco did, though, and jumped into second spot by moving to 13 under. | 7:59:35 | 7:59:39 | |
As for Tiger? It was business as usual. | 7:59:40 | 7:59:43 | |
Finding the fairways and greens in regulation | 7:59:44 | 7:59:47 | |
to make pars at six, seven, eight and nine | 7:59:47 | 7:59:49 | |
before answering DiMarco's birdie at the reachable par five 10th. | 7:59:49 | 7:59:53 | |
APPLAUSE | 7:59:53 | 7:59:54 | |
As a result, the 30-year-old golfing superman forged three shots clear. | 7:59:54 | 7:59:59 | |
Els, realising something special was an absolute must, | 8:00:02 | 8:00:05 | |
did press on the deceptively testing 11th | 8:00:05 | 8:00:08 | |
and only succeeded in dropping another shot. | 8:00:08 | 8:00:11 | |
Steady, steady, steady! | 8:00:11 | 8:00:12 | |
PEOPLE SHOUT | 8:00:12 | 8:00:14 | |
SOME APPLAUSE | 8:00:14 | 8:00:16 | |
With it, his hopes of victory were effectively extinguished. | 8:00:17 | 8:00:21 | |
-WOMAN: -Come on, Ernie. -MAN: Come on, Ernie! | 8:00:23 | 8:00:25 | |
After that, the sole challenger was DiMarco, who refused to buckle, | 8:00:27 | 8:00:31 | |
having also found the 11th quite a handful. | 8:00:31 | 8:00:34 | |
-MEN SHOUT -Get in. -Get in. | 8:00:35 | 8:00:37 | |
CHEERING | 8:00:37 | 8:00:39 | |
APPLAUSE | 8:00:39 | 8:00:41 | |
DiMarco followed that spirited par with another | 8:00:43 | 8:00:46 | |
at the consistently difficult 12th, but Woods stuck at 16 under | 8:00:46 | 8:00:50 | |
and, with only seven holes to negotiate, | 8:00:50 | 8:00:52 | |
remained three to the good. | 8:00:52 | 8:00:54 | |
Woods is no stranger to the never-say-die attitude of DiMarco | 8:01:00 | 8:01:03 | |
that was again exhibited on the 13th. | 8:01:03 | 8:01:05 | |
A chink of light, maybe, if that could be holed. | 8:01:05 | 8:01:08 | |
APPLAUSE | 8:01:08 | 8:01:09 | |
Almost simultaneously, Woods, flawless till then, | 8:01:19 | 8:01:22 | |
committed a rare mistake from an ideal location on the 12th fairway. | 8:01:22 | 8:01:26 | |
For once, not the desired shape. | 8:01:38 | 8:01:40 | |
Green missed and, approximately 300 yards away, | 8:01:40 | 8:01:43 | |
DiMarco settled over his birdie attempt. | 8:01:43 | 8:01:46 | |
-PEOPLE SHOUT Go on! -Go on! | 8:01:50 | 8:01:52 | |
APPLAUSE AND CHEERING | 8:01:54 | 8:01:55 | |
Maybe, just maybe, DiMarco's persistence was paying off. | 8:01:55 | 8:02:00 | |
He now trailed by only two. | 8:02:00 | 8:02:02 | |
12th, Woods was faced with an up and down | 8:02:02 | 8:02:05 | |
to examine any short game maestro. | 8:02:05 | 8:02:07 | |
He made a fair fist of it, but the expression spoke volumes. | 8:02:16 | 8:02:19 | |
Tiger couldn't avoid a bogey and, just like that, | 8:02:19 | 8:02:22 | |
his seemingly unassailable three-shot lead | 8:02:22 | 8:02:25 | |
was cut to a single stroke. | 8:02:25 | 8:02:26 | |
Japan would celebrate, | 8:02:30 | 8:02:31 | |
as Tanihara made an uncommon three on the 14th to reach 11 under. | 8:02:31 | 8:02:35 | |
APPLAUSE | 8:02:35 | 8:02:37 | |
While, at the 16th, | 8:02:40 | 8:02:42 | |
Adam Scott weighed in with his sixth birdie of a roller-coaster round. | 8:02:42 | 8:02:45 | |
At no point, though, | 8:02:45 | 8:02:47 | |
did he ever threaten to emulate Peter Thomson's triumph in 1956. | 8:02:47 | 8:02:51 | |
And, with all due respect, they were now out of the frame, | 8:02:52 | 8:02:55 | |
as Woods and DiMarco made almost certain | 8:02:55 | 8:02:58 | |
that America's recent domination of the Open would continue. | 8:02:58 | 8:03:01 | |
The big question remaining, though, | 8:03:02 | 8:03:04 | |
was which of the two players | 8:03:04 | 8:03:05 | |
would be carrying the Claret Jug back over the Atlantic. | 8:03:05 | 8:03:08 | |
After a far from straightforward par on the 13th, | 8:03:14 | 8:03:17 | |
Woods tackled the 14th and its tempting right-hand pin placement. | 8:03:17 | 8:03:22 | |
Anything even marginally erring to the right gathers | 8:03:22 | 8:03:25 | |
into a deep often punishing hollow. But, as he did at the fifth, | 8:03:25 | 8:03:28 | |
Tiger passed the test of character with honours. | 8:03:28 | 8:03:30 | |
Looking the picture of calmness, | 8:03:34 | 8:03:36 | |
it was no surprise he rolled in another timely birdie. | 8:03:36 | 8:03:38 | |
APPLAUSE AND CHEERING | 8:03:40 | 8:03:42 | |
His two-shot lead and momentum restored, | 8:03:49 | 8:03:52 | |
Tiger walked onto the 15th tee and, | 8:03:52 | 8:03:54 | |
with the eyes of the sporting world trained on him, delved even deeper. | 8:03:54 | 8:03:59 | |
MAN: Come on, Tiger! | 8:04:02 | 8:04:04 | |
GASPS AND APPLAUSE | 8:04:07 | 8:04:10 | |
Woods looking every inch a champion. | 8:04:13 | 8:04:15 | |
But with his father and son adding to his already substantial support, | 8:04:18 | 8:04:22 | |
DiMarco remained stubborn and birdied the 16th | 8:04:22 | 8:04:25 | |
to reduce the lead once more to just one shot. | 8:04:25 | 8:04:28 | |
CHEERING | 8:04:29 | 8:04:32 | |
MAN: Come on, Chris! | 8:04:32 | 8:04:34 | |
Yet, try as he might, and, to his enormous credit, | 8:04:34 | 8:04:37 | |
no-one could possibly have tried any harder, | 8:04:37 | 8:04:40 | |
DiMarco's resistance was simply not enough. | 8:04:40 | 8:04:43 | |
SHOUTS AND CHEERS | 8:04:54 | 8:04:56 | |
With all the calm in the world, | 8:04:56 | 8:04:58 | |
Tiger converted his birdie at the 15th to restore his two-shot lead. | 8:04:58 | 8:05:02 | |
APPLAUSE | 8:05:02 | 8:05:04 | |
And after tapping in for his third successive birdie | 8:05:04 | 8:05:06 | |
at the relatively easy par-five 16th, | 8:05:06 | 8:05:08 | |
Woods was now three shots clear | 8:05:08 | 8:05:10 | |
and confident of becoming | 8:05:10 | 8:05:12 | |
the first back-to-back Open champion | 8:05:12 | 8:05:14 | |
since Tom Watson in 1983. | 8:05:14 | 8:05:16 | |
After a sustained challenge, DiMarco and Els received | 8:05:17 | 8:05:20 | |
-an especially warm reception at the 18th. -See you tomorrow. | 8:05:20 | 8:05:24 | |
But they were resigned to the fact that, yet again, | 8:05:24 | 8:05:26 | |
Tiger had burned brighter than anyone else. | 8:05:26 | 8:05:29 | |
Second place, his third in a major, was already secure. | 8:05:33 | 8:05:36 | |
But professional pride was key as DiMarco, | 8:05:36 | 8:05:39 | |
now runner-up in the Open, Masters and US PGA, | 8:05:39 | 8:05:42 | |
sealed a back nine of 33 and a round of 68 with a birdie. | 8:05:42 | 8:05:46 | |
APPLAUSE AND CHEERING | 8:05:46 | 8:05:48 | |
Victory may have eluded the American, | 8:05:51 | 8:05:53 | |
but in the wake of a family tragedy, | 8:05:53 | 8:05:55 | |
his display was both commendable and courageous. | 8:05:55 | 8:05:59 | |
CHEERING CONTINUES | 8:05:59 | 8:06:00 | |
I know my mom would be very proud of me right now. | 8:06:00 | 8:06:03 | |
One, for playing well, but two, just because that's how she was. | 8:06:03 | 8:06:08 | |
And this doesn't change anything, it doesn't make it any... | 8:06:08 | 8:06:11 | |
It just makes it a little more therapeutic. | 8:06:11 | 8:06:13 | |
It just helps knowing that I know she was a big part of it out there today. | 8:06:13 | 8:06:17 | |
After cranking out another par at the penultimate hole, | 8:06:22 | 8:06:26 | |
Woods knew the championship was won | 8:06:26 | 8:06:28 | |
and his joyous passage up the 18th was a victory parade. | 8:06:28 | 8:06:32 | |
His strategy, questioned by some, had been well and truly vindicated. | 8:06:32 | 8:06:37 | |
I developed a strategy to play this golf course that I thought suited me | 8:06:38 | 8:06:42 | |
and I felt comfortable with it | 8:06:42 | 8:06:44 | |
and I went out there and executed my game plan. | 8:06:44 | 8:06:48 | |
Probably one of the best balls-striking weeks I've ever had. | 8:06:48 | 8:06:51 | |
With thousands of fans, and his wife Elin there to share the moment, | 8:06:53 | 8:06:57 | |
Woods, quietly and unspectacularly, | 8:06:57 | 8:07:00 | |
completed the task and one of his most satisfying wins. | 8:07:00 | 8:07:04 | |
SOME SHOUTING | 8:07:12 | 8:07:15 | |
The par-5 saw him finish 18 under, only one shot outside | 8:07:15 | 8:07:19 | |
his record 19-under winning total at St Andrews in 2000. | 8:07:19 | 8:07:23 | |
APPLAUSE | 8:07:23 | 8:07:24 | |
But this wasn't about statistics. | 8:07:24 | 8:07:26 | |
It was all about emotion, unleashed when the realisation struck | 8:07:26 | 8:07:31 | |
that his objective had indeed been accomplished. | 8:07:31 | 8:07:34 | |
When he and caddie Steve Williams embraced, tears flowed. | 8:07:35 | 8:07:39 | |
I guess all the things that, er, that we've gone through of late, | 8:07:41 | 8:07:45 | |
and, er, I guess I'm kind of the one who bottles things up a little bit, | 8:07:45 | 8:07:50 | |
but, at that moment, it just came pouring out of all the things | 8:07:50 | 8:07:54 | |
that my father has meant to me in the game of golf | 8:07:54 | 8:07:57 | |
and I just wish he could've seen it one more time. | 8:07:57 | 8:08:00 | |
APPLAUSE AND CHEERING | 8:08:00 | 8:08:02 | |
In the end, Woods won by two, | 8:08:07 | 8:08:09 | |
claiming his third Open, | 8:08:09 | 8:08:11 | |
but first at a venue | 8:08:11 | 8:08:12 | |
other than the old course. | 8:08:12 | 8:08:13 | |
It was his 11th major, tying another Hoylake champion, Walter Hagen, | 8:08:13 | 8:08:18 | |
for second on the list, seven adrift of Jack Nicklaus. | 8:08:18 | 8:08:21 | |
With a score of 270, the winner of the gold medal | 8:08:24 | 8:08:29 | |
and the champion golfer of the year is Tiger Woods. | 8:08:29 | 8:08:33 | |
HUGE CHEERS | 8:08:33 | 8:08:35 | |
Woods, supremely confident, | 8:08:39 | 8:08:41 | |
steadfast in the manner he tackled Hoylake, had come good. | 8:08:41 | 8:08:45 | |
It was a performance of which | 8:08:45 | 8:08:46 | |
his father would have been extremely proud | 8:08:46 | 8:08:49 | |
and one that everyone associated with Royal Liverpool Golf Club | 8:08:49 | 8:08:52 | |
will recall for many years to come. | 8:08:52 | 8:08:54 | |
CHEERING | 8:08:56 | 8:08:58 | |
I guess, walking around the last hole here, um... | 8:09:01 | 8:09:04 | |
I got a chance to enjoy this one a little bit | 8:09:04 | 8:09:07 | |
and then, um, on the last... after my last putt, er... | 8:09:07 | 8:09:13 | |
I realised that, er, you know, my dad's never going to see this again | 8:09:13 | 8:09:18 | |
and, um...I wish he could've seen this one last time. | 8:09:18 | 8:09:22 | |
I tried at Augusta and it didn't happen, | 8:09:22 | 8:09:24 | |
but, er, he was out there today keeping me calm. | 8:09:24 | 8:09:28 | |
I love my dad and I miss him very much. | 8:09:28 | 8:09:30 | |
APPLAUSE | 8:09:30 | 8:09:32 | |
Bernard Darwin once wrote... | 8:09:36 | 8:09:38 | |
"Hoylake, blown upon by mighty winds, | 8:09:38 | 8:09:42 | |
"breeder of mighty champions." | 8:09:42 | 8:09:44 | |
There are none mightier than Tiger. | 8:09:44 | 8:09:46 |