0:00:00 > 0:00:00GOLF THE STORY OF THE OPEN SPT G585D/01 BSD000000
6:32:05 > 6:32:12.
6:32:29 > 6:32:30From its earliest beginnings,
6:32:30 > 6:32:33golf and the elements have been intertwined.
6:32:33 > 6:32:35It is a game at one with nature,
6:32:35 > 6:32:38where the contours of the land and the strength of the wind
6:32:38 > 6:32:41are factors in determining its difficulty.
6:32:41 > 6:32:43For generations, the coastline
6:32:43 > 6:32:45east of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh,
6:32:45 > 6:32:49has been a prized location for the grand old pursuit.
6:32:49 > 6:32:53Many fine courses can be seen in the region synonymous with the game.
6:32:53 > 6:32:58But the universally accept the jewel in the crown is Muirfield.
6:32:58 > 6:33:02Home of the historic Honourable Company Of Edinburgh Golfers
6:33:02 > 6:33:05and, for the third week in July of 2002,
6:33:05 > 6:33:09home of the 131st Open Championship.
6:33:13 > 6:33:15Muirfield isn't a newcomer to the Open rota.
6:33:15 > 6:33:18The links have hosted the Championship
6:33:18 > 6:33:21on 14 previous occasions, starting in 1892,
6:33:21 > 6:33:26and the list of champions produced underlines its quality and fairness
6:33:26 > 6:33:27as an all-round shot making test.
6:33:29 > 6:33:33Tom Watson won the third of his five Open titles here in 1980
6:33:33 > 6:33:37and the American has returned to rekindle those fond memories.
6:33:39 > 6:33:43Much the same as Nick Faldo, who triumphed at Muirfield in 1987
6:33:43 > 6:33:45and again in 1992.
6:33:47 > 6:33:49Once more in partnership these days with Fanny Sunesson,
6:33:49 > 6:33:51his caddy back then,
6:33:51 > 6:33:53Faldo's delighted to relive those moments of glory.
6:33:55 > 6:33:58That's the worrying bit. Ten years has gone by.
6:33:59 > 6:34:02Still one of my favourite spots.
6:34:02 > 6:34:05Still enjoying the memories from a few years ago.
6:34:05 > 6:34:07Momentous times indeed.
6:34:07 > 6:34:12And 1992 was also the first Open as a professional for Ernie Els.
6:34:12 > 6:34:16He finished fifth, one of six top ten results in an event he relishes.
6:34:17 > 6:34:21I haven't won it, but I enjoy playing in the Open Championship
6:34:21 > 6:34:25and I've had a pretty good time over the past ten years.
6:34:26 > 6:34:30The sweet-swinging South African has two US Open victories on his CV
6:34:30 > 6:34:33but his form immediately prior to the championship
6:34:33 > 6:34:34was a cause for concern.
6:34:36 > 6:34:38I've got to play a lot better.
6:34:38 > 6:34:43I haven't played that good, the last couple of weeks.
6:34:43 > 6:34:46It's a four-day event, so you've got to just try and hang tough,
6:34:46 > 6:34:50but I'd like to see my game a little bit better by Thursday.
6:34:51 > 6:34:53The man they all have to beat
6:34:53 > 6:34:56is Eldrick Woods, better known as Tiger.
6:34:56 > 6:34:58The world number one is looking for the third leg of a Grand Slam,
6:34:58 > 6:35:01after prevailing at both the Masters and US Open.
6:35:01 > 6:35:05First of all, I've got to play well and take care of business this week
6:35:05 > 6:35:09and try and win the Championship. And that'll be an end result.
6:35:09 > 6:35:13Woods appreciates there is much more to Muirfield than raw links,
6:35:13 > 6:35:15and he likes what he sees.
6:35:17 > 6:35:20It's a different style than the courses we play,
6:35:20 > 6:35:24but it's one of the most fair golf courses we've played.
6:35:24 > 6:35:26It presents itself right in front of you.
6:35:26 > 6:35:29There is no hidden agendas, no tricks, anything like that.
6:35:29 > 6:35:33It's just one of those golf courses, it's very fair and come-and-get-me.
6:35:35 > 6:35:37In conjunction with the Royal & Ancient,
6:35:37 > 6:35:39the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
6:35:39 > 6:35:42have been responsible for setting up a course
6:35:42 > 6:35:45that has clearly received Tiger's seal of approval.
6:35:45 > 6:35:47One obvious defence of the links is the rough.
6:35:50 > 6:35:54The rough traditionally here is penal and quite high.
6:35:54 > 6:35:56it has been higher
6:35:56 > 6:35:59but I think it's been seen in this championship that,
6:35:59 > 6:36:03if a player does get in the rough, he really is struggling to get out.
6:36:03 > 6:36:06And he has to pay that penalty.
6:36:06 > 6:36:08The other natural defence mechanism for Muirfield
6:36:08 > 6:36:10is the wind, a regular visitor.
6:36:10 > 6:36:13A further complicating issue is that the course is by no means
6:36:13 > 6:36:16a traditional nine-out, nine-back configuration.
6:36:18 > 6:36:20There are only probably two consecutive holes
6:36:20 > 6:36:23where the wind will be in the same direction.
6:36:23 > 6:36:28So, on every tee, the golfer has got different wind before he plays it.
6:36:28 > 6:36:32And I'm just very hopeful that, before the championship is over,
6:36:32 > 6:36:34we will see a strong East Lothian wind,
6:36:34 > 6:36:36which will put them to the test.
6:36:45 > 6:36:48The first day's play looks to be the best day of the championship.
6:36:48 > 6:36:51Calm at first, but the wind's picking up from the East
6:36:51 > 6:36:53as the sea breeze sets in the afternoon.
6:36:55 > 6:36:58With wind speed, temperature and the likelihood of rain
6:36:58 > 6:37:00very much on the minds of the competitors,
6:37:00 > 6:37:03there's a member of the weatherman brotherhood on hand
6:37:03 > 6:37:05to predict playing conditions.
6:37:06 > 6:37:08I'm a forecast of the Met Office
6:37:08 > 6:37:10and the Met Office is contracted by the R&A
6:37:10 > 6:37:14to provide them with on-site, site-specific forecasting,
6:37:14 > 6:37:16which gives you much more detail
6:37:16 > 6:37:19than perhaps they could get from other sources.
6:37:21 > 6:37:24Muirfield isn't the Arizona Desert or southern Spain.
6:37:24 > 6:37:27Weather patterns are, to say the very least, unpredictable.
6:37:27 > 6:37:29It can be very changeable
6:37:29 > 6:37:33at any time of year, even during the summer, which we're in at the moment.
6:37:33 > 6:37:35And despite the fact that we've had high pressure over the last
6:37:35 > 6:37:38couple of days, it's not been easy to forecast.
6:37:38 > 6:37:42So what can players, officials and spectators expect for the week?
6:37:42 > 6:37:47On Thursday and Friday, probably not a great deal of wind, but then the
6:37:47 > 6:37:49main wind will come during Saturday and Sunday,
6:37:49 > 6:37:52as we begin to get strong north-easterlies developing,
6:37:52 > 6:37:54so it is going to make for some tricky conditions.
6:37:54 > 6:37:57But come rain or shine, nothing would deter the legions
6:37:57 > 6:38:01of fans who rose early to witness Tiger's first shot of the week.
6:38:01 > 6:38:04Woods appreciates the British galleries.
6:38:04 > 6:38:07Fans over here that come out to the Open Championship are the most
6:38:07 > 6:38:12knowledgeable fans. My relationship's been absolutely great.
6:38:12 > 6:38:15They've been extremely nice to me and gracious.
6:38:15 > 6:38:18That's what all of us who come out here
6:38:18 > 6:38:20and play in the Open Championship truly admire
6:38:20 > 6:38:25and respect about the fans, that they understand the game.
6:38:25 > 6:38:28Unfortunately, when Woods teed off at 9.01,
6:38:28 > 6:38:31a photographer was not so obliging.
6:38:31 > 6:38:35Want to take them after I hit the shot, please?
6:38:37 > 6:38:41With concentration restored, Tiger's challenge commenced,
6:38:41 > 6:38:44although not with the desired outcome.
6:38:46 > 6:38:50Finding the rough from the first tee was a surprise to all and tested
6:38:50 > 6:38:55Tiger's powers of recovery much earlier than he would have wished.
6:38:55 > 6:38:57'Good shot!'
6:38:57 > 6:39:00And yet, Woods somehow managed to miraculously save par.
6:39:04 > 6:39:07He would go on to shoot a round of 70.
6:39:10 > 6:39:15Surprisingly, Woods was upstaged by both of his playing partners.
6:39:15 > 6:39:18The popular Japanese star Shigeki Maruyama chipped
6:39:18 > 6:39:20and smiled his way to a 68.
6:39:24 > 6:39:27And that score was matched by Justin Rose,
6:39:27 > 6:39:31whose game plan to focus on himself, rather than Tiger, worked well.
6:39:35 > 6:39:39Rose, fourth in the Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998 as an amateur,
6:39:39 > 6:39:43once again played superbly on home soil.
6:39:47 > 6:39:50I didn't caught up in watching him or getting involved or
6:39:50 > 6:39:54worrying about all the stuff that goes on around him.
6:39:54 > 6:39:57I still felt very focused on my own game and I realised that the
6:39:57 > 6:40:01Open Championship's an important tournament for me.
6:40:03 > 6:40:07Rose wasn't the only youngster with high expectations.
6:40:07 > 6:40:10The signs were encouraging for Spain's Sergio Garcia,
6:40:10 > 6:40:14who penned his name to the list of amateur champions
6:40:14 > 6:40:17when he triumphed here at Muirfield as an 18-year-old in 1998.
6:40:23 > 6:40:27As amateur champion, Garcia was following in the footsteps
6:40:27 > 6:40:30of his fellow countryman Jose Maria Olazabal.
6:40:30 > 6:40:33And the Spanish hat-trick was completed this year
6:40:33 > 6:40:37when Alejandro Larrazabal captured the title at Royal Porthcawl
6:40:37 > 6:40:38in South Wales.
6:40:45 > 6:40:48Larrazabal's father Gustavo and brother Pablo were
6:40:48 > 6:40:52there to see him secure a coveted exemption to the Open.
6:40:52 > 6:40:55And in Scotland, the family caught some of the morning
6:40:55 > 6:40:59action on television before heading out for a lunch tee time.
6:40:59 > 6:41:02The big day had finally arrived. The Ts were crossed,
6:41:02 > 6:41:06the Is dotted and Larrazabal couldn't wait to get going.
6:41:10 > 6:41:15I've been looking forward to it for a month right now
6:41:15 > 6:41:21and the dream is always to play in a Major championship, so I'm excited.
6:41:22 > 6:41:25It was though to be something of a baptism of fire.
6:41:25 > 6:41:28The putter didn't always behave and the odd wayward drive,
6:41:28 > 6:41:33such as here on the 17th, didn't put Larrazabal on the path to success.
6:41:33 > 6:41:35He recorded a six over par 77.
6:41:39 > 6:41:41There was better news for Garcia.
6:41:41 > 6:41:45On a day when few exploited the benign, almost windless,
6:41:45 > 6:41:48conditions, he put together a round of 71
6:41:48 > 6:41:52to get his challenge off to a satisfactory start.
6:41:55 > 6:41:59But the focus of attention wasn't monopolised by the younger brigade.
6:41:59 > 6:42:0349-year-old Irishman Des Smyth, who created a new record as the oldest
6:42:03 > 6:42:07champion in European Tour history when he won the Madeira Island Open
6:42:07 > 6:42:12last season, enhanced his reputation as a links specialist with a 68.
6:42:16 > 6:42:21Meanwhile, Els, still someway short of the veteran stage,
6:42:21 > 6:42:24quietly put together a 70 and a platform.
6:42:29 > 6:42:32Nothing very colourful about that round,
6:42:32 > 6:42:35but the same couldn't be said for the opening effort of Duffy Waldorf.
6:42:35 > 6:42:37The anything but understated American brought
6:42:37 > 6:42:40a touch of Hawaii to the east Lothian shoreline.
6:42:40 > 6:42:44He revelled in the sunshine during a pace-setting 67.
6:42:48 > 6:42:51There was a lot of rough out there. Those bunkers are kind of deep too.
6:42:51 > 6:42:55Fortunately, I haven't had to play links golf yet.
6:42:55 > 6:42:58It was more American golf out there today.
6:42:58 > 6:43:01And that fact was reflected on a leaderboard
6:43:01 > 6:43:05in which the reigning USPGA champion David Toms and Phil Mickelson,
6:43:05 > 6:43:08arguably the best player still waiting to earn
6:43:08 > 6:43:12the status of a Major winner, both figured prominently.
6:43:18 > 6:43:21The forecast for Friday, the second day's play,
6:43:21 > 6:43:24completely different from yesterday, cloudy and wet this morning.
6:43:24 > 6:43:29Rain easing a bit this afternoon and the winds moderate from the west.
6:43:29 > 6:43:32Day two began dull and rather miserable -
6:43:32 > 6:43:35not ideal spectating weather, but with extra moisture on the greens
6:43:35 > 6:43:40and the wind continuing to hold off, the difficulty of the course eased.
6:43:40 > 6:43:43One of those to seize full advantage was Scotland's own
6:43:43 > 6:43:44Colin Montgomerie.
6:43:44 > 6:43:47The seven times European money list number one followed
6:43:47 > 6:43:51a mediocre 74 with a course record of 64
6:43:51 > 6:43:54that left the locals in cheery mood.
6:43:54 > 6:43:58After Monty's charge, no amount of rain could dampen their spirits.
6:43:58 > 6:44:01CROWD CHEERS LOUDLY
6:44:01 > 6:44:0464 round here is a good score, without dropping a shot,
6:44:04 > 6:44:08it proves that I can play the game and I'm just looking forward
6:44:08 > 6:44:13now to the weekend, especially the way that I'm swinging the club now.
6:44:13 > 6:44:16There was also a record-breaking achievement by another
6:44:16 > 6:44:20perennial darling of the crowd, Nick Faldo.
6:44:22 > 6:44:26The Englishman's 69, a day after celebrating his 45th birthday,
6:44:26 > 6:44:32was his 34th sub-70 round at the Open - one more than Jack Nicklaus,
6:44:32 > 6:44:35the man who inspired him to take up the game in the first place.
6:44:37 > 6:44:39There wouldn't be another
6:44:39 > 6:44:43though, as Faldo finished modestly in a tie for 59th.
6:44:46 > 6:44:51Just before two o'clock, Tiger Woods marched onto the first tee and
6:44:51 > 6:44:55this particular Tiger was surrounded by scores of photographers.
6:44:55 > 6:44:57The player known for his focus was, as usual,
6:44:57 > 6:45:00the focus of their attention.
6:45:00 > 6:45:04SHUTTERS CLICK
6:45:09 > 6:45:13He is, after all, the most photographed player in golf.
6:45:13 > 6:45:14Well, of course,
6:45:14 > 6:45:18the R&A and the Open Championship do know the value of the written
6:45:18 > 6:45:22press and in particular photographers because photographs do say
6:45:22 > 6:45:26a lot in terms of the instant appeal of newspapers and magazines.
6:45:26 > 6:45:29So we do value their support of the championship.
6:45:29 > 6:45:33With over 600 journalists and photographers from more
6:45:33 > 6:45:36than 30 countries, it's a cosmopolitan competitive affair.
6:45:38 > 6:45:40Sometimes we see pictures and think,
6:45:40 > 6:45:43"That would look fantastic on TV,"
6:45:43 > 6:45:46but it doesn't actually work on a still and equally, I think
6:45:46 > 6:45:51you can get a fantastic image of let's say Tiger in the rough,
6:45:51 > 6:45:53the great clump of grass on the end of his club
6:45:53 > 6:45:57and it's just frozen in time. It's a fantastic image.
6:45:59 > 6:46:04However, collecting the images is only part of the process.
6:46:04 > 6:46:06The process, these days, is very simple.
6:46:06 > 6:46:10You have a small digital card, which you can get 150 images on,
6:46:10 > 6:46:13so once we have some good stuff on there,
6:46:13 > 6:46:16we have a runner who will just take that card, take it back to the
6:46:16 > 6:46:19office and there's a whole procedure set up there.
6:46:19 > 6:46:20There you go.
6:46:20 > 6:46:23The image is uploaded into the computer
6:46:23 > 6:46:26and we view the images on screen.
6:46:26 > 6:46:28Edit the pictures we want
6:46:28 > 6:46:31and they're sent to the picture desk in London.
6:46:31 > 6:46:34Then they're broadcast to all the national papers
6:46:34 > 6:46:36and magazines that have contracts,
6:46:36 > 6:46:38so within two and a half minutes, three minutes,
6:46:38 > 6:46:42of receiving the image, the newspapers have on their desk.
6:46:51 > 6:46:56Justin Rose certainly wasn't in the frame after putting woes and a 75.
6:46:59 > 6:47:02But it didn't rain on the parade of Maruyama whose sunny
6:47:02 > 6:47:06disposition lifted the murk during a second consecutive round of 68.
6:47:06 > 6:47:10Six under par for the 32-year-old from Chiba,
6:47:10 > 6:47:13who won his first US Tour even this year.
6:47:15 > 6:47:17Watched by his mother and girlfriend,
6:47:17 > 6:47:21Woods began to make ominous progress in the right direction.
6:47:24 > 6:47:27Ominous, that is, for the rest of the field.
6:47:27 > 6:47:31His 68 left him in a tie for ninth, alongside his buddy
6:47:31 > 6:47:34Mark O'Meara, and very much in the thick of things.
6:47:35 > 6:47:39All departments of his game were in good working order.
6:47:39 > 6:47:42A big weekend was confidently predicted.
6:47:50 > 6:47:54Among the notables who failed to survive the cut was Tom Watson,
6:47:54 > 6:47:59winner of the Open on five occasions between 1975 and 1983.
6:47:59 > 6:48:03This time, he struggled from the word go.
6:48:05 > 6:48:08Young Larrazabal also bowed out after 36 holes,
6:48:08 > 6:48:12but the experience more than lived up to expectations.
6:48:12 > 6:48:15Everything was amazing.
6:48:15 > 6:48:21And this 18th hole with this kind of stadium, it's pretty unique.
6:48:21 > 6:48:25Larrazabal, a beneficiary of the Royal & Ancient's
6:48:25 > 6:48:28policy of encouraging amateurs.
6:48:28 > 6:48:33I enjoyed it a lot, I'm a little bit sad about my score because
6:48:33 > 6:48:39I play way better than what it shows, but it was a really good experience.
6:48:41 > 6:48:45- I enjoyed it a lot!- Good.- It was a good experience. I played...awesome.
6:48:45 > 6:48:48Padraig Harrington, at home on the links,
6:48:48 > 6:48:52did much more than secure the right to play all four rounds.
6:48:53 > 6:48:56The ultra consistent Dubliner, who is becoming an impressive
6:48:56 > 6:48:58challenger in Major championships,
6:48:58 > 6:49:02forced his way into joint first place, alongside Maruyama
6:49:02 > 6:49:05and the American Bob Tway, with a controlled 67.
6:49:12 > 6:49:14Going one better was Ernie Els.
6:49:14 > 6:49:18While the round of the day undoubtedly belonged to Monty,
6:49:18 > 6:49:21there was no confusing the nine holes of the day.
6:49:21 > 6:49:24Big Ernie covered the outward half at Muirfield
6:49:24 > 6:49:28in a mesmeric 29 strokes. Els could do no wrong.
6:49:28 > 6:49:32When he walked off the ninth, he had put up some amazing statistics,
6:49:32 > 6:49:35headed by seven birdies and ten putts.
6:49:35 > 6:49:39His momentum was broken by dropped shots at the 11th and 13th,
6:49:39 > 6:49:44but he still carded a 66 to vault into serious contention.
6:49:44 > 6:49:49The first nine was obviously quite amazing really.
6:49:49 > 6:49:52I mean, I just felt really good about my swing on the range
6:49:52 > 6:49:58and just didn't quite play the same level on the back nine.
6:49:58 > 6:50:02Ernie's fellow competitors were no doubt mightily relieved by that.
6:50:02 > 6:50:05At the end of the day, Els was involved in a five-way
6:50:05 > 6:50:08logjam for the lead at six under par.
6:50:08 > 6:50:11That was to prove a sign of things to come.
6:50:11 > 6:50:14I've got an opportunity to achieve one of my goals
6:50:14 > 6:50:17and that's win a Claret Jug, but it depends on the weather conditions.
6:50:17 > 6:50:20Obviously, we had good conditions today,
6:50:20 > 6:50:22but over the weekend, things might get a little bit tighter
6:50:22 > 6:50:26and, you know, you still have to lay the golf course
6:50:26 > 6:50:29and each hole the way it should be played.
6:50:35 > 6:50:38For Saturday, the third day's play, early starters will get
6:50:38 > 6:50:42the best of the conditions, with the winds picking up for the afternoon.
6:50:42 > 6:50:45Quite strong north-easterlies - about 30mph, bringing on a fair
6:50:45 > 6:50:49amount of rain, so with that wind, it will be driving rain.
6:50:49 > 6:50:51Our weatherman proved to be on the button,
6:50:51 > 6:50:54but still they came in their thousands to witness a day when
6:50:54 > 6:50:59the Scottish elements were to humble many of the game's leading lights.
6:50:59 > 6:51:01The stars of the show arrived,
6:51:01 > 6:51:04unaware of the ferocity of the tempest that awaited them,
6:51:04 > 6:51:07but by the end of the day, they were more than glad to find refuge in the
6:51:07 > 6:51:11various accommodations, especially those fortunate enough to be
6:51:11 > 6:51:14billeted behind the tenth tee at the Greywalls Hotel,
6:51:14 > 6:51:18which has played host to the three most recent Open champions
6:51:18 > 6:51:21crowned at Muirfield and many other famous faces.
6:51:25 > 6:51:30Around town, indeed right through to North Berwick and Edinburgh,
6:51:30 > 6:51:34spying a vacancy sign was almost an impossibility.
6:51:35 > 6:51:39But a place to rest wasn't a concern for the Swedes who chose to lodge
6:51:39 > 6:51:42en masse in a nearby rented home.
6:51:44 > 6:51:47In general, the idea is to help the players, well, basically,
6:51:47 > 6:51:49with our accommodation,
6:51:49 > 6:51:55and at the same time do something a little bit cosy for our Swedes,
6:51:55 > 6:51:59since they travel most of the time between hotel rooms.
6:51:59 > 6:52:03This is a bit different and it's nice for them to stay together.
6:52:03 > 6:52:07This Scandinavian bonding has become a tradition.
6:52:09 > 6:52:13We've done this a few years now and we usually bring a chef
6:52:13 > 6:52:17and he's cooking in a golf club in Sweden and he's a keen golfer,
6:52:17 > 6:52:21so he's actually spending his vacation here.
6:52:21 > 6:52:25Appetising. And for the Swedes, that also applies to golf.
6:52:25 > 6:52:28Especially following the country's success in events on both
6:52:28 > 6:52:30sides of the Atlantic.
6:52:30 > 6:52:34Golf has been booming in Sweden since the mid '80s
6:52:34 > 6:52:38and there's a lot of people taking up golf still.
6:52:38 > 6:52:41We've got a large number of players on the European Tour,
6:52:41 > 6:52:44but we still haven't got the Major win
6:52:44 > 6:52:47and I think that would be a big deal for Swedish golf.
6:52:49 > 6:52:52Jesper Parnevik, who came so close to winning
6:52:52 > 6:52:56the Open at Turnberry in 1994, before being edged by Nick Price,
6:52:56 > 6:53:00also finished in a tie for second three years later.
6:53:00 > 6:53:03This time, it's been a much quieter championship,
6:53:03 > 6:53:07but a 70, posted early on Saturday, eventually brings a useful move.
6:53:10 > 6:53:14Justin Leonard from Texas won the 1997 open at Royal Troon.
6:53:14 > 6:53:19He tends to thrive on links land and shot a morning 68 that would
6:53:19 > 6:53:22improve in credibility as the day went on.
6:53:25 > 6:53:27His playing partner, Justin Rose,
6:53:27 > 6:53:31also recorded a 68 to make a significant move as well.
6:53:31 > 6:53:35As the weather began to deteriorate, Leonard and Rose
6:53:35 > 6:53:38began to make their presence felt.
6:53:40 > 6:53:43You could say they reached the clubhouse just in time.
6:53:46 > 6:53:47At that point though,
6:53:47 > 6:53:51neither knew what exactly was in store for the leaders.
6:53:52 > 6:53:56Clearly, there was a huge storm brewing, as the leaders spent
6:53:56 > 6:53:59time on the range going through their final preparations.
6:53:59 > 6:54:02Across the bay, the dark clouds were rapidly approaching,
6:54:02 > 6:54:05but Sergio Garcia had his mind on the championship,
6:54:05 > 6:54:07not on the impending tempest,
6:54:07 > 6:54:11and played solidly in the initial stages of the round.
6:54:12 > 6:54:14England's Gary Evans,
6:54:14 > 6:54:18who had the distinction of being in the opening group of the '91 and
6:54:18 > 6:54:22'98 Opens at Birkdale, also looked good and would continue to thrill.
6:54:27 > 6:54:30The weather really close in just after 1pm.
6:54:30 > 6:54:32Driving rain, fierce winds
6:54:32 > 6:54:36and a severe dip in temperature struck simultaneously.
6:54:36 > 6:54:40When the final group teed off, it was more like midwinter than July.
6:54:40 > 6:54:42'On the tee from South Africa, Ernie Els.'
6:54:42 > 6:54:45Generally, conditions were extremely inhospitable.
6:54:45 > 6:54:49This would obviously be a stern examination.
6:54:53 > 6:54:56It was one of the most difficult days that
6:54:56 > 6:55:00I can ever remember in an Open Championship for myself and to the
6:55:00 > 6:55:06rest of the field and you just can't believe how the conditions were.
6:55:06 > 6:55:10The weather was as bad as I can ever remember.
6:55:10 > 6:55:13It's almost unbelievable it should happen in July.
6:55:13 > 6:55:16It was more like a December or January day.
6:55:17 > 6:55:19A fact reflected by an opening double bogey.
6:55:24 > 6:55:27Maruyama's America base is Beverly Hills
6:55:27 > 6:55:30but the warm Californian sunshine seemed a distant memory
6:55:30 > 6:55:32as he too struggled in the conditions.
6:55:34 > 6:55:37Even those well accustomed to the nastier side of the Scottish climate
6:55:37 > 6:55:39were caught off guard by its impact.
6:55:39 > 6:55:41Colin Montgomerie was comprehensively blown
6:55:41 > 6:55:43out of the running.
6:55:43 > 6:55:47His 84 was 20 shots worse than his score the previous day,
6:55:47 > 6:55:49and with it, the Scot gained an unwanted mention
6:55:49 > 6:55:51in the record books.
6:55:51 > 6:55:54Monty had one consolation.
6:55:54 > 6:55:57At least he was in good company on an afternoon that the golfing
6:55:57 > 6:55:59elite won't forget in a hurry.
6:56:08 > 6:56:12# Shoo-bee-doo-bee-doo-dee-dee-dee
6:56:18 > 6:56:21# Dig, dig, dig, dig, digging
6:56:21 > 6:56:23# Dig, dig in the ground
6:56:23 > 6:56:26# Down in the hole
6:56:27 > 6:56:31# Dig, dig, dig, dig in the ground
6:56:31 > 6:56:34# Feelin' good in the ground
6:56:34 > 6:56:36# I've got my spade, I've got my hoe
6:56:36 > 6:56:39# I've got my rake and I'm ready to go. #
6:56:44 > 6:56:47If you didn't laugh, you might have cried,
6:56:47 > 6:56:50and Tiger certainly saw the funny side when he birdied the 17th.
6:56:50 > 6:56:55It takes a fine sportsman to retain a sense of humour en route to an 81.
6:56:55 > 6:56:58The worst round of his professional career.
6:56:58 > 6:57:02Dreams of a Grand Slam gone, at least for 2002.
6:57:05 > 6:57:09While so many trod water, shot-making Sergio
6:57:09 > 6:57:11pieced together a 71.
6:57:14 > 6:57:15You never know how it's going to go.
6:57:15 > 6:57:17A day like today is really tough to play,
6:57:17 > 6:57:20and, you know, you get a good feeling,
6:57:20 > 6:57:23and you start hitting good shots, you get some confidence,
6:57:23 > 6:57:27as I did, but if you hit a couple of wide shots you can struggle big-time.
6:57:30 > 6:57:33His fellow competitors empathised with that view.
6:57:33 > 6:57:36Score-wise, it was swiftly moving backwards and at one stage,
6:57:36 > 6:57:39it looked as though Rose, Leonard and Garcia,
6:57:39 > 6:57:41snug in the sanctuary of the clubhouse,
6:57:41 > 6:57:44might well be the overnight leaders.
6:57:44 > 6:57:47But Harrington, who later claimed to have played in much worse
6:57:47 > 6:57:50weather as a junior in Ireland, was initially stubborn.
6:57:53 > 6:57:56Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also successfully limited
6:57:56 > 6:57:59the damage on the way to a brave 73 to secure
6:57:59 > 6:58:03a tee time at the business end of the championship one Sunday.
6:58:05 > 6:58:09Eventually, and thankfully, the rain ceased and the skies cleared.
6:58:09 > 6:58:12It remained decidedly chilly, hence the headgear,
6:58:12 > 6:58:14but the likes of Soren Hansen,
6:58:14 > 6:58:16the recently-crowned Irish Open champion,
6:58:16 > 6:58:19began to claw back the odd shot here and there.
6:58:19 > 6:58:22The improving Dane would complete the day at three under par.
6:58:27 > 6:58:30Thomas Levet, attempting to go one better than Jean van de Velde
6:58:30 > 6:58:34at Carnoustie, and become the first Frenchman to win the Open
6:58:34 > 6:58:36since Arnaud Massy way back in 1807,
6:58:36 > 6:58:40also produced the odd gem in the closing stretch to stay in touch.
6:58:47 > 6:58:50And Ernie, displaying plenty of steel, wouldn't be
6:58:50 > 6:58:52pummelled into submission either.
6:58:56 > 6:59:00His tee shot on the 16th was a truly classy effort.
6:59:00 > 6:59:04Maybe this time the twice US Open champion was on course
6:59:04 > 6:59:07for victory in a major on this side of the pond.
6:59:11 > 6:59:14And talking of classy, the same could be said about the round
6:59:14 > 6:59:16of Evergreen Des Smyth,
6:59:16 > 6:59:19the seasoned campaigner, who managed to defy Old Father Time
6:59:19 > 6:59:22and cope, when so many of those in their prime struggled.
6:59:33 > 6:59:36As the accompanying photographers, still searching for that back
6:59:36 > 6:59:38page picture, trudged up the 18th,
6:59:38 > 6:59:41Els wrapped up proceedings with a two-shot lead over Hanson.
6:59:41 > 6:59:44He had scrambled a 72 and was justifiably proud.
6:59:47 > 6:59:50I'm really pleased with it.
6:59:50 > 6:59:53I cannot explain it well enough, I don't think.
6:59:53 > 6:59:57You know, I never thought I would get it to five-under.
6:59:57 > 7:00:03I thought, at best, to have broken 76 or 77 today would have been a call.
7:00:03 > 7:00:05The way the conditions were.
7:00:05 > 7:00:09I mean, it's the most amazing thing I've seen for a very long time
7:00:09 > 7:00:11at this Championship.
7:00:13 > 7:00:16So it was that Els went into the final round in pole position
7:00:16 > 7:00:20from Hanson, with a further seven players only three shots adrift.
7:00:20 > 7:00:22They included Leonard and Rose,
7:00:22 > 7:00:25who had moved up an incredible 47 places.
7:00:30 > 7:00:32Conditions for Sunday, the final day of the championship,
7:00:32 > 7:00:35are in stark contrast to yesterday afternoon's conditions.
7:00:35 > 7:00:37It's going to stay dry, it'll be bright,
7:00:37 > 7:00:39the sun will break through,
7:00:39 > 7:00:42temperatures up to a pleasant 18 Celsius this afternoon
7:00:42 > 7:00:44with just a light west or north-westerly wind.
7:00:44 > 7:00:47The early birds on Sunday got to witness some smashing golf.
7:00:53 > 7:00:56And a few miles down the coast, off North Berwick,
7:00:56 > 7:00:58there was another cluster of birds,
7:00:58 > 7:01:01this time of the feathered variety.
7:01:01 > 7:01:03Gannets...
7:01:03 > 7:01:05herring gulls...
7:01:05 > 7:01:07razorbills...
7:01:07 > 7:01:11kittiwakes and puffins all inhabit the Bass Rock.
7:01:12 > 7:01:16And Muirfield itself is something of a haven for wildlife, too.
7:01:16 > 7:01:19We have produced this booklet to raise awareness
7:01:19 > 7:01:23of the important wildlife and natural habitats found
7:01:23 > 7:01:28on the golf course here at Muirfield and it's proved very popular.
7:01:28 > 7:01:31Flower and fauna, simply beautiful.
7:01:33 > 7:01:35We hope that this booklet illustrates
7:01:35 > 7:01:39that our Open Championship venues in particular can provide
7:01:39 > 7:01:42an environment in which wildlife can flourish.
7:01:44 > 7:01:47Certain sections of grass took quite a beating - the rough.
7:01:47 > 7:01:51But undoubtedly, the Open is an environmentally kind exercise.
7:01:53 > 7:01:57That's why voles can comfortably coexist with 18 holes.
7:02:01 > 7:02:05But there aren't any rabbits in this field and no-one was shocked
7:02:05 > 7:02:08when Tiger came haring out of the traps in the fourth round.
7:02:14 > 7:02:18Banishing thoughts of his problems on Saturday, never-say-die Woods
7:02:18 > 7:02:22reached the turn in 33, then came home in 32.
7:02:22 > 7:02:25Pride of performance is a powerful motivator
7:02:25 > 7:02:28and Woods was showing that he's made of stern stuff.
7:02:31 > 7:02:35Respectability restored but that Grand Slam will have to wait.
7:02:37 > 7:02:41Australia's Peter O'Malley, renowned for his arrow straight driving, was
7:02:41 > 7:02:43another to make a strong, early move.
7:02:46 > 7:02:49This eagle at the ninth greatly helped his cause as did birdies
7:02:49 > 7:02:54on the 10th, 11th and 12th to go to 4 under par for the Championship.
7:02:56 > 7:02:59Likewise, things were going swimmingly for Gary Evans.
7:02:59 > 7:03:02Having birdied six holes for an outward 31,
7:03:02 > 7:03:05he cranked up the volume with this at the tenth.
7:03:10 > 7:03:12Good, Evans and it didn't stop there.
7:03:12 > 7:03:15Evans, who in a decade of European tour campaigning has never
7:03:15 > 7:03:17lifted a trophy,
7:03:17 > 7:03:21climbed further into rarefied air by also making a birdie at the 11th.
7:03:21 > 7:03:24Suddenly, the man from the seaside town of Worthing was
7:03:24 > 7:03:27installed as the one the rest had to catch.
7:03:27 > 7:03:30A potentially fairytale story couldn't be discounted.
7:03:31 > 7:03:36However, David Duval, the winner at Royal Lytham in 2001,
7:03:36 > 7:03:39took a double-bogey seven at the ninth and any lingering
7:03:39 > 7:03:43hopes of a successful title defence were extinguished.
7:03:46 > 7:03:49He didn't win, but in the final round he did what you
7:03:49 > 7:03:50expect from a champion.
7:03:50 > 7:03:54With a 65, Tiger Woods was deservedly applauded up the 18th.
7:03:57 > 7:04:01He would finish joint 28th and earn much respect.
7:04:06 > 7:04:09With Woods packing for the flight back home to Florida, there was
7:04:09 > 7:04:12just time for the galleries to grab some light refreshments or
7:04:12 > 7:04:15maybe even take a wee dram in the tented village...
7:04:17 > 7:04:19..before the final group sent out in search of glory.
7:04:25 > 7:04:28Els, keen to win a championship that he's targeted for years,
7:04:28 > 7:04:30couldn't have made a worse start,
7:04:30 > 7:04:33finding trouble off the tee like so many others during the week.
7:04:42 > 7:04:45Hacking back onto the fairway was the only option
7:04:45 > 7:04:48and a bogey-five would result in a hole recognised
7:04:48 > 7:04:50as the toughest opener on the Open rota.
7:04:55 > 7:04:59Thomas Levet struck a crisp approach to the shot par-four second.
7:04:59 > 7:05:01Birdie for the son of a Parisian doctor
7:05:01 > 7:05:04who won last year's British Masters at Woburn.
7:05:06 > 7:05:09And there was to be another birdie at the third
7:05:09 > 7:05:10to go within three of the lead.
7:05:19 > 7:05:22Australia's Steve Elkington knows what it takes
7:05:22 > 7:05:24to snare a major and this birdie at the fourth
7:05:24 > 7:05:27suggested another wasn't out of the question.
7:05:30 > 7:05:33Maruyama, much warmer than on Saturday,
7:05:33 > 7:05:34was playing much hotter golf.
7:05:34 > 7:05:36Recovering from a bogey at the first,
7:05:36 > 7:05:40the star of the East proceeded to birdie the next two holes
7:05:40 > 7:05:41to go three under par.
7:05:44 > 7:05:48But the Justins, Rose and Leonard, never figured prominently
7:05:48 > 7:05:51and those who thought that Des Smyth could become the oldest
7:05:51 > 7:05:53winner of a major championship were disappointed.
7:05:53 > 7:05:56Still though, a fine effort from the near senior.
7:05:56 > 7:06:00His level par total matched that of Woods.
7:06:00 > 7:06:03The early clubhouse leader was O'Malley.
7:06:03 > 7:06:06His 65 would set the tone on a day
7:06:06 > 7:06:10when Australians would play more than a supporting role in the drama.
7:06:15 > 7:06:18Evans led at six under par.
7:06:18 > 7:06:22With Els, who after his first hole bogey was relegated to second,
7:06:22 > 7:06:25O'Malley and America's Scott Hoch were very much interested
7:06:25 > 7:06:27parties, along with Levet.
7:06:30 > 7:06:33Following top-ten results in both the Masters and the US Open,
7:06:33 > 7:06:37Harrington was equipping himself admirably on the big occasion again.
7:06:37 > 7:06:40After that at the eighth he stood four-under.
7:06:44 > 7:06:46Moments later, Harrington was joined by Hoch
7:06:46 > 7:06:50who rattled in his fifth birdie of the day over at the tricky 14th.
7:06:55 > 7:06:57Evans, meanwhile, was standing firm
7:06:57 > 7:06:59with five straight pars from the 12th.
7:06:59 > 7:07:03A few more rolls and the 16th could well have yielded a bonus birdie.
7:07:08 > 7:07:11No point dwelling over that, and Evans didn't.
7:07:11 > 7:07:17Instead, he powered a drive into the ideal location on the 17th fairway.
7:07:17 > 7:07:19A birdie on the reachable par-five beckoned.
7:07:23 > 7:07:27What subsequently transpired will remain in the thoughts
7:07:27 > 7:07:29of Evans as long as he draws breath.
7:07:33 > 7:07:37'Well, I thought it was pretty much over.
7:07:37 > 7:07:40'I couldn't believe I hit it into 100, 150 people.
7:07:40 > 7:07:42'No-one saw it, no one heard it.'
7:07:42 > 7:07:44Can we all look down rather than look at me? I'd appreciate it.
7:07:44 > 7:07:47'Not within five, ten yards, no idea.
7:07:47 > 7:07:49'There were just so many people there.
7:07:54 > 7:07:59'I didn't feel too good when I was walking back down the fairway.'
7:07:59 > 7:08:01But Dominic, Evans' caddy thought quickly.
7:08:01 > 7:08:04He also went back to the original spot
7:08:04 > 7:08:07and helped his boss regain sufficient composure to find
7:08:07 > 7:08:09the green with what was now his fourth shot.
7:08:15 > 7:08:18Still, no-one could have anticipated what would happen next.
7:08:18 > 7:08:22Displaying bulldog spirit, Evans refused to allow the golfing gods
7:08:22 > 7:08:24to desert him.
7:08:34 > 7:08:37I just walked down there and thought "Give it a chance", you know.
7:08:39 > 7:08:41And that's precisely what he did.
7:08:46 > 7:08:50Halfway to the hole I liked it, and then it broke slightly right
7:08:50 > 7:08:54and it was heading towards the middle, and I thought, "Oh, please".
7:08:54 > 7:08:56When it made it, I just couldn't believe it.
7:09:01 > 7:09:04One of the great moments of the 2002 Open.
7:09:04 > 7:09:06And super sportsmanship
7:09:06 > 7:09:09from American Ryder Cup player Scott Verplank
7:09:09 > 7:09:12who provided his playing partner with such encouragement.
7:09:15 > 7:09:17My heart, I cannot tell you, how my heart was pumping.
7:09:17 > 7:09:19It was just frightening.
7:09:22 > 7:09:28What excitement and still a hole to go. How would the story unfold?
7:09:31 > 7:09:35Over at the third, Els sank this to return five under par.
7:09:35 > 7:09:38The Big Easy looked in relaxed mood and raring to go.
7:09:49 > 7:09:52But the emotional rollercoaster ridden by Evans
7:09:52 > 7:09:54was to take its toll.
7:09:56 > 7:09:59Rough to rough on the 18th.
7:10:08 > 7:10:10Worse still, the green wasn't found in three.
7:10:22 > 7:10:25Evans would eventually have to delve deep to salvage a bogey.
7:10:32 > 7:10:34He looked shocked.
7:10:34 > 7:10:36And now endured a long wait to see
7:10:36 > 7:10:38if his clubhouse lead would last the day.
7:10:38 > 7:10:41Do you know, I didn't even know what I scored when I came in.
7:10:41 > 7:10:44I had no idea, I just checked them off
7:10:44 > 7:10:48but I didn't know what the final score was, I had no idea.
7:10:48 > 7:10:51There were those that thought Maruyama could succeed,
7:10:51 > 7:10:54where the likes of Isao Aoki and Jumbo Ozaki had come up short,
7:10:54 > 7:10:58by becoming the first player from Japan to win a major.
7:10:58 > 7:11:02An outward nine of 32 including five birdies set him on the way,
7:11:02 > 7:11:05but sadly, three bogeys and four holes from the tenth
7:11:05 > 7:11:07put paid to his dreams.
7:11:08 > 7:11:11The entertainer later rued his expensive lapse
7:11:11 > 7:11:14as he signed for a 68 and five-under.
7:11:19 > 7:11:21Much was expected from Garcia
7:11:21 > 7:11:24but it was a relatively subdued day for the Spaniard.
7:11:24 > 7:11:29He fought hard but a 69 wasn't good enough to deliver his first major.
7:11:29 > 7:11:33Mind you, the 22-year-old definitely has time on his side.
7:11:40 > 7:11:43Retief Goosen, winner of the 2001 US Open,
7:11:43 > 7:11:46and top of the European tour money list on arrival
7:11:46 > 7:11:48at Muirfield, threatened on the front nine with three
7:11:48 > 7:11:52birdies in succession, but he couldn't maintain that momentum.
7:11:54 > 7:11:56Denmark had two contenders.
7:11:56 > 7:11:58Soren Hansen moved to five under par
7:11:58 > 7:12:01by tapping in for a birdie here at the ninth,
7:12:01 > 7:12:04but couldn't bounce back from a bogey six holes later.
7:12:08 > 7:12:12And Thomas Bjorn was always on the back foot after beginning
7:12:12 > 7:12:15the day with a crushing double-bogey six at the first.
7:12:21 > 7:12:25Steve Elkington, who just squeezed into this year's championship
7:12:25 > 7:12:28through final qualification, was taking full advantage
7:12:28 > 7:12:31of his place after a birdie on the 11th.
7:12:31 > 7:12:35This shot to the 12th set up another par to remain at five-under.
7:12:38 > 7:12:41And those down under were also cheering on Stuart Appleby, here
7:12:41 > 7:12:46deftly saving power at the 14th to stay three-under and in contention.
7:12:46 > 7:12:48For him, it was a confusing feeling.
7:12:48 > 7:12:51I really had no idea where I was in the tournament.
7:12:51 > 7:12:55I was thinking, well, "Stuart Appleby's playing nice,
7:12:55 > 7:12:57"he's hitting the ball well, he's putting all right,
7:12:57 > 7:12:59"what do I need to do?"
7:12:59 > 7:13:02This was a multi-faced charge to the line
7:13:02 > 7:13:04and throwing in his hat was Padraig Harrington.
7:13:04 > 7:13:08This at the 15th brought birdie number four on the day and saw him
7:13:08 > 7:13:12climb to five under par and joint second with Evans and Elkington.
7:13:15 > 7:13:19His playing partner, Appleby, also only required three strokes
7:13:19 > 7:13:22on the 15th to move his score to four-under.
7:13:22 > 7:13:26This has being transferred into a complicated picture in which
7:13:26 > 7:13:30Thomas Levet playing bogey-free golf was also entitled to have a say.
7:13:30 > 7:13:33With holes running out, the issue was far from resolved.
7:13:36 > 7:13:39Yet, just when it seemed as though everyone was struggling to take
7:13:39 > 7:13:41the championship by the scruff of the neck,
7:13:41 > 7:13:43Ernie Els struck a purple patch.
7:13:47 > 7:13:49A birdie on the difficult 10th gave
7:13:49 > 7:13:52the 32-year-old from Johannesburg a degree of breathing space
7:13:52 > 7:13:55and his comfort zone, if you can call it that in the heat of an Open
7:13:55 > 7:13:59battle, was expanded when he pounced with another birdie on the 12th.
7:14:04 > 7:14:08Even when Els found trouble on the short 13th, he was unfazed.
7:14:08 > 7:14:12It reminded me a lot of the great old bunker at St Andrews.
7:14:12 > 7:14:16I had a stance and all I had to do was hit it as hard as I could.
7:14:20 > 7:14:22In the eyes of many, the shot of the Championship.
7:14:26 > 7:14:28But Els was then to discover the dangers
7:14:28 > 7:14:30of dropping your guard at Muirfield.
7:14:33 > 7:14:36The shot on 14th off the tee, I was going with a two-iron,
7:14:36 > 7:14:38and after I discussed it with Ricky,
7:14:38 > 7:14:42and I should have gone with a three-iron and put it in play,
7:14:42 > 7:14:46but after making a mental error on 14,
7:14:46 > 7:14:48I then had a lot of hard work left.
7:14:53 > 7:14:57Harrington, trying to end 55 years without an Irish name
7:14:57 > 7:15:00on the trophy, dating back to Fred Daly at Hoylake in 1947,
7:15:00 > 7:15:04needed this for an eagle at the 17th to go seven under par.
7:15:05 > 7:15:08Agonisingly line but not length.
7:15:08 > 7:15:10Padraig settled for a birdie.
7:15:12 > 7:15:16Feeling he needed more than six under to post a clubhouse score,
7:15:16 > 7:15:18out came the driver on the final tee.
7:15:20 > 7:15:25And the knock-on effect was a costly visit to sand, a closing bogey,
7:15:25 > 7:15:27and a case of pondering what might have been.
7:15:32 > 7:15:34Levet reached the 17th on four-under,
7:15:34 > 7:15:37having played par golf for the whole back nine.
7:15:37 > 7:15:39He then moved up a gear.
7:15:47 > 7:15:50I was happy. That one on 17 was unreal.
7:15:50 > 7:15:53At that time of the day, and being in contention,
7:15:53 > 7:15:58you just feel it's unbelievable to make a pot like this.
7:15:58 > 7:16:00An eagle three, six under par.
7:16:00 > 7:16:04And you began to wonder if this was going to be his day.
7:16:04 > 7:16:06So what of Appleby?
7:16:06 > 7:16:09Jousting with his emotions, now five-under,
7:16:09 > 7:16:10after a birdie at the 17th,
7:16:10 > 7:16:15had this for another on the 18th, a round of 65 and six-under.
7:16:15 > 7:16:18As they say in the Antipodes, "You little beauty".
7:16:19 > 7:16:24I was feeling nervous from the very first hole, nervous all day.
7:16:24 > 7:16:28But I guess nerves are more a stimulus than anything else.
7:16:28 > 7:16:29But it was good. I made some putts today.
7:16:29 > 7:16:33I hadn't really made any putts all week so that was nice.
7:16:33 > 7:16:36Still, at minus seven, the title remained in the hands of Els,
7:16:36 > 7:16:37who had reached the 16th.
7:16:40 > 7:16:44It's a shot that, you know, that I'm normally good with because
7:16:44 > 7:16:46I like to draw my irons
7:16:46 > 7:16:50but I just tried to hit that seven-iron too hard.
7:16:52 > 7:16:56A worried look, and on the face of Ernie's wife, Liezl.
7:16:56 > 7:16:58Worse was to follow.
7:17:00 > 7:17:03I went with a 60-degree sand iron
7:17:03 > 7:17:06and I hit it, actually, a little bit thin and it went all
7:17:06 > 7:17:10the way down and after that, you know, I was almost gone.
7:17:14 > 7:17:16As Els was plumbing the depths,
7:17:16 > 7:17:19up on the 18th, Levet was basking in a standing ovation.
7:17:22 > 7:17:25He would make par and shoot 66 on a day
7:17:25 > 7:17:27when his original game plan had been conservative.
7:17:27 > 7:17:30He joined Appleby as clubhouse leader at six-under.
7:17:33 > 7:17:37At the start of the day I said I was in contention and I wanted to
7:17:37 > 7:17:44play next year, and my goal was to play just solid and make some putts.
7:17:46 > 7:17:49Els chipped back up the 16th green well past the pin,
7:17:49 > 7:17:52and couldn't prevent a double-bogey five.
7:17:52 > 7:17:57Once more, the door was flung wide open. He was now one behind.
7:17:59 > 7:18:04Walking off the 16th green was the lowest point of my entire week.
7:18:04 > 7:18:06It was the most unbelievable pressure,
7:18:06 > 7:18:08I'd never felt anything like that.
7:18:10 > 7:18:13All of a sudden, 17 is the most crucial hole of my tournament.
7:18:19 > 7:18:22Ricky tried to calm me down and he just said, "Put the best thing
7:18:22 > 7:18:26"you can on this driver" and I had to do that, obviously.
7:18:26 > 7:18:29I mean, if I missed the driver wouldn't be sitting here.
7:18:29 > 7:18:32Even though he was bitterly disappointed, Els somehow
7:18:32 > 7:18:34managed to boom one out there.
7:18:35 > 7:18:39Things were now looking good for Elkington who, after birdie-ing
7:18:39 > 7:18:43the 17th to go six-under, struck a majestic approach on the final hole.
7:18:45 > 7:18:47Was the pendulum swinging in his direction?
7:18:59 > 7:19:02It was a golden chance to set a stiff target.
7:19:08 > 7:19:10But not converted.
7:19:11 > 7:19:14Elkington had to be content with joining Levet
7:19:14 > 7:19:18and Appleby, his fellow countryman, in the clubhouse on six under par.
7:19:23 > 7:19:27As Elkington conducted his post-mortem, Els birdied
7:19:27 > 7:19:31the 17th to regain a share of the lead and then there were four.
7:19:31 > 7:19:34What a climax this had turned out to be.
7:19:36 > 7:19:40Els, by now, refocused after his nightmare on the 16th.
7:19:45 > 7:19:47He found the fairway and then the green.
7:19:49 > 7:19:52He left himself this for the Championship.
7:20:08 > 7:20:11It wasn't to be.
7:20:11 > 7:20:13Els was bound for overtime.
7:20:13 > 7:20:16And the prospect wasn't exactly enticing.
7:20:26 > 7:20:30I really tried my best to try and birdie it.
7:20:30 > 7:20:34The last couple years I haven't been good in play-offs.
7:20:34 > 7:20:37Now, when I left that putt short, I was pretty much down in the dumps.
7:20:41 > 7:20:43On a day when 13 players were bunched up
7:20:43 > 7:20:45within two shots of the lead there
7:20:45 > 7:20:48was to be an unprecedented conclusion
7:20:48 > 7:20:51to the 131st Open Championship.
7:20:51 > 7:20:54For the first time, the destination of the most prized
7:20:54 > 7:20:59accolade in golf was to be determined by a four-man play-off.
7:20:59 > 7:21:02It was decided that the groups would play the four hole
7:21:02 > 7:21:04tiebreaker in two two-balls.
7:21:07 > 7:21:11Levet made a valuable par on the first hole that's demanding in
7:21:11 > 7:21:15any circumstances, but after finding sand, Elkington was to bogey.
7:21:18 > 7:21:21After a quick sandwich and chat with his sports psychologist,
7:21:21 > 7:21:24Els was back on the tee and in the groove.
7:21:24 > 7:21:27Once again, finding the middle of the fairway.
7:21:35 > 7:21:38But Levet, the least-experienced of the quartet in such a high-stakes
7:21:38 > 7:21:42encounter, struck the initial blow with this for a birdie on the 16th.
7:21:45 > 7:21:46Divine intervention maybe.
7:21:51 > 7:21:54The 16th held bad memories for Els,
7:21:54 > 7:21:56but the power of positive thinking enabled him
7:21:56 > 7:22:01to laugh in the face of his demons. A safe and sure par would follow.
7:22:08 > 7:22:10This time the 16th claimed a different
7:22:10 > 7:22:13victim from the southern hemisphere - Appleby.
7:22:20 > 7:22:23Elkington raised flagging Aussie title ambitions with this,
7:22:23 > 7:22:25a birdie at the 17th.
7:22:32 > 7:22:36Then Levet, who recorded a par at 17 to remain one-under, threw
7:22:36 > 7:22:39away his advantage by ploughing into rough off the tee.
7:22:41 > 7:22:45Then he visited a bunker and a bogey was staring him in the face.
7:22:50 > 7:22:52History was to repeat itself up at the green
7:22:52 > 7:22:57when Elkington missed a vital putt to the left one more time.
7:22:57 > 7:23:00His opportunity had now gone. The shot to blame.
7:23:00 > 7:23:03But despite a five, Levet retained hope.
7:23:07 > 7:23:10Appleby's misjudged bunker shot saw him
7:23:10 > 7:23:12ejected from the last chance saloon.
7:23:14 > 7:23:18With Levet looking on, Els required all of his composure to take
7:23:18 > 7:23:21the two of them into a head-to-head situation.
7:23:27 > 7:23:31So it was that the first four-man play-off turned into the first
7:23:31 > 7:23:34sudden-death play-off in the Open Championship.
7:23:40 > 7:23:45Levet was relishing every moment as they journeyed back down the 18th.
7:23:45 > 7:23:47But there was no cause to smile
7:23:47 > 7:23:49when his tee shot ran into a penal fairway bunker.
7:23:55 > 7:23:57Very much advantage Els.
7:23:57 > 7:24:00And yet there was to be another twist in the tale.
7:24:04 > 7:24:07You could tell from the expression.
7:24:07 > 7:24:10When the South African pulled his second into the greenside
7:24:10 > 7:24:13bunker, he needed to pull off the most pressured up and down
7:24:13 > 7:24:16of his life to repel Levet's challenge.
7:24:23 > 7:24:26This was becoming emotionally draining for Els,
7:24:26 > 7:24:30but a wonderful spectacle for the galleries who gave both combatants
7:24:30 > 7:24:33their third warm welcome up the 18th that day.
7:24:38 > 7:24:41As the applause rang in his ears, El's already
7:24:41 > 7:24:45responsible for a stunning bunker shot on the 13th of regulation play,
7:24:45 > 7:24:48knew full well that something special was necessary again.
7:25:04 > 7:25:06Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
7:25:06 > 7:25:09How about that for a single shot under the microscope?
7:25:11 > 7:25:14Els now had several fingers around the claret jug.
7:25:18 > 7:25:21But Levet was to remain resolute to the end.
7:25:23 > 7:25:25His ultimately courageous bogey
7:25:25 > 7:25:28meant Els needed to save par to become
7:25:28 > 7:25:32the first South African to win the Open since Gary Player in 1974.
7:25:43 > 7:25:46Champion at last.
7:25:46 > 7:25:48Relief, his overriding emotion.
7:25:51 > 7:25:55It's just been an unbelievable four days and five holes, you know?
7:25:55 > 7:25:57I had a lot of patience yesterday,
7:25:57 > 7:26:00and to be honest with you, I guess I had a lot of patience today.
7:26:03 > 7:26:06To almost be a clear winner and then almost be a clear loser
7:26:06 > 7:26:12in the space of three or four holes, you know, feels unbelievable.
7:26:12 > 7:26:15Obviously, that is a very tough day.
7:26:18 > 7:26:23With a score of 278, the winner of the Gold medal
7:26:23 > 7:26:26and the champion golfer for the year is Ernie Els.
7:26:26 > 7:26:29APPLAUSE
7:26:29 > 7:26:33The words Els wanted to hear above all other.
7:26:36 > 7:26:40At times I really thought I would never put my hands on this.
7:26:40 > 7:26:44And, you know, it's the hardest tournament I've ever had to play
7:26:44 > 7:26:48this week, and it's one of the most rewarding. THE most rewarding.
7:26:55 > 7:26:59I tried to come here with a lot of confidence and I'm going to leave
7:26:59 > 7:27:01here as the Open Champion.
7:27:01 > 7:27:04It's just been a phenomenal journey for me, this week.
7:27:34 > 7:27:36Golf in all its glory.
7:27:36 > 7:27:40The Open Championship starts Thursday, 18th July across the BBC.
7:27:40 > 7:27:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd