Newsday (N.Y.): Tiger goes back to old putter, but no new results

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- It was different for Tiger Woods. The old buildings along the 18th fairway were the same. The cheering from the fans wedged along the railing and peering from open windows was the same. But this time on a Sunday at St. Andrews, he wasn't walking toward a trophy.

The victories of 2000 and 2005, the last two times the British Open had been held on the Old Course, seemed as far away as the distant coastline along the North Sea. This time, the Open Championship belonged to someone else, to a South African, Louis Oosthuizen.

Woods went back to his old Scotty Cameron putter Sunday, the one that after 11 years he had forsaken for this 139th Open, trying a Nike Method because he thought the Nike would be more effective on the rolling, tortuous greens. It turned out, neither was effective.

"I drove it great all week,'' Woods said. "Hit my irons good and did not putt well except the first day. I believe I had nine three-putts for the week . . . You just can't expect to win golf tournaments if you have nine of 10 three-putts for a week. No one can do that.''

Nor, if as he did in the final round, leave a ball in a bunker on the fourth hole, resulting in the first of two double bogeys (the other was at No. 7, a three-putt), jarring reality that halted momentum picked up after birdies on Nos. 1 and 3.

Woods managed an even-par 72, for a 3-under total, 13 shots behind Oosthuizen, and a tie for 23rd place. Woods has gone winless in the last seven majors he entered, including three this year played at some of his favorite courses: Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews.

"I just felt my speed was off,'' Woods explained about swapping putters, "and I was just going back to something where I know how [the ball] comes off.''

Woods said he didn't feel anchored in the wind on the long putts, which are standard at St. Andrews. Asked the last time he made "significant alterations'' to his putting stroke, he said, "Never.''

When someone wondered if he missed an opportunity at a course he overpowered the last two Opens, he said: "That's just the way it goes. I'm not going to win them all. I've lost more than I've won.''

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Newsday (N.Y.): Oosthuizen wins British Open by 7 strokes

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- A matter of believing. That's what Louis Oosthuizen said, about himself. But five days ago, who would have believed he would win the British Open? Who other than the golfing cognoscenti even knew of Louis Oosthuizen, or how to pronounce his name (WUHST-hy-zen)?

Zach Johnson was a surprise when he grabbed the 2007 Masters. And the standard for upsets remains Jack Fleck, who, then a pro at a driving range, stunned the immortal Ben Hogan in a playoff for the 1955 U.S. Open at San Francisco's Olympic Club.

But this ranks up there among surprises in major tournaments. Or did until the end of the second round. Oosthuizen, a 27-year-old South African, in effect won the 139th British Open on Friday, when he finished before the arrival of wind so strong that it caused play to be suspended for an hour and ruined the rest of the field.

He was four shots in front of Paul Casey before teeing off Sunday below the steps of the imposing granite headquarters of the Royal & Ancient Club. Oosthuizen was seven shots ahead when he took the greatest walk in golf, along the 18th fairway of the Old Course, with fans leaning from the windows of the adjoining buildings and cheering wildly.

With a 1-under-par 71, Oosthuizen finished at 16-under 272, never giving anyone else a chance. Lee Westwood of England was a distant second at 70-279. Rory McIlroy, the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland who opened with a course-record 63, shot 68 for 280. That tied McIlroy for third with Casey (75) and Henrik Stenson.

Americans Sean O'Hair and Nick Watney were among four tied for seventh at 282, and Jeff Overton shared 11th at 283.

Tiger and Phil, 1-2 in the world rankings? Woods, three-putting his way to agony and making two double bogeys, shot 72-285 and tied for 23rd. Mickelson, with a poor history in British Opens, stumbled in with a 75 for 289 and a tie for 48th.

The two highlights of Oosthuizen's career, in a manner of speaking, had been his first victory on the European Tour, at the Andalucia Open in March, and then a win in the lighthearted Masters par-3 contest. This is a bit bigger.

"Everyone told me I had the ability,'' Oosthuizen said, "but it was a matter of me believing.''

He's nicknamed "Shrek'' because of a gap in his front teeth.

"My win at Malaga got my mind around things,'' he said. "The way I played at Pebble [in the U.S. Open last month], missing the cut, was disappointing. This week was something different. I made good putts when I had to. I rarely missed a putt under 6 feet.''

Oosthuizen was playing his first Open on the Old Course, and his victory brought back memories of the late Tony Lema. Never having played the British, Lema showed up at St. Andrews in 1964 and without a practice round came in first.

Lema was known as "Champagne Tony,'' because during a tournament in Southern California, he saw the press drinking beer and told them, "If I win, tomorrow you drink champagne.'' He bought it. Sunday, after his win, Oosthuizen had champagne delivered to the media tent.

He is the fourth South African to take the Open, joining Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els. On the morning news, Oosthuizen heard that Sunday was the 92nd birthday of former South African president Nelson Mandela.

"It felt a bit special out there,'' Oosthuizen said. "When I walked down 18, I thought about his birthday. What he's done for our country is unbelievable.''

That's a word some might use to describe Oosthuizen's triumph.

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Newsday (N.Y.): Mickelson had it going, then finished poorly

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Phil Mickelson, who had a chance to overtake Tiger Woods as No. 1 in the world rankings, will not. He did shoot 70 Saturday, but that left him at 2-under-par 214.

"I'm disappointed in myself,'' Mickelson said, "because I let a good round slide. I putted great [he briefly was 4 under] and then I made those bad swings on 16 [double-bogey 6] and 17 and played them 3 over par.''

On 16, trying to play safe off the tee with a 5-iron, he hooked it so badly the ball hit the road that runs along the right side of the hole and bounced into the big, grassy area that's home to concession stands, the merchandise tent. It was miles out of bounds.

Pants on fire

There was an interesting remark from Henrik Stenson about the weather. "The wind,'' he said, "feels like it's trying to rip your pants off, and that's no good.''

Stenson, of course, is the Swedish pro who stripped down to his underwear before wading into a water hazard to play a shot in the 2009 WGC-CA Championship at Doral. Entering the third round at 2 under, Stenson, his pants on, shot a 5-under 67 to move into a tie for fourth at 7 under.

Casey at the bat

A year after a rib muscle forced him to miss three months of the season, Paul Casey is in contention to become the first Englishman to win the British Open since 1992. His 67 put him within four strokes of Louis Oosthuizen. "Sitting here right now, I'm ecstatic," Casey said. "You know, even right now, occasionally I feel the muscles in the ribs. In no way do they affect my golf. But it's a small reminder that quite often you take for granted a lot of things, and nothing is better than an Open Championship at the home of golf."

Chip shots

John Daly's trousers were the wildest of the week, a red-and-black stripe variation of a Cincinnati Bengals helmet pattern; he had a 74 for even-par 216 after starting with a 66 Thursday . . . Rory McIlroy, who led the fist day with a 63, then shot 80, rallied for a 69, despite a double-bogey 6 on 17 the Road Hole . . . Mark Calcavecchia started the day in second place at 7 under, but he began bogey, bogey, and then took a 9 on the par-5 fifth hole that included two penalty shots. But after a 43 on the front nine, Calcavecchia had a 34 on the back for a 77 and 2-under 214.

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Newsday (N.Y.): Tiger's hitting it great, but putting it bad

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Now it's the putting. Now it's the best part of his game that is baffling Tiger Woods.

"I striped it all day,'' Woods said of his tee balls and iron shots, "but I wasn't making anything.''

He's far back after three rounds of a British Open which, because it was played on the Old Course where he won in 2000 and 2005, might have proven to be restorative, but has not.

He's 12 behind with 18 holes to go, and although Paul Lawrie, in that 1999 Open at Carnoustie infamous for Jean Van de Velde's final-hole disaster, came from 10 behind to win, Tiger has no chance of making up 12 shots.

And so he will go a third straight major this year and seven straight over the last two years without a first place, the last victory coming in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

The problems, said Tiger - he had back-to-back 3-putts at 13 and 14 and then 3-putted the 357-yard 18th for a par after driving the green - are not the result of the new putter, the club from Nike which replaced the Scotty Cameron by Titleist. Instead, they are the result of the "puttee,'' the person making the strokes.

Woods came in with his second straight 1-over-par 73, and is at 3-under 213 for 54 holes, tied for 18th with several others including 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover.

"I've just got to get off to a good start,'' said Woods. "[Saturday] I had a makable putt at one, a horseshoe on two [a 50-footer which rimmed] and a makable putt at three. Those go in and it's a different ballgame.''

Golfers are always talking about what might have been. For Woods - winner of 14 majors - the words were unusual until this year, when after returning from rehab for his marital infidelities, Tiger has been unable to return to previous success.

"Ironically enough,'' he said with a bit of a smile, "now I'm driving it beautifully. You have to be patient. I was as patient as I could be, plodding along. I just didn't get anything going.''

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Newsday (N.Y.): Oosthuizen cruises as Americans fail to fire

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- For America, it's red, white and very blue. The British Open appears closed to anyone on the other side of the Atlantic.

The guy in front is from South Africa, the guy in second from England, the guy in third from Germany and the players tied for fifth are from Sweden, Spain and England.

"It looks like the European Ryder Cup team,'' someone apprised Tiger Woods, despite the fact that South Africa is not part of Europe.

Said Woods: "I haven't even looked. We all know them as just players.''

A Northern Irishman, Graeme McDowell, took the U.S. Open a month ago at Pebble Beach. At St. Andrews, where Woods won the previous two Opens and John Daly won the Open in 1995, there's no hope for America.

Louis Oosthuizen, the South African, stormed along Saturday. The 27-year-old Oosthuizen, who in three previous Opens never made a cut, shot his third straight sub-70 round, an elegant 3-under-par 69.

With 18 holes to play, he's at 15-under 201 and four ahead of Englishman Paul Casey, who, if it gives anyone in the United States consolation, did attend Arizona State and lives most of the year in Scottsdale. He had a 5-under 67 for 205.

Martin Kaymer of Germany, who also resides in Arizona, shot 68 for 208, and Henrik Stenson of Sweden (67), Alejandro Canizares of Spain (71) and Lee Westwood of England (71) share fourth.

Finally come golfers with U.S. passports. Dustin Johnson, who led the Pebble Beach Open after 54 holes, is seventh at 210 after a 69. Nick Watney (71), Sean O'Hair (72) and Ricky Barnes (72) - nearly the man at Bethpage Black last year - are tied for eighth with South Africa's Retief Goosen. Woods is tied for 18th.

And if there are no Americans truly contending, there are 15 among the top 38 scores. Good depth. No stars.

Johnson said he's in a spot -- nine back -- where he has "a chance,'' but that's probably being overly optimistic. It isn't only the differential, it's the number of people he would have to pass.

"That's why I practice,'' Johnson, who lives in South Carolina, said of making a charge. "That's why I'm here.''

Maybe what happened to Johnson in the U.S. Open, a triple-bogey on the second hole the final round, a double on the third, happens to Oosthuizen, who like Johnson at Pebble Beach never has been in the pressure of trying to win a major.

But Saturday, after a bogey on the first hole, Oosthuizen (it's prounounced "West-high-sen'') didn't make another. "I was quite nervous on the first,'' he said, "but then I got myself together.''

That's something the golfers first and second in the world rankings, a couple of Americans named Woods and Phil Mickelson, have been unable to do all week. Tiger shot a second straight 1-over 73 for 213 - 12 shots behind - Mickelson a 70 for 214.

When it was mentioned to Tiger that he would have to climb a large hill to get past Oosthuizen, he said: "It certainly is, but you don't know what the weather is going to do . . . Hopefully, I can get some momentum going early. I'm playing well.''

The scoreboard would indicate no one is playing as well through three rounds as Oosthuizen. "Yeah,'' he said, "I'm swinging it nicely. Probably when they saw my first putt, people expected I could lose it, but I kept positive and made two good par saves the first six holes.

"I'm really happy with myself, keeping my emotions intact.''

And keeping the Americans at a distance.

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