Final-Round Reflections

Sports Illustrated golf writer Alan Shipnuck checks in one last time from the Open

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Posted: Sunday July 19, 1998 05:55 PM

ROYAL BIRKDALE -- I hope ABC came through for all you dimpleheads back in the colonies, because it was an absolutely thrilling day here. Jalen -- er, Justin Rose dunking his wedge at the last, Tiger making his most important putt since the 35th hole of the U.S. Amateur, and then the playoff. Good stuff.

I've never been much of a Mark O'Meara fan but I have to give him double snaps for his performance here. This was as grueling a test as we've seen in championship golf in some time. When he bogeyed the sixth and seventh holes this afternoon it looked like the end of him, but he played the stoutest back nine of any of the contenders, birdieing four holes and the 18th perfectly, twice, under the most acute pressure. With this win he has already clinched Player of the Year, and he could make this a year for the ages in August at the PGA Championship, as Sahalee is tailor made for his controlled game. But before we look ahead, let's look back at Sunday.

The final round really began in the wee hours this morning, when the rain began to fall, softening up the course and chasing away the wind, dramatically changing the nature of the final round. Instead of merely trying to survive players were forced to attack. Not surprisingly, Tiger did this better than anyone else. He couldn't make any putts midway through his round but then roared home with birdies on three of the last four holes, including that clutch 30- footer at the last. This was his finest performance since he won the Masters. Both Jim Furyk and Jesper Parnevik continued to be snakebit in the final rounds of majors. Both played admirably but didn't get the breaks -- or make them -- at the right time. I still think each will win a major in the years ahead.

As for Brian Watts, he can now disappear back to the fringes of pro golf. With today's fat paycheck he will be exempt next year on both the European and American PGA tours, but I suspect he will stay in Japan for at least one more year, where he can really cash in on this week's performance. But money isn't everything, and this was probably the only real shot at glory he'll ever have. It was tragic for him that he didn't come through, but great theater for the rest of us.

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