Running Commentary
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Day 4
So there we have it boys and girls. Padraig Harrington has won his first Major, and we’re absolutely delighted.
We’re going to say goodbye now. We’ve had a cracking four days doing the running commentary and hope you’ve enjoyed reading it.
7.42pm Story time boys and girls. A little over a month ago, courses editor Kevin Brown played a round with Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie, for an Open preview piece in the August edition of TG.
In the article, the Irishman predicted the closing stretch would prove incredibly tough, and how right he was. Kev is thrilled and reckons that he has proved something of a lucky charm for the Dubliner.
7.35pm Harrington missed his long putt, but Garcia also missed his birdie putt. Garcia has to hole from four feet or Padraig’s the winner…he’s holed it. Right, the Irishman has a three footer to win the Open Championship…Irish eyes are smiling; PADRAIG HARRINGTON HAS WON THE 136TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT CARNOUSTIE.
7.32pm Harrington’s played up to the green, perhaps a bit too cautiously. He’s got a 25 footer for the Championship but if he misses and Garcia holes his birdie putt from 12 feet, we head back to the 18th tee.
7.29pm Harrington’s got his thinking cap on. He’s laid up short of the burn to the front of the 18th green. Sergio’s got just a tad over 200 yards to the pin and he needs a birdie…he’s got half a chance if Padraig fails to get up and down.
7.24pm Sensible play from Harrington. He’s nailed a rescue club flush down the centre of the 18th fairway. Sergio had to hit driver and he gave it an almighty crunch. It’s in the rough, but sitting well and he’s kept himself in with a chance. A wonderful week of golf is nearly at an end…
7.08pm Great shot from Harrington to the 17th green. He’s got it to within six feet and the pressure is back on Garcia. Can he respond? Good shot; the Spaniard’s got an outside chance of a birdie but it’s advantage Padraig. Neither can convert though and they head down the 18th with Harrington leading by two. Nerve-jangling stuff.
7.04pm Perfect touch from Padraig. He’s got his chip to within a few feet and now it’s up to Sergio to ram home the advantage by draining his 17 footer for birdie. He can’t do it; Sergio got the line but not the pace. Par time for the Spaniard and par time for Padraig. To the 17th they go…
7.00pm So unlucky for Sergio. He hit a precision iron, one bounce on the green and the ball ricochets off the pin before coming to rest some 17 feet away from the cup. Drama by the bucket load. Harrington pulled his tee-shot a touch, and has a tough up and down for par.
6.56pm Not great from Garcia, who is often so good from the sand. He’s got a 10 footer for par…it’s gone by the right side of the cup and Harrington’s got a great chance to take a two shot lead. He’s got it, two shot lead for the Irishman. In contrast to Garcia’s putt, Harrington’s was in the moment it left his putter. To the par-three 16th now for the second extra hole.
6.53pm Garcia’s made a horlicks of his second. He’s found the bunker to the front right of the green and he’s not got a lot of space to work with. And it’s a bit plugged. In contrast, Harrington fires in his approach to within eight feet. That’s the way to do it!
6.46pm Two solid drives down the first play-off hole. Harrington’s in the middle of the short stuff, while Garcia is just in the first cut of rough.
6.30pm Sergio’s put it to within 10 feet. He needs that to win the title. It’s stuff dreams are made of…or nightmares. All the talk this week has been of Garcia’s improved putting with the belly putter…can he put the demons to bed and hole this one? It’s lipped out.. play-off time and Harrington’s a relieved man. Back to our dinner reservation, we’ve knocked it back to 9pm, for all you concerned readers.
6.22pm One more good swing and Sergio’s got the Claret Jug in the bag. It looks like a three iron in his hands, but I bet it feels like a hickory-shafted stick, such is the pressure on the young man. One more good swing Sergio…he’s bunkered it; left hand trap. This has got play-off written all over it. Courses editor Kev Brown is busy cancelling our dinner reservation for 8.30pm…
6.13pm Lovely moment, or two. Harrington calmly rolls in his double-bogey putt at the 18th and then embraces his son who greets him with a ridiculous grin. Dad returns the emotion and the whole of Carnoustie is smiling with the pair of them. Right, Sergio’s on the tee…Two iron for safety and it’s sailed down the centre of the fairway. He’s got 235 yards to the pin, and a plethora of potential trouble waiting for him if he doesn’t get the approach right.
6.09pm Sergio is showing nerves of steel. He’s two-putted from 30 feet on the 17th. What’s Padraig up to? He’s knocked a fantastic pitch to within two feet at 18 and he’s got that for a double. If he does hole it, the mercurial Garcia only needs a four up the last. Enthralling stuff.
6.04pm Shades of Van de Velde in ’99. After electing to drop out of the water, Harrington then pings his third straight into the Barry Burn. It’s really sad viewing.
5.55pm Oh no! Harrington has stuffed his 18th tee shot straight in the burn, despite the best efforts of a bridge to help the Irishman out. Disaster. Garcia is lurking back on eight under after a par at the 16th. This is fantastic stuff; quite simply the finest sporting event in the world.
5.45pm Garcia’s dropped a shot at the 15th and this is not the time to be dropping strokes. Harrington is on the 17th tee, one clear on nine under.
5.29pm Garcia’s got a steely look in his eye. He’s just rolled a birdie four in at the 14th and moves to nine under along with Harrington. These two look like contesting the Claret Jug, with Andres Romero dropping another shot at the last. He’s the leader in the clubhouse though on six under.
5.14pm Harrington leads on his own at nine under, after Romero could only double the par-four 17th.
5.11pm Great news for Sergio fans. “El nino” has just picked up a birdie at the 13th. That’s a cracking putt under the circumstances, and he goes back to eight under…Here we go, Padraig Harrington is tied at the top of the leaderboard with Romero. The likeable Irishman has rolled in a 10 footer for eagle at the par-five 14th to move to nine under. This is the best Open we’ve had for years. Awesome stuff.
5.06pm Garcia’s showing a bit of fight. He’s put his tee shot at 13 to within five feet; he could do with draining that to get within one of Romero. Ernie Els has just picked up a birdie at the par-five 14th, but then proceeded to stuff his drive into trouble on the 15th. Frustrating game.
5.00pm It’s fairytale time for Romero. The young Argentinian has just rolled in his 10th birdie of the day at the par-three 16th. He looks calm and unflustered, unlike Sergio. The Spaniard and Padraig Harrington are two back on seven under. Tiger’s just finished his round with a a two-under par total. He won’t emulate Peter Thomson’s hat-trick of wins, but it’s been a spirited defence nonetheless.
4.51pm Hello, Andres Romero is leading the Open Championship. The pocket-sized Argentinian has rolled in his ninth birdie of the day at the 15th to go to eight-under, one clear of Harrington and overnight leader Sergio Garcia.
4.17pm Garcia has steadied the ship with a par at the ninth hole. He is at seven under par…..Romero has made a double bogey and slips back into the pack.
4.15pm Romero has played the shot as well as he could and now has a putt for bogey from about 40 feet. Just a little bit unlucky but anything can happen in the Open.
4.13pm Els and Harrington are both knocking on the door. Both are threatening Garcia’s lead…
4.10pm Garcia has caught a lucky break. His tee shot was still a bit wayward but he has a nice lie in the semi rough. His second shot finds the right side of the green.
4.04pm Garcia is throwing it away. He has just dropped another shot. Thats three shots in three holes. And now he is tied with Romero on seven under par. Garcia’s one hope is that Romero will have to drop because he cannot find his ball.
4.01pm Padraig Harrington has made a birdie at the ninth and that moves him to six under par….meanwhile Ernie Els is really enjoying his Callaway FT-i driver. He is sending it dead straight and miles down the fairway. Who said square drivers were pants?
4.00pm Stricker finds the back of the green with his tee shot, and Garcia has found yet more rough.
3.58pm Garcia has missed his bogey putt and so only leads by one shot. Why do you always do this to us Sergio?????
3.55pm Is this the year of the Argentinian? With Angel Cabrera bagging the US Open, fellow countrymen Andres Romero maintained his Open title surge by spectacularly holing a bunker shot at the 11th: he’s now just two shots adrift thanks to back-to-back birdies…
3.49pm Garcia has hit his second shot to the back of the green. He has got a large ridge in the way, and the putt is downhill on a fast green. This course is more than a little bit hard….
3.44pm Garcia is spraying his tee shots everywhere. His tee shot at the seventh was well right and is in the long rough.
3.41pm This is real edge of your seat stuff. Garcia missed his birdie putt and left a tricky putt coming back. He made it. Then Stricker missed his second birdie putt by lipping out. I’m going to need a new heart by the end of this tournament….
3.38pm Romero has made another birdie and moves to 6 under par.
3.37pm Inspirational stuff from Garcia. He just opened up his wedge face and popped the ball up nice and easy. Garcia know has a putt for birdie. He makes it looks so easy….
3.35pm Hunter Mahan, of the USA, has finished a bogey-free round with a 65. Since the bad weather has stopped, the players have really been taking advantage of the great playing conditions.
3.28pm Sergio Garcia has regained his three shot advantage after Stricker dropped a shot. In the group at three under are Els, Stricker and Romero, who are all capable of threatening Garcia’s lead.
3.24pm Richard Green has missed his bogey putt. Just. He has finished with a record equalling 64, and at five under par. Some truly magnificent golf played by Mr R Green…..Sergio Garcia has dropped his first shot since the 11th – on the second round. He drops to 9 under par.
3.17pm Ernie Els has been chrging through the field quietly. He is currently in third place at six under par. He has already had three birdies this round….Richard Green has a 15 footer for par on the last hole and round of 8 under par.
3.14pm Tiger Woods has just taken two to get out of a bunker, and that will proably be the end of Woods’ challenge….Garcia has hit a tee shot that has left him a nasty shot. It is so bad that he is going out sideways.
3.08pm Richard Green is having an unbelievable round of golf. He has just rolled in ANOTHER birdie. That is his SIXTH birdie of the day, with an eagle as well. He could break the course record at this rate.
3.06pm Steve Stricker is really putting up a fight and has hit his second to about a foot. Garciahas left his about 20 feet short of the pin. A tricky birdie putt for the spaniard, but the way he is putting….
2.58pm Garcia calmly rolls his putt in and he goes to 10 under par. El Nino looks hungry for the title…
2.56pm Steve Stricker sticks his ball within a foot of the pin for a tap in birdie. In response, Garcia sticks his ball to two feet!
2.52pm Former Open champion Ben Curtis has finished a great round of golf with a par at the last. He finished with a 65 and has shot up the leaderboard. He has finished at 3 under par and a share of tenth place. A brilliant round from the former champ.
2.50pm After a bogey at the eighth, Tiger collects his par at the ninth. His birdie putt falls short and he looks upset with himself.
2.48pm Sergio Garcia makes an unlikely par at the second hole after his second shot came well short of the pin.
2.45pm KJ Choi had a birdie at the fourth hole. That takes him back to 4 under par….also Paul McGinley chipped in on the third hole, from the bunker, for a birdie. That takes him to 3 under par and level ar for his round.
2.40pm Richard Green makes an eagle on the 14th, that takes him to 5 under par.
2.30pm Justin Rose has a birdie at the fifth to go two under par.
2.25pm Ernie does it again, notching another birdie at the 3rd to go -5 to really put the pressure on Garcia who has just hit away.
2.15pm Just what the doctor ordered as challenger Ernie Els grabs a much-needed birdie to move within four shots of Garcia who is just about to tee it up.
2.10pm A fairytale finale for young McIlroy who signs in with a birdie, a one-over-par 72, the amateur’s coveted Silver Medal and a fantastic Open experience.
1.58pm After his marvellous second shot, Woods holes his second birdie putt on the trot. Woods swing looks the best it has looked all week. Is this a bad omen for Garcia?
1.53pm Tiger Woods is really showing that he means business. His second shot into the fifth hole goes beyond the pin, and then sucks back about 8 feet and stops 5 feet from the hole.
1.50pm Paul Broadhurst and Ernie Els are teeing off. Hopefully they won’t have another crazy round like yesterday. I’m at risk of RSI if they do….
1.49pm KJ Choi has just fired his second shot to about eight feet on the opening hole. It looks like he has recovered from yesterdays bad round.
1.48pm Nick Dougherty has just gone double bogey, double bogey. That takes him to six over par for the tournament and no real chance of challenging for the title.
1.44pm Tiger Woods has made his first birdie of the day at the fourth. The birdie came after his pitch shot nearly fell in the cup, but it narrowly missed and he left himself a simple three footer for birdie.
1.42pm Pelle Edberg is having a good round of golf. The headband wearing Swede is having a great season and could chellenge for the title is he keeps playing this well. He is one under par…..Justin Rose has made up for his bogey at the first with a birdie at the second. He is now one under par.
1.40pm Most of the early starters are coming in now, and their scoring shows that the conditions were unfavourable early on. Luke Donald had a 78 to finish 13 over par, David Howell had a 75 and finished on 10 over par.
1.37pm Justin Rose is playing well and has just hit a great second shot into the secong hole. It found the centre of the green, about 4 feet from the pin.
1.35pm The players are starting to shed their waterproofs as the weather starts to improve slightly. Tiger has his usual red top on, he has just missed another birdie putt, but is making safe pars.
1.30pm Richard Green has just chipped in on the ninth hole for a birdie. The Aussie is having a blinding round of golf. Its his fourth birdie of the day and takes him to 2 under par.
1.10pm Justin Rose is teeing off with a rescue club and has pulled it slightly left. He has a fairly good lie though and should find the green safely.
1.07pm Tiger Woods misses his birdie putt but taps in his birdie putt at the opening hole. He remains at one under par…Rory McIlroy has just made a birdie at the 13th to take him to one over par for the round and five over par for the tournament.
1.05pm Lee Westwood has dropped his first shot of the day with a bogey at the fifth hole. That takes him to level par for the day, and one over par for the tournament.
1.01pm Tiger Woods shows he means business by firing his second shot into the middle of the green, about 12 feet away from the pin.
1.58pm The Australian Richard Green has made another birdie at the sixth hole. That is his third birdie of the round and takes him to 1 under par.
12.55pm Tiger Woods is about to tee off. He played a practice round in similar conditions to this, and that could prove to be a major advantage against the rest of the field. His tee shot flies straight and true into the middle of the fairway.
12.51pm Lee Westwood is really playing well, with his ball striking being sublime. Paul Casey’s ball striking has also been brilliant with every shot hitting the centre of the club.
12.46pm Mark Foster is really enjoying the conditions. The Yorkshireman has had two birdies in a row….The Swede Niclas Fasth is also enjoying the conditions and is currently level par. Seems strange that both players come from places that rain a lot…
12.42pm Nick Dougherty has taken off the waterproof top to reveal a very nice pink top and tank top combo. Very nice Nick, now if only we could do something about your shoes….
12.26pm Masters Champion, Zach Johnson and US Open Champion, Angel Cabrera have just teed off and are probably hoping that the weather improves dramatically….On the opening hole Paul Casey has made a birdie and moves to level par for the tournament.
12.20pm The course may be difficult, but because the greens are so wet, the players are attacking the pins, in the knowledge that the ball will stop very quickly. Recently both Paul Casey and Richard Green have attacked the pins and got the ball to stop within five feet.
12.13pm Moon Jon Lee has Pete Coleman on the bag, who caddied for Bernhard Langer for a long, long time. Oh and by the way, he just chipped in on the fourth hole….in other news Matt Hoffman is moving up the leaderboard with three birdies in his first five holes.
11.51am This rain is just intense, they are having to start bailing out the bunkers as the water is getting deeper and deeper.
11.43am Paul Casey also thinks that the Europeans have a major advantage today, likening the conditions to the Dunhill Links. So Garcia should be a safe bet then…..
11.40am Amateur Rory McIlroy is making good progress in the final round of the Open despite bogeying the 5th. He’s one over par overall and has the Silver Medal in the bag.
11.31am Luke Donald is having a torrid time out on the course. The world number nine is five over par after nine holes.
11.26am Scott has sent a mid-iron to about 10 feet from the pin at the opening hole. The course really must be playing difficult if he hit a driver then a mid iron. Most of the week players have been hitting long iron then wedge.
11.24am Adam Scott has just teed off in full waterproofs. The Australian used a 3 wood and sent it down the right side of the 1st fairway. Because of the wet fairways it has only just trickled into the rough. Yesterday it would have rolled deep into the rough, which is testament to how wet this course is.
11.20am Jean Van de Velde is talking to the BBC. Unfortunately the Frenchman could not play this week due to a mysterious illness that doctors cannot identify. Tests are currently being carried out for bone cancer. We here at TG wish Mr Van de Velde the best of luck in returning to full health as soon as possible.
11am The course is really starting to bite back, with only eight birdies made all day so far. Only Mark Foster is under par after birdies at the first and the third.
10.58am Sandy Lyle has just played a shot into the rough and because of the difficult conditions, has struggled to rifle his clubhead through the rough. Who said Carnoustie was easy this time round?
10.49am Ian Poulter says that he isn’t looking foward to playing the course with the conditions that are about. Apparently he is wearing a strawberry red outfit which may turn a darker shade in the wet weather. He tees off at 11.10am, playing with Won Joon Lee. Poulter is currently three over par.
10.41am On the official Open Radio, they are discussing the contraversial Sergio Garcia decision on the 16th. They are arguing that whether or not he should have had a penalty shot when make some practice swings. Apparently disqualification was discussed.
10am Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish teen sensation is teeing off now and is currently 4 over par. The silver medal winner may feel that the conditions may suit him today. He has started with two pars and if he keeps playing like this, could shoot up the leaderboard.
9.45am Several Brits are now out on the course with David Howell and Mark Foster teeing off. So far today only Foster has made a birdie on the first hole. The weather continues to seriously hamper the players.
9.00am So far today the play hasn’t been that great, with everyone who is playing on the course over par. Looks like the weathermen got the forecast right …for once.
