 |
 |
 |
|
Eight years later, the bad luck belonged to Andres Romero of Argentina, who looked like another unlikely champion at Carnoustie until his 2-iron from the rough on the 17th hole ricocheted off the stone wall of Barry Burn and across the 18th fairway, out-of-bounds. He finished third, a stroke behind, after a 67 which included 10 birdies but two double bogeys.
| Advertisement |
|||
| |||
The bizarre bounce went to Harrington, whose tee shot on the 18th hole hopped along a bridge over the burn until it went between two rails and into the winding stream. He also chunked his next shot into the burn, then made a clutch putt from 5 feet for double bogey.
This just wasn't Garcia's day, however.
It was his third time to play in the final group of a major, this time with Tiger Woods out of the picture early. But the 27-year-old Spaniard couldn't buy a putt, and he couldn't get a break.
|
|
| Paddy Harrington waves the Irish flag after his victory Sunday. (Getty Images) |
He missed the birdie putt. He missed a lot of putts in the final round, which remains the weakness in his game.
"Every time I get in this position, I never have any room for error," said Garcia, who closed with a 73, joining Harrington in the playoff at 7-under 277. "I should write a book on how not to miss a shot and not win a playoff."
But he missed several shots, muttering to himself, pleading on one occasion, "Please, please, please my God, please."
The winning score was 13 shots lower than it was the last time at Carnoustie, but everything else -- especially the final holes -- was eerily similar.
It also ended the reign of Woods at golf's oldest championship. Trying to become the first player in 51 years to win the Claret Jug three straight times, he was never a factor. He made two early birdies, but finished with a 70, shots behind in a tie for 12th.
"I wasn't as sharp as I needed to be," Woods said.
Romero shot a 67 in the final round and was the only player to shoot par or better all four days. He had a 34 on the back nine, despite two double bogeys that kept him from joining Angel Cabrera as a major champion from Argentina.
He had more to moan than Garcia. Romero's par putt from 12 feet that ultimately would have put him in the playoff hit the back of the cup and spun away, leaving him at 6-under 278.
"The pressure certainly caught up with me," Romero said.
The bounce off the burn was so bizarre that it took a moment to figure out where it went, much like Van de Velde's approach that caromed off a tiny rail on the grandstand left of the 18th green in 1999.
"I did it on 17, not 18," Romero said when asked if would be linked to the Frenchman's follies. "But I could be put into that category by some. I certainly wasn't thinking about Jean Van de Velde at that moment."
Richard Green of Australia matched the British Open record at Carnoustie with a 64 and finished at 279 with Ernie Els (69).
