This year’s edition of the St. Andrews showpiece proved to be a landmark event for several reasons.
The legendary Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus
, played his last Major, forty-three years after his first Open. The universally acknowledged master of the game’s record, which spans 154 consecutive Majors, has included six Masters, five PGAs, four US Opens and three wins in Britain. Sadly, the great man narrowly missed the cut on this his farewell performance.
His heir apparent, Tiger Woods, arrived on the back of a confidence boosting Masters win in April which he followed up with a highly credible second place in the US Open last month. In top form on a course which fierce rival Ernie Els described as “tailor-made for him”, the Tiger
On Sunday, this was not only enough to see off his closest pursuers but also to hold the late charge of Fred Couples who finished in fourth behind Montgomerie and Olazabal. Woods has thus become only the second player alongside Jack Nicklaus to win every Major twice.
