These Irish Eyes are Rolling

Or they would be, if I was Irish.

Congrats to Padraig Harrington on surviving the British Open. He didn't win it, everyone else lost it - and he almost did too- he was lucky to get into the playoff. I have three observations:

Laying up under pressure: One day, someone will explain to me the virtue of "conservative" golf. Sure, Jean Van De Velde could have hit wedge, wedge wedge and three putted 18 in 1999 - but he didn't. He barely made seven to get into a playoff and lose to Paul Laurie.

Fast forward eight years. In the playoff- with a two stroke lead, Paddy had to make a four footer to win outright after playing 18 as a par five. Granted, he didn't see Sergio's shot (who was 30 yards further up the fairway) before he hit his second - but let me assure you, hitting a full wedge with OB all over the place isn't necessarily easy either. A hair too thin, and you have choked your way to second. The point is that if you set yourself up to hit a "safe" shot because you might hit a "hard" shot poorly, the same swing under pressure can get you into just as much trouble with a five iron. I am proof positive that an iron off the tee might get you into just as much trouble- at least a driver is blasts you closer to the green.

Sergio, the choker: Poppycock.

The GREATEST player in the History of the British Open - Tom Watson - won his first open title at the age of 26, and "Watson played golf at Stanford University and graduated with a degree in psychology. He turned pro in 1971, but in his early years got the reputation of a player who wilted under pressure."

Watson knew why he was choking - that is what a Psych degree will get you.

Sergio is 27, and has almost a decade of PGA experience. By Golf standards, he hasn't even reached his prime yet - Tiger Woods (age 32) is just entering his prime, which is, admittedly, scary shit. Mickelson had the same things said about him- and he has chocked- maybe "better" than anyone else in history - but has a pair of Green Jackets to cry himself to sleep in.

The European Media (who are bastards, btw) need to relax. Yeah, they can pick on Monte or on Hugh Grant for banging Monte's wife- but Sergio has more top tens in majors than Spanish Elections he was eligible to vote in. Give him time- he will be better than Seve.

But, you know who else chocked? EVERYONE ELSE. He just chocked last. Like Casey at the bat...And to be fair- he didn't even really choke- he bogeyed the hardest hole after lipping out on a downhill slider that (was supposed to) break away from the player- do you know how hard those are? It isn't like he made seven on the last - he was three over on the back nine. If anyone choked, it was Paddy - who made six on 18.

And if finishing second in a major is the test for choking - then I guess Jack Nicklaus is the biggest choker of them all- having finished second in 19 majors on top of the 20 he won. Not to mention the fact he only won the Open twice between 1963 and 1980 - finishing in the top five every year in the 1970s, and in the top ten every year except 1965.

Sergio is not, however, Jack Nicklaus. No one is. Not even Tiger - yet.

The Real Surprise: wasn't the winner, the second place finisher, or even the guy who finished third after snap-shanking a ball OB on 17. The real surprise was the fact that five of the top ten finishers are World Cup players for the international team. After their Ryder Cup drubbing last fall, the Americans are about to get their asses handed to them - AGAIN.

It is time to change the rules for both events. Make it a THREE WAY match between the Americas, the Europeans and Africa/Asia/Australia - and make it every two years. That would be great golf. And before purists say - "we can't change them" they just freakin' did! less than 20 years ago, it was England vs. USA - and when the US won like 7 in a row, they said - ok, maybe we should change this.