Carnoustie's 18th Is Cursed!

 Harrington won't put this trophy down for a while

Coming to the 18th tee on Sunday night, Irishman Padraig Harrington led the British Open by two strokes.  Harrington was at -9 with Sergio Garcia at -8 and back a hole.  Harrington just needed to par out to assure himself the win or at least a playoff.  Padraig, with Jean van de Velde's shadow lurking, hit not one, but TWO balls into the Barry Burn (the creek on the 18th fairway).  He double-bogeyed the hole to go to -7.  Garcia came up 18 and needed a ten foot putt for par to win the Open.  His putt lipped out.  The Spaniard looked completely distraught and a two way playoff started with Harrington and Garcia.  (Steve Stricker again wilted in the fresh, cool Scottish air, but it was nice while it lasted....)

 Padraig wasn't about to hop in the burn like van de Velde

The playoff consisted of the two men playing holes 1, 16, 17, and 18.  Whoever lead after the four holes, wins.  If they are still tied, they would play hold 18 over and over again until somebody wins.  The playoff didn't last that long.  Harrington birdied the first playoff hole while Garcia bogeyed.  Harrington hung on to win with an even par score for the four holes while Garcia was +1. 

Congratulations to Padraig Harrington.  You are a well deserved champion.

THIS IS STEVE STRICKER!!!!

Do you know who Steve Stricker is?  If you don't, you should and you will come Sunday morning if you turn on ABC.  Stricker, from Edgerton, Wisconsin, shot a course record 64 at Carnoustie and is at -6, three strokes behind leader Sergio Garcia (-9).  Tiger Woods is 8 strokes back from Garcia at -1 after shooting a two under par 69. 

Stricker has had a tough time finishing this year.  He has been near the top or at the top in three tournaments and faded on the back nine.  Let's hope Steve turns it around on Sunday at Carnoustie.  I for one will be glued to the television hoping he does.

GO STEVE GO!!!!!

British Open Leaderboard thru Saturday, July 21, 2007.

pos	players	holes	par
1	Sergio GARCIA	18	-9
2	Steve STRICKER	18	-6
T3	Chris DiMARCO	18	-3
T3	Paul McGINLEY	18	-3
T3	Stewart CINK	18	-3
T3	Padraig HARRINGTON	18	-3
T3	Ernie ELS	18	-3
T3	Paul BROADHURST	18	-3
T3	KJ CHOI	18	-3
T10	Vijay SINGH	18	-2

TNT is Tiger Network Television This Weekend!

 Sergio is fun to watch, but it's highly unlikely he'll be at the top at the end of the weekend.

Being a golfer, enjoying to watch a golf major now and then and having been to the British Open, I turned on the Open at Carnoustie Friday morning.  The course is playing easier than it did in 1999 obviously because so many players complained after the last time it was played at the course.  Everything looks great, the course looks fantastic.  Sergio Garcia is the leader at -6 heading into the weekend.  Madison native Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods is at +1, seven shots back. 

My problem is that I love watching everything and everybody.  I love watching all the leaders.  I love watching the gallery.  I love seeing the entire golf course.  Turner Network Television has turned into Tiger Network Television this weekend and I hate it.  Trust me, I love Tiger.  He's out of this world incredible.  I was in Sports Illustrated next to the guy for goodness sake so of course I think he is great.  TNT feels a need to show EVERYTHING Tiger.  I'm not talking about shots.  Show the shots, I have no problem with that.  I'm talking about walking up the fairway, talking to his caddie, eyeing up every putt and shot, etc.  It's getting old.  I want to see Tiger's shots as much as anybody, but we don't need to see every second of his round.  Show us some other guys.  Show us other Americans, show us other guys near the top of the leaderboard, just stop showing every second of Tiger's round. 

The Open at Carnoustie!

 I think somebody fell in the burn at Carnoustie.

This weekend in Scotland, the British Open will be played at Carnoustie Golf Club.  The last time the Open was played at Carnoustie was in 1999.  If you don't remember what happened, you need to be reminded.  Frenchman Jean Van de Velde led by three strokes on the 72nd, and last, hole.  Van de Velde needed a double-bogey six to win the Open Championship.  He decided to hit a driver off the tee, which was a HUGE mistake.  That ended up in the rough, which he tried to hit for the green.  From there, he ended up in the creek (called a burn in Scotland).  From the creek, he went back into the rough.  Oh yeah, you get the picture.  Van de Velde took a 7 and ended up losing in a four-way player to Scot Paul Lawrie. 

 Van de Velde in the burn.

From all indications the course at Carnoustie is much easier than it was in 1999.  The rough is nearly gone which will allow Tiger to smack the living snot out of every drive and not have to worry about landing in 4 foot tall rough.  Look for Tiger to win his third Open in a row this weekend.  Jim Furyk could be a sleeper pick. 

More importantly, Van de Velde has been ailing and will not be able to attend the Open this weekend.  For the past few months, the Frenchman has been ailing from a mysterious illness that doctors in France have not been able to pinpoint.  Losing a three shot lead on the 18th hole at Carnoustie didn't ruin van de Velde.  He realized that life was bigger than golf and wouldn't have changed what he did or how he played the 18th.  Good for him.  We need more athlete's like him.  I wish Jean van de Velde all the best with his health now and in the future. 

** Read more about van de Velde here.

 

Beckham Finally Arrives!

 Bend It Like Beckham.

On Friday afternoon, David Beckham was introduced to the world as a Major League Soc...er, I mean Los Angeles Galaxy player.  Before Becks spoke, Alexi Lalas, General Manager of the Galaxy, said a few words.  Cool.  He's an important person.  Then the owner of the Galaxy spoke.  Neat.  Then Major League Soccer's President spoke.  Right.  Then the major of L.A. spoke.  Great.  LET DAVID SPEAK ALREADY!!!

Beckham took the microphone, the crowd went wild, confetti flew, pictures were taken, everybody was excited.  Will it last?  Will the shine wear off?  Will the '$250 million' price tag be worth it?  Will Beckham be a soccer player first and foremost?  I say yes; to all of the above. 

Here is what I know.  I have followed Manchester United and David Beckham for 15 years.  Beckham is a winner.  Wherever he has gone, his teams win.  England's Premiership titles?  Check.  F.A. Cup titles with Man U?  Check.  Champions League titles?  Check.  La Liga titles with Real Madrid?  Check.  (Let's leave the England squad out of this for the moment....)

 'I can't hear you!'

Yes, Becks has a lifestyle that Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, did not like.  Real Madrid signed Becks, in my opinion, for the money he would make them.  (It was announced last week that Real made $500 million in the five years he was with the club)  His wife and him are all over the place in magazines, newspapers, the internet and television.  (Plus, Posh's tv show, which David will NOT be a part of, is on NBC starting Monday night).  The Galaxy has already announced plans to go to Australia and England next summer to rake in the cash and to make up some of the cash they are giving him.  Good, great.  

All I want is for people to watch Major League Soccer. I want people to not look at soccer as the 15th best sport in America.  I want people to see how great football is to me and to everybody else around the world.  I can honestly say that I love European football more than any other sport on earth (except for maybe 3 weeks in March when college basketball is fantastic and Oklahoma and Wisconsin football in the fall...).  I have never watched a full Major League Soccer game.  I have felt the level is no where near what it is in Europe.  I know David Beckham will not raise the level of MLS to my European standards, but I know that, at 32, Becks still has some good years left in him.  I know, as discussed before, he is a winner, he will make the Galaxy players better and I know, for a fact, people will watch. 

So, in conclusion, David Beckham coming to America is a great, GREAT thing.  I know people will watch Beckham play.  I know the ratings will go up.  I know people will go to games.  As Pele, who came to America about the same age that Beckham has, said Beckham will have to win for any of this to sustain.  I believe the Galaxy will be successful and I believe Major League Soccer will benefit greatly from the greatness that is David Beckham. 

** Read Beckham's cover story article in this weeks Sports Illustrated here.

This Is Lionel Messi

Argentine wonderkid Lionel Messi at his best.

Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Copa America, Argentina ran all over Mexico.  What was even more incredible than the 3-0 win was Barcelona's Lionel Messi who scored one of the most amazing goals I have ever seen.  In the video above, the young Messi chipped the ball over a defender, over the goalie and just under the bar for a sweet goal.  Argentina will now face a young Brazilian squad who is without Kaka  and Ronaldinho.  Brazil destroyed a hopeless Uruguay team in the other semifinal on Monday night.

 

I miss Coldplay!

Thank God for television, concerts and youtube.

I'm Addicted to Embedding Vids To My Journal

Great new website.  VeryAngryNeighbors.com.  Hilarious skits. 

Pulp Fiction on The Simpsons

Huh!  Shakes?  Ya don't know what you're gettin'.

Haha. 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, 5 SECONDS, WATCH!!!

Goal!! Or Not! - video powered by Metacafe