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by Jeff Skinner

Hooks and Slices from the Week at The Black

I watched David Duval chatting with Dr. Bob Rotella on the putting green on Monday. When Mark Rolfing of NBC Sports asked Rotella which one of his guys to watch this week he didn’t hesitate and said David Duval. He was dead right on that one.

Having lunch in the Trophy Club on Friday, a couple of well intentioned Tiger fans, wearing tee shirts with Tiger’s picture, informed me that, “Tiger and Phil are really good friends and they hang out a lot together.” Wow, does Phil or Tiger know that?

With all the rain and mud you would think people would be smart enough to wear appropriate footwear. If I had a buck for every young girl slipping around in flip-flops I’d be flying to my next tourney on a jet like Tiger’s.

I stood at the third green and watched Adam Scott, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy tee off for a practice round. One of the “well informed and well lubricated” patrons says to his group”Hey, these guys are good…three Irishmen and an American.” Ok, I can accept him thinking that Westwood is an Irishman like Clarke and McIlroy, he’s really English…but who’s the American?

That same foursome must have had a few bets on that “practice” round as we watched Rory play his second shot from no man’s land, beyond a service road. He bogeyed and lost the hole.

I saw Kenny Perry almost get hit in the head by Drew Kittleson as Perry walked in front of him on the driving range.

Standing on the twelfth hole on Friday we watched Lucas Glover hit his approach shot. My brother commented on how cool and composed Glover looked. He was just as cool on the back nine on Monday.

The bunkers on The Black are as deep and unforgiving as any course in the world. Ask Duval, his triple on number three cost him the tournament.

The bleachers and the hill behind the green at seventeen form a wonderful, stadium like effect. This has to be the best place to watch golf at a major. There are views of #1, #15, #16, #18 and of course #17. The atmosphere is thrilling. On Sunday it was the Super Bowl, Final Four, World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Game Seven all rolled into one.

If Phil Mickelson isn’t the “Arnold Palmer” of his generation I don’t know who is.

Cheers to Bethpage Black Course superintendent Craig Currier and Park Director Dave Catalano for all their work on the course. I was there on Thursday and Friday. It was a miracle they played golf on Friday.

Mike Davis is the Open setup man for the USGA. This guy gets it. That course was fair and demanding. He is not afraid to make changes that years ago the USGA would never have considered. He deserves a long term contract to keep him in that job.

The USGA and its visionary Executive Director, David Fay, got it right this year at Bethpage. The USGA was able to get 72 holes in on a course that probably would have been closed for the weekend under normal, non-Open circumstances.

David Fay again shocked the world when he responded quickly to the outrage concerning the Thursday “rain out.” He reversed the USGA’s policy of no refunds or using a ticket for another day when rain cancels a day’s play. Fay made a reasonable and fair decision in letting the Thursday ticket be used for Monday admission. It was the right thing to do for the fans and the USGA.

On Friday the weather turned warm after a cool cloudy morning. We watched Rocco tee off on twelve and he must have been on his tenth sweat of the day, his shirt was soaked through. What struck us as odd was that he still had his rain pants on. Why would he still have his rain pants on? It was hot and sunny. I speculated that he had shorts on under them and couldn’t take them off for it would violate the rules. My brother took it one step further and said, “I bet he’s going commando!” Yeech!!!

Rich Lerner of The Golf Channel has evolved into the best interviewer in golf broadcasting. He is cordial and friendly without being patronizing. He is insightful and considerate and asks the tough questions without being confrontational. You can tell the players are comfortable with him and respect him.

Phil’s attempt to win his first Open under his current circumstances was the overwhelming story this week. It was a great and emotional story, but this week had plenty of stories: Tiger and his try to repeat at The Black, David Duval and his comeback from beyond the dead, the mud, the course, the rain, still no European winner, Ricky Barnes almost finding greatness and Lucas Glover keeping his composure down the home stretch when everyone else was losing theirs.

Lucas Glover appears to be a humble, unassuming guy, no flash… all substance.

It was a great week and a great Open. It’s time for the USGA to award another Open to The Black so we can do it all over again.

by Jeff Skinner

Glover Wins

The crowning of Lucas Glover as US Open Champion on the eighteenth green yesterday capped a wild and unpredictable week at Bethpage Black. Glover hung on for a two stroke victory over fan favorite Phil Mickelson, comeback kid David Duval, and Ricky Barnes. It was a great win for Glover as he steadied himself on the closing holes to play the back nine in even par and claim his first major.

The New York fans were pulling for their adopted, favorite son, Phil Mickelson with all the passion they have become known for. I was lucky and early enough to get seats in the bleachers at the 17^th hole. The 15^th, 16^th, 17^th and 18^th all come together at this spot and portions of each hole are visible from the huge bleachers the USGA erected there. As the players came through the cheers grew louder and louder with each group. Rocco Mediate was a favorite and J. B. Holmes made thousands of new friends as he tossed balls into the bleachers. Tiger came through with his travelling caravan of fans and was cheered as he missed his birdie. When David Duval approached the 17^th green he was cheered as the underdog he has now become. When his birdie chip slid by the hole all our hearts sank. The loudest and most sustained cheers were reserved for Phil. He was cheered when they posted his eagle on 13. He was cheered when he appeared on the 15th tee and for his approach to the 15^th green. We moaned when he three putted at 15. The fans erupted when he sank a tough putt on 16 for par. As he walked to the 17^th tee he wasn’t a golfer any longer. He was Reggie Jackson rounding the bases after his third homer in one World Series game. When he approached the green he was Joe Wille Namath sprinting to the locker room after his Super Bowl III win. As he hit his chip he was Eli Manning throwing it downfield for Tyree. When he missed his par putt we all knew his chance was gone. His miss did not weaken the fervor the fans have for Phil. As he walked off the green and headed to the 18^th tee he tossed a ball to a kid cheering for him and he became Mark Messier holding the Stanley Cup over his head and skating around the Garden. The cheers continued all the way up 18 and as he finished second again the reigning sports hero of New York waved and acknowledged all the applause, he was Phil Mickelson again. He was the Phil Mickelson that New York can’t stop cheering for.

A Ryder Cup for the Black

Phil Mickelson may have just created a new stadium in New York. (See his interview.) The atmosphere surrounding the 17^th hole was electric. The sight lines allowed for viewing of multiple holes and Phil knew he was in the middle of something special. Afterward, Phil said he thought Bethpage would be worthy of a Ryder Cup. “The people here are incredible. And I just keep thinking that this is like the ideal spot to hold The Ryder Cup. The fans here, first of all, the golf course is terrific, because 16, 17 and 18 are so close together. And the way the fans are, I think that we’d have a big advantage.” This would be the biggest home field advantage in sport. The PGA of America, who runs the Ryder Cup, should call the boys at Bethpage. Phil has a great idea. A Ryder Cup at The Black would be an incredible experience for everyone and the greatest home field advantage ever.

by Jeff Skinner

The never ending saga of The US Open at Bathpage Black (yes, it is so wet it is now Bathpage) continued until the players ran out of daylight on Sunday. The sentimental favorite is of course Phil Mickelson and untested Ricky Barnes and one time winner Lucas Glover are good stories. However, no matter what the outcome after the final round, win, lose or draw, David Duval has had a tremendous tournament. This week has been Duval’s resurrection. His comeback to the top of the leader board in a major seemed highly unlikely at the start of this tournament. Considering that Duval has made only four of thirteen cuts on the tour this year and thirteen of forty cuts since 2007 with no top ten finishes during that period, it is a miracle he made the cut here. Duval is at -2, five strokes back tied for third with Mickelson, Hunter Mahan and Ross Fisher. If Barnes or Glover falters under the pressure of leading a major in the final round Duval, Mickelson, Mike Weir, Woods and Retief Goosen are all major winners within seven strokes and are capable of claiming this one.

Duval is a misunderstood character that has become a fan favorite during his recent resurgence. He is the recipient of many cheers and support from the fans at Bethpage, who love an underdog. He has even acknowledged the fans adulation which was quite a change from the Duval that was the number one golfer in the world in 1999. Duval was drawn to golf naturally. His father, Bob Duval was a touring pro and then a club pro when David was a child. When Duval was nine he lost his twelve year old brother Brent to a rare illness and it sent David and his family into a sadness that broke the family apart. His parents had difficulty dealing with the loss and David turned to the only aspect of his life that he felt comfortable with, golf. He would spend all his time at his Dad’s course on the range, playing and practicing. He withdrew into himself and lived his life as if he was the only one he could trust. When Duval entered college at Georgia Tech his attitude rubbed his teammates the wrong way. Duval thought he was the best player and had little use for any of his teammates if they weren’t of the same mind. Luckily for Duval his coach, Puggy Blackmon, was an understanding man of unlimited patience. He worked with Duval on his golf and his attitude and tried to show Duval that this world was best when he can share it with friends. It took Duval years to see what Blackmon was trying to instill in him.

When Duval turned pro in 1993 he thought a PGA Tour career was there for the taking. He was rudely awakened to the fact that there were many golfers on the tour that were better than David Duval. That fact did not sit well with him. He was relegated to the Nike Tour for a few years. When his time came, it came in a tidal wave. Duval won his first tournament in 1997, the Michelob Classic and won his next two starts and before long he was on top of the world. In 1999 he won The Players Championship on the same day his dad won on the Champions Tour, he shot 59 on the final day of the Bob Hope to win and was number one in the world. He had endorsements and huge paychecks and flew around the world with his buddy Tiger Woods. He was at the top of the golfing world and when he won the 2001 British Open he had attained one of his most significant goals. It would be his last win.

Duval asked himself “Is that it?” His career goal accomplished, he fell off the face of the golfing world. He had a breakup with his longtime girlfriend and lost his edge for the game. He couldn’t compete with the best in the world and soon couldn’t make a cut or break par. He withdrew from the game and lived a life out of the public eye. During that time he fell in love and married a woman with three children. Since then he has had a child and found that being a husband and father was more fulfilling than anything he could do on a golf course. The new David Duval has a new appreciation for things off the course that involve people, people that he loves.

Duval is very positive about the state of his game. For weeks he was saying he was close, closer than his scores indicated. He was right. This week he is very close. He told Rich Lerner that “he is comfortable with his position.” He also said He was “confident with what I’ve been doing… it is good and fundamentally sound.” If the leaders slip and Duval can manage a few birdies we may be witnessing one of the greatest comebacks in golf. Duval is number 882 in the World Golf Rankings. If he wins the Open it wouldn’t be a comeback, it would be a miracle. The fact that he is on the leader board on the final day of The US Open is enough to prove he is back. It may not be enough for Duval; he wants to take home that trophy as the US Open Champion.

Check out Gary Smith’s 1999 Sports Illustrated article.

With all this rain we’ll call it “Bathpage” Black from now on.

*** Missed it by that much. These guys missed the cut by one stroke. They can look back at these holes and wonder “what if?”

Miguel Angel Jimenez made bogey on #18, his final hole in the second round. He knew he blew it right then. Despite a 77 in round one he had a chance until that missed putt.

David Toms scored a triple bogey six on the par three eighth hole in round two.

Luke Donald carded two sevens in his first round on #11 and #13 and still only missed the cut by one.

*** Major Misses: These major champions said goodbye to Bethpage Black with a bad taste in their mouth.

Padraig Harrington shoots a pair of 76’s to continue his free fall.

Zach Johnson should have had a chance to hang around with his precision game, but 39 on the front nine in round one killed him.

Michael Campbell finishes at +16, is anyone surprised?

Justin Leonard was playing well but 71, 75 weren’t enough to make the cut.

The biggest surprise was Ernie Els. This is his first missed cut in The Open in ten years. Wow!

*** These Hot Shots fell short: World #3 Paul Casey, Nick Watney, Robert Allenby, Justin Rose, and Stuart Appleby.

*** Let’s hear it for the Amateurs!

*** Three amateurs made the cut and one is in contention. Nick Taylor, a Canadian that plays for The University of Washington, shot 73, 65 to land in a tie for seventh. The 65 tied the record for low round by an amateur in the US Open. Drew Weaver, the Virginia Tech Grad that represented his fallen classmates with class when he won the British Amateur, is tied for 34^th and was going “old school” on Friday with his argyle sweater vest. Kyle Stanley a junior at Clemson and its best player, is tied for 42^nd.  He is playing the third round with ACC rival, Maryland’s former coach Fred Funk. Stanley is 21, Funk is 53, and they’ll both have a ball in round three, guaranteed.

Speaking of Freddy Funk, according to Golf Week, Funk was eating at a restaurant on June 8^th after trying to qualify for the Open. He thought his 5 under was not good enough to get in. Turns out he was in a six man playoff, but he was not on site and needed to hustle back to the course in time to tee off in twenty minutes. He made it and won the playoff on the fourth hole.

by Jeff Skinner

Since the USGA began its tradition of finishing the US Open on Father’s Day you can always count on a few stories on the networks about the father/son relationship in golf. Many golfers were introduced to the game by their fathers and the father/son bond in golf is legendary. There is no doubt that fathers and sons that play golf together are certain to develop a special bond with each other. However, the special relationship formed on the course during our early years in the game are not limited to fathers only.

My dad never played golf, so we never had a chance to have that “golf bond.” We were very close and shared many interests but golf was not one of his hobbies. He was a child of the depression years and never really exposed to golf. My dad was an anomaly: a Scotsman that did not play golf. I was left to find the joys of the course on my own and my ancestral urges drew me to the game in my mid-twenties. Although my dad did not play, I was not without a golfing role model in my family. In my rather large family of aunts, uncles and cousins, if you wanted to start to play golf you called my Aunt Vi. You see, Vi played golf for years and was fairly good in her day. She learned the game from her husband and was always willing to play or talk golf and to share all her experience with any one that cared to ask. So, I asked my Aunt Vi if we could play golf some time and before I knew it we were playing together each week.

Aunt Vi is a truly special person. She is my Mom’s sister and she spent plenty of time with me and my brother and two sisters. She has had her share of challenges, but her attitude never changed from anything other than positive. Vi was widowed while her two children were still young and she was left to raise them on her own. She was one of the hardest working people I know. One of my first memories of Vi was watching her pump gas at the service station she and her husband ran. As a kid we would go to her house for parties and celebrations and my brother and I always wound up in her basement. Down there we would shoot darts or play the bowling game that was there, but we always were amazed by the dozens of golf bags filled with clubs that stood against a wall in the basement. There were buckets and buckets of balls and boxes of golf trophies mostly her late husband’s, but I suspect there were a few of her own in there.

Vi worked  hard for years and took great effort in raising her two children. All this took place during the sixties, when most women were not in the work force. Vi was out working her entire life and raising her family as a single mom at the same time. This wasn’t easy and it was long before the time when a woman in the work place was common. She was hard working and dedicated and a role model for all of us.

When Vi and I started playing golf together it was the highlight of my week. You could always count on Vi to be funny, upbeat and interesting. There wasn’t a time we played together that we didn’t laugh, mostly at ourselves, or share a great joke or story. She was teaching me the game and the etiquette of golf, but she was really teaching me much more. Vi was a model of independence and self reliance. She was an independent women decades before it was in vogue. No matter what problems or issues she had to deal with, and there were many, she always chose the high road and acted with class and dignity. It didn’t matter if it was being a widow, or cancer, or a slice into a bunker, she took everything in stride and always had a smile on her face and a joke to share. She has showed all of us in our family what real independence and true integrity is. It was not just golf we learned from Vi, it was life.

I liked to bust her chops about her age, she’s a little north of eighty and a little south of ninety, but she takes it and gives it right back. She’s a tough old broad that loves the game. Awhile ago she was getting ready for her weekly Wednesday foursome when she dropped something on her foot. She knew from the pain that something was not right and she was faced with a choice: go check out the foot now and not play golf, or play her round and care for her foot later. She played her round and then found out she had a broken toe. She didn’t care, she got her golf in. Like I said she’s a tough old broad.

Vi has had a special influence on me and many members of our family. I’ve learned much more than golf from VI. I learned independence, integrity and the inter-locking grip. She has helped all of us to see that no matter what life throws at you, you can always live your life with class and dignity and a good laugh or two. Thanks Vi, Happy Fathers Day.

“Hooks and Slices” will bring you our view on whats happening in the golf world.

What a difference a little sunshine can make. On Thursday rain turned Bethpage Black into a 7,426 slip and slide. On Friday a little bit of sunshine transformed it back into a wonderful golf course. The Open got on track and allowed the players to get plenty of holes in. Lucas Glover leads at -6 but Mike Weir threatened the US Open record single round record of 63 and finished with a 64. Phil Mickelson was King for the Day as he was welcomed on each hole by his enthusiastic New York fans with constant cheers and applause. Tiger had a balky putter and is ten strokes back. The USGA will start early again tomorrow in an attempt to get the tournament finished on Sunday. Unfortunately, there is more rain in the forecast.

The course isn’t the only thing that looked better on Friday. The USGA has back tracked and stated that Thursday’s tickets will be good for a Monday admission if the golf tournament goes into Monday. The USGA saw the light and changed its antiquated policy on “rain check tickets.” If there is golf on Monday the tickets will be honored and if there is no golf there will be a $50 refund. Cheers to David Fay and his swift response to a horrible situation.

by Jeff Skinner

Thursday’s fans at the US Open were treated to one of Mother Nature’s miracles. Mother Nature turned one of the best conditioned, world class golf courses into a rain soaked, mud laden mess of runaway streams and puddles. The fans saw very little golf and did the best they could to pass the time while the USGA waited for the rain to subside and try to play more golf. Watch Angry John Hawkins in the rain. The fans jammed into the Trophy Club and the corporate hospitality tents, crowded into the merchandise tent, sat in the bleachers, stood in the rain and drank a few beers, anything to make it through the long delay. They did all this with a good natured, positive attitude. Most of the fans realized that this is something you can’t control. It’s like a rainout in baseball. You buy your ticket and get to the game, if it rains and the game gets cancelled that’s bad luck. However, you’ll get to use that ticket as a “rain check” for another game. That is how many fans felt when they left the course in the pouring rain. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works with the USGA.

The USGA is big on rules and the rule on using “rain checks” is disappointing. This is the message on the US Open Website:

The USGA says Thursday’s tickets are only good for Thursday. That’s a shame. Thousands of people forked over big dollars, ($100 Grounds Tickets, $150 Trophy Club Tickets) drove for several hours, took time off from work to stand in the rain and see a few holes of golf. I drove two and half hours, paid for two $150 tickets and got to see absolutely zero shots. I understand that the USGA has a problem with allowing the tickets to be used again for another day of play. But, they are missing the boat here. There has to be some method of compensation to the ticket holders that got screwed by Mother Nature and the USGA. How about a refund or a partial refund? How about using the tickets for another day of play? They could use the odd number tickets for Friday and even numbers for Saturday admission. Maybe they could have used these tickets for a playoff if there was one. None of these solutions will be considered by the USGA as they have already stated that Thursday’s tickets are worthless and we can throw them away.

Those tickets represent a big chunk of cash and commitment by the fans and for the USGA not to recognize this is second rate. The USGA likes to say it is committed to growing and caring for the game of golf. They have a chance here to take action to do the right thing for its fans. They can prove to the fans that they are concerned with them and make some kind of effort to make up for the “rain out.” After all, aren’t the fans part of the game? Care for the game and care for the fans. It’s the right thing to do.

I’ll be heading back to Bethpage on Friday. Maybe I’ll get to see some golf.

By Jeff Skinner

I know the good old boys at the USGA are busy right now. They are putting on a little show at Bethpage Black this week. But they need to address a change in The Rules of Golf. Currently there are only thirty four rules of golf. They need to add one and make it thirty five. I have a proposal that needs to be considered as soon as possible. It is critical that the USGA take action to stop a growing trend that threatens to ruin this game. Rule Thirty Five should read as follows: Thou Shall Not Have Cell Phones On The Golf Course. It’s simple; you are there to play golf not talk on your cell phone.

I was lucky enough to get paired up with “Cell Phone Guy” yesterday. Play was moving very slowly and on the third tee he answers his cell phone. My playing partner and I both hit our tee shots and look towards him, waiting for him to hit. He waves us on and rides up to the green without hitting and continues to talk on the phone. My partner and I knew we had been paired with the worst kind of golfer, the one that has no respect for the game or his playing partners. He continued this “I’m talking, not playing” routine for another hole. It was pathetic, disgraceful, annoying and just plain disappointing. Fortunately, Cell Phone Guy found the pace of play too slow and high tailed it out of there. We were grateful and thought we were free of any further cell phone intrusions. It was not to be. On the very next hole we were confronted with a pair of golfers that had hit their shots wide of their fairway and into the rough that bordered our hole. No problem, guys need to find their shots, but one of these guys is walking around with a cell phone stuck to his ear. You have to be kidding me! You have to talk on that thing while you are looking for a ball in another golfer’s fairway? It was my worst day of golf this year and cell phones were the reason.

There is no place on the golf course for cell phones. While many may think there are acceptable excuses to use a cell phone on the course I say there are none. The days of putting the phone on vibrate or checking messages at the turn seem to have disappeared. The USGA has no choice. To protect the integrity of the game, they must add another rule of golf. Thou Shall Not Have Cell Phones On the Golf Course. Please!

I’m packing my rain gear and heading to the Open this week. It looks like a wet one.

“Hooks and Slices” will bring you our view on whats happening in the golf world.

There are so many great golfers ready to tee it up at The US Open on Thursday. The stage is set for another memorable tournament. This Open will have to go a long way to even come close to the drama that took place last year at Torrey Pines. These may be some of the players that we are talking about on Sunday night as they hoist the trophy.

*** Of course we have to pick the best golfer in the world. If Tiger brings his “Memorial Game” to Bethpage he’ll be one major closer to Jack.

*** Phil Mickelson playing is a great story. If Phil is able to contend, the roar from the galleries will shake the earth. Phil will be feeling the love all week.

***Angel Cabrera has two majors in the last two years but still flies under the radar. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of golf, he gets no respect.

***Sean O’Hair and Nick Watney. These are the young studs of American golf right now. They are playing well and should be ready to break through for a major win.

*** Geoff Ogilvy, Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen. These guys will contend at any major and could pick up another Open trophy this week. All former champions, they have the game to contend at The Black.

***Zach Johnson and David Toms. These two aren’t long but they are straight. They will be up against it at Bethpage but their consistency can get them in contention.

*** Englishmen Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald would like to claim the US Open trophy for their first major and finally break the European Curse.

***Miguel Angel Jimenez is my “Coolest Guy in Golf Dark Horse” pick. If he wins his first major, he’ll be smoking his cigar and drinking his wine right on the eighteenth green.

by Jeff Skinner

Everyone has their favorites to win at Bethpage this week. Tiger Woods is again the favorite and if he can perform like he did at The Memorial everyone else will be playing for second place. It is said that because of the difficulty of a US Open course there are only a few golfers that can win. That may be true and it seems that the USGA has made it impossible for a certain type of golfer to win. That “type of golfer” is not a short hitter or a long hitter or a power player or a finesse player. That type of golfer is a European player. It has been an astonishing thirty nine years since a European golfer has won the US Open. You have to go back all the way to 1970 and Tony Jacklin’s victory at Hazeltine National Golf Club. What makes the US Open so elusive for the Europeans is anyone’s guess, but it is bizarre that it has been so long since a European has won America’s National Championship.

The other majors all have had recent European winners and The British Open has had many American winners. This year there are several players from Europe that could try and break the curse. Padraig Harrington had won both his second consecutive Open Championship and the US PGA Championship in 2008. He has won three majors in two years. He was the undisputed, best European golfer last year, no questions asked. This year has been quite different. He has yet to win this year on either the European Tour or the PGA Tour and has fallen to eleventh in the World Golf Rankings. His slump shows no signs of disappearing since he has missed the cut in his last two tournaments. He will have to find his game quickly if he wishes to contend. With two near misses in major championships in the past two years, both second place finishes to Harrington, at the 2007 Open Championship and the 2008 PGA, Sergio Garcia appeared to have found his game. Wins in the 2008 Players Championship and the HSBC Champions shot Garcia to number two in the world behind Tiger Woods. So far Garcia has yet to win in 2009 on either tour. He has been the subject of much criticism for his whining and complaining over everything from the condition of Augusta National, his breakup with his girlfriend and the golfing gods not showing him any favor. He currently sits at number four in the world Golf Rankings and is heading downward. Henrik Stenson has moved up to number six in the world with his 2009 Players Championship win. In 2008 he finished tied for third at The Open and tied for fourth at the PGA Championship. Stenson is having a much better 2009 than both Harrington and Garcia. The European player who is having the most successful 2009 is Englishman Paul Casey. Casey has seen his World Ranking jump to number three in the world. Three world wide wins have put him at number nine on the PGA Tour money list and number one on the European Tour Race to Dubai. His win at the Shell Houston Open and the premier event on the European Tour, The BMW PGA Championship have placed him among the elite golfers on both tours. He has played well in recent majors. In 2008 he was tied for eleventh at The Masters, tied for seventh at The Open and tied for fifteenth at The PGA Championship. He is undoubtedly the top European golfer. Other Europeans whose names come up in the Open challenge discussion are: Robert Karlsson, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. Of the nine golfers mentioned here only Harrington has won a major before. It remains to be seen if this will be the year to break the European curse. It is a strange phenomenon and all these golfers hope to finally put an end to it.