Looking back to Sunday July 22nd

The Open Championship
Padraig Harrington shoots Even in a 4-hole playoff to defeat 3rd-round leader Sergio Garcia to win the 2007 Open Championship. More drama on the 18th hole of Carnoustie as Harrington took a 1-shot lead into the final hole before putting his drive into the Barry Burn, dropping and hitting his 3rd shot into the Burn again. Saving a double bogey, Harrington fell one shot behind Garcia. Garcia then lipped out the winning par put, forcing a playoff. Harrington is the 1st Irishman to win the Claret Jug since Fred Daly in 1947 and only the 2nd overall. He also becomes only the 2nd player to win the British Open the year after winning the European Order of Merit (money list). Garcia, who took a 3 shot lead into the final day of play, shot a 2-over 73. It's his second 2nd place finish at a Major (1999 PGA Championship). Andres Romero, from Argentina, finished 3rd after a 4th-round 67. Tiger Woods finished at 2 under and in a tie for 12th. He is winless in the first 3 Majors this seasons, only the 5th time he has been winless in the first 3 Majors since wining the Masters in 1997. Richard Green tied the course record with a 64 and finished 4th.

Largest Final-Round Deficit Overcome:
Open Championship History

                Paul Lawrie             Padraig Harrington
Year            1999                    2007
Course  Carnoustie              Carnoustie
Deficit 10                      6
Final Rd        67                      67
>>Both won in playoff

British Open Playoffs>
All-Time
                         Defeated
'07 Padraig Harrington<< Sergio Garcia
'04 Todd Hamilton        Ernie Els
'02 Ernie Els            Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, Thomas Levet
'99 Paul Lawrie  <<      Justin Leonard, Jean Van de Velde
'98 Mark O'Meara         Brian Watts
'95 John Daly            Costantino Rocca
'89 Mark Calcavecchia    Wayne Grady, Greg Norman           
'75 Tom Watson  <<       Jack Newton
'70 Jack Nicklaus        Doug Sanders
'63 Bob Charles          Phil Rodgers
'58 Peter Thomson        Dave Thomas
'49 Bobby Locke          Harry Bradshaw   
>> at Carnoustie

2007 Major Champions>
All Won 1st Career Majors
                                                                Major Start
Padraig Harrington      Open Championship               37th
Angel Cabrera           U.S. Open                       31st
Zach Johnson            Masters                 12th
2003: last time all 4 majors won by 1st-time winners

Sergio Garcia has now entered the final round of a tournament with at least a 3-stroke lead twice in his PGA Career, and both times, he has gone on to lose in a playoff.

Sergio Garcia Largest Leads>
Entering Final Round
                2005            2007
Event           Wachovia        Open Championship
Lead            6               3
Final Rd        E (72)  +2 (73)
Result  T-2nd           2nd
>>Lost in playoff both times

Highest Current World Ranking>
Never Won a Major

Adam Scott              5th
Henrik Stenson  7th
Luke Donald             9th
K.J. Choi               12th
Sergio Garcia   13th
>>Rankings entering Open Championship

Carnoustie played easier this time around, despite the rough finishes among the leaders. 18 golfers shot under par in the 4th round, the fewest of any round during this tournament. However, the last time the Open Championship was in Carnoustie, there were 18 rounds shot under par for the tournament.

Rounds Under Par>
Last 2 Open Championships at Carnoustie
                1999    2007
1st Rd  0       24
2nd Rd  7       19
3rd Rd  3       27
4th Rd  8       18

Tiger Woods did not win the Open Championship, marking only the 5th year since winning the 1997 Masters that Tiger has gone winless in the first 3 Majors of the season. Only once in the previous 4 instances did he bounce back to win the PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods as a Pro>
Years Without Winning 1st Three Majors
                PGA Championship
                Finish
2007            ?
2004            T-24th
2003            T-39th
1999            1st
1998            T-10th

Golf News.- Source GolfDigest.com .- The top putters on the PGA Tour in 2005 are listed in order of their total putting score, followed by their rank in the five categories.

Player	Total Putting Score	15-20 feet	One-putt rank	Putts per GIR	Birdie- Conversion %	Putts 4-8 feet
1. Ben Crane	43	29	2	3	8	1
2. Joe Ogilvie	57	4	4	12	9	28
3. Bob Heintz	68	1	12	4	5	46
4. Steve Stricker	72	22	1	2	7	40
5. Brenden Pappas	74	8	39	13	3	11
6. Tiger Woods	75	13	12	5	1	44
7. Arjun Atwal	89	41	15	1	4	28
8. Aaron Baddeley	91	61	5	7	14	4
9. José Maria Olazábal	134	3	17	25	67	22
10. Billy Andrade	135	34	20	22	18	41
11. Tim Herron	178	125	8	22	14	9
12. Dudley Hart	180	38	31	34	60	17
13. Chris DiMarco	185	8	28	10	78	61
Ryan Palmer	185	62	52	20	10	41
15. Tag Ridings	187	128	24	16	5	14
16. Phil Mickelson	190	56	12	15	2	105
17. Brian Gay	197	32	8	49	104	4
18. David Toms	205	105	61	10	17	12
19. Scott Verplank	215	89	52	9	12	53
20. Jim Furyk	218	27	57	19	60	55
21. Shigeki Maruyama	228	46	37	49	82	14
22. Charlie Wi	232	152	3	17	40	20
23. Robert Gamez	233	70	9	26	35	53
24. Todd Fischer	238	133	8	7	35	55
25. Zach Johnson	245	14	84	43	60	44
26. Mark Calcavecchia	246	29	55	79	28	55
27. Geoff Ogilvy	252	52	41	17	18	124
28. Kevin Na	257	25	6	61	67	98
29. Brad Faxon	261	152	7	13	25	64
30. J.P. Hayes	265	161	20	40	38	6
31. Paul Azinger	275	133	20	22	22	78
32. Brett Quigley	277	38	68	57	55	59
Marco Dawson	277	27	80	29	52	89
34. Fredrik Jacobson	278	34	44	79	74	47
35. Dean Wilson	287	23	74	26	47	117
36. Stewart Cink	290	94	74	34	82	6
37. Kent Jones	299	52	80	32	42	93
38. Cameron Beckman	305	19	68	49	60	109
39. Mark O'Meara	307	25	18	68	174	22
40. Patrick Sheehan	310	145	61	48	42	14
41. Phillip Price	317	42	28	34	74	139
42. Bob Estes	319	5	44	38	104	128
43. John Huston	322	97	23	29	14	159
44. Daniel Chopra	325	10	36	92	38	149
45. Carl Pettersson	329	93	55	54	60	67
46. Hunter Mahan	338	66	124	74	42	32
47. Hank Kuehne	347	132	44	64	25	82
Brian Davis	347	37	33	127	47	103
49. Brandt Jobe	350	81	107	87	47	28
50. Stephen Ames	355	79	33	110	116	17