Winners and Losers Abound at Muirfield - Column

Byline: Leonard Shapiro

Technically, there was only one winner and 155 losers at the recently completed British Open, but that's not necessarily so. Some players could take great comfort in their performances last week, while others may well have had career altering experiences.

The Big Winner: Ernie Els not only captured the Claret Jug for his third major title at age 32, he may also have exorcised all those demons tormenting him in recent years. Most of them involved Tiger Woods and Els' inability to challenge his dominance.

Els did not have to worry about Woods on Sunday at Muirfild, because Tiger was 11 shots behind. Still, the way Els battled the elements on Saturday with a remarkable round of 72 while Tiger was blown away by wind and rain should go a long way toward convincing Els that in major championship pressure, it was Woods who wilted, and not himself.

Loser: Colin Montgomerie followed his riveting course record 64 with 20 more blows on Saturday. He blew up again in a tirade delivered following his Sunday round. Monty, who's a lovely chap away from the course, insisted he had not stormed off the course on Saturday, that writers were more interested in talking to Woods than to him, and then stormed off again, saying he was deeply hurt, mad as hell and just couldn't take it any more.

It's time for Monty to lighten up. He's been a great golfer through most of the '90s, but he puts far too much pressure on himself in majors, so much so that after Sunday's debacle, he may never contend again.

Winner: Duffy Waldorf charmed Scottish crowds with his Hawaiian shirt collection and his friendly demeanor, then he wowed them with his spirit when he followed a 45 in the teeth of Saturday's storm on the front nine with a splendid 32 on the back to salvage a 77 and keep himself in the hunt.

Loser: Phil Mickelson never seemed the same since he hit his opening drive in the rough Friday, got a stinger in his left arm whacking at his ball and faded from the picture with a 76. On the weekend, he lost total interest, and despite having a preferable morning tee time on Saturday before the weather came in, lost ground with another 76.

Mickelson whooshed through his 70 Sunday round in about three hours, then smiled and said afterward he'd had a jolly good time at the tournament and wasn't the least bit disappointed with his play, even if he's now 0-41 in majors. Ah well, there's always the PGA.

Winner: Frenchman Thomas Levet made a major name for himself with his inspired play, and any comparisons to countryman Jean Van de Velde's fold at Carnoustie are totally unfair. In sudden death, Levet used a driver at 18 when an iron would have been far safer. He put it in a fairway bunker, and almost got away with it until Els stunning shot from the sand to clinch the title.

Loser: The Royal & Ancient is the governing body of the sport everywhere except the U.S. It's all male all the time, and has no problems putting its tournaments in all-male clubs. Muirfield was one. Royal St. George's next year is another. Like Augusta National, it's got to get with the 21st Century and allow female members, the sooner the better.

Winner: Tiger Woods for following up his Saturday 81 with a gritty 65 that included four missed putts inside 10 feet on the front nine alone. Woods fought back, got himself from six-over to even par and surely will use that final round as a springboard to win the PGA next month.

Loser: Tiger Woods, for not taking a stand on allowing women into Augusta or Muirfield. His cop-out these-things-take-time answers were beneath him, and if, as his father has predicted, he'll be the next Ghandi for what he does away from golf, now is the time to start acting the part.

Winner: Gary Evans, the little Brit with the cockney accent, almost slipped into the playoff until a bogey at the final hole did him in. His par after losing a ball in the middle of 200 spectators on the 17th was one of the greatest 5s in Open history, as was his "Mum, that was for you" reaction.

Loser: Sergio Garcia was lurking, lurking all weekend, but never could get his putter going. He's still only 22, and will have plenty more chances for major success, but right now, he's just not good enough on Sunday to get the job done.

Winner: Justin Rose has all the makings as a worthy successor to Nick Faldo as the finest player in British golf. After a rocky start turning pro at 17, he's won four times this year, and more than held his own playing with Woods on Thursday and Friday. He's got a multiple major look to him, even at 21.

Loser: BBC cameramen producing pictures for the world feed did a dreadful job trying to locate the ball on Saturday. They'd pan to the sky, but couldn't find the ball. They'd pan the ground, and couldn't find the ball. The guys over at ABC, who had to use the non-pictures, were tearing their hair out, as were viewers all around the world.

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