A remarkable string of golf
came to a close for Tiger Woods on a steamy Sunday afternoon when he failed to
mount the miraculous comeback that both he and his fans somehow expected in the
U.S. Open.
For the first time in five
major championships, Woods wasn't holding the champion's trophy aloft. Perhaps
more shockingly, he was a mere also-ran as he played his way down the finishing
holes at Southern Hills.
The Open was still to be
decided when Woods, alone in his car after a day in which he was surrounded by
tens of thousands, drove out of the country club parking lot.
''I played as hard as I
could,'' Woods said. ''I tried on every shot and there's no regrets.''
Not for Woods, maybe. But
there were for those who wanted to watch another piece of magic from a player
who has already etched a deep spot in the game's history books.
An unprecedented even money
favorite to win the Open, Woods instead finished with his second straight 69 for
a 3-over 283 total. It was the first time in 41 tournaments he had failed to break
par.
Relieved that the streak
was over? No. Tired? Definitely.
''I don't think people
really understand how difficult it is on you to keep putting yourself there and
the stress it puts on you coming down the back nine on Sunday with a chance to
win,'' Woods said. ''More times than not it wears you out.''
Woods teased the throngs
who followed him early with some spectacular shots that hinted of a possible charge
from nine shots back. He reached the monster 642-yard fifth hole in two and was
2 under through seven.
''Bless you, Tiger,'' a
woman called out as he walked to the seventh green.
In the end, though, the
cheers that washed over the 18th green weren't for him this time. They belonged
to Rocco Mediate, who was making a birdie putt on the adjacent ninth green as
Woods finished a week that never was.
''It was fun to win four
majors in a row, there's no doubt about that,'' Woods said. ''Unfortunately, I'm
not out there with the chance to win. That is frustrating, but I've had my share.
And, hopefully, I can have my share in the future.''
There's little doubt of
that for the player already recognized as the greatest of his era at the tender
age of 25. But for one week, at least, the golf course got the better of him.
Woods blamed it on a swing
that just wouldn't cooperate in the first two rounds. Others said it might have
been a course that gave others a more equal chance.
Southern Hills is full
of doglegs and big trees, and for the Open it had only two par-5s, where Woods
usually dominates.
''The golf course equalized
him,'' Matt Gogel said. ''It didn't allow him to use his driver. I think he was
playing from a spot most of us were playing from.''
Woods began the final day
without the numbers on his side. Being 9 behind was bad enough. Having 22 players
in front of him made it worse.
The third-round leaders
hadn't even arrived at the course when Woods took a driver off the first tee and
promptly hit it in the rough. On the next hole he hit it into the trees and made
bogey to go an even 10 shots down.
Then he began looking like
the real Tiger Woods.
A short iron to 3 feet
on No. 4 brought a birdie. On the next hole, Woods muscled a drive some 360 yards
and followed it with a 3-wood that put him on the green of the longest par-5 in
Open history and he two putted for another birdie. A third birdie followed on
No. 7.
The ninth hole, though,
got him again. Woods made double bogey there the first day and he spun an iron
off the front of the green to make bogey again Sunday.
He stood looking at the
scoreboard to see where he stood. By then, it didn't really matter.
''Once I realized that
there really wasn't a chance to win, you've still got to fight,'' Woods said.
''You can't bag it. You can't dog it coming in.''
True to himself, Woods
didn't. He played the back nine even par to finish with his second straight 69.
The two weekend scores weren't bad, but the 74-71 he began with did Woods in.
All that was left was to
change his shoes in the clubhouse, and head out while players with names like
Retief Goosen, Stewart Cink and Mark Brooks battled for the trophy that was supposed
to be his for a second year in a row.
But not without a few laughs
first. He had one when asked if it was the most disappointed he's been after a
major in a long time.
''Considering I won the
last four, yes,'' Woods said.
