O'Meara reaping rewards from major breakthrough

He won his first major, then another.

He rallied to beat Tiger Woods in a thrilling 36-hole final in the World Match Play Championship, then topped off his dream season as the unanimous selection as player of the year.

So, where does Mark O'Meara go from there?

According to his travel schedule, just about everywhere.

One year after winning the Open to become the oldest player to win two majors in one season, O'Meara is grabbing whatever riches he can -- and offering no apologies.

"I've taken advantage of some of the opportunities that have come my way, playing internationally a little bit more," O'Meara said. "That takes a little bit out of you, no doubt about it. And it takes more out of you when you're 42.

"I would not lie to say that I'm not overjoyed at the start I've had this year," he said. "But I'm not disappointed. No matter what happens in the future, I would like to keep playing well and I want to win tournaments. But I'm not a kid anymore."

Players much younger than O'Meara won their first major and then failed to contend at the same level for several years.

Corey Pavin won the 1995 U.S. Open and slowly descended into the worst slump of his career. Mark Brooks won the 1996 PGA Championship and hasn't been heard from since.

Payne Stewart won his second major in three years, the 1991 U.S. Open, and won only once until this year at Pebble Beach and again at the U.S. Open.

In some cases, they are attracted to the lucrative club endorsements that come with the newfound fame. The demands on their time increase tenfold, whether it's from the media or from corporations willing to pay big money for an appearance at exhibitions.

O'Meara, a career grinder, was in a different situation.

He won 14 times on the PGA Tour, and finished outside the top 30 on the money list only twice since 1984. He was solid, not spectacular. He played overseas without major appearance money and played well, winning six tournaments abroad.

All that changed with two tournaments.

Only Tom Kite (0-66) had gone longer without winning a major than O'Meara when he broke through at the Masters. Three months later, he closed with a 68 in windy conditions at Royal Birkdale, then beat Brian Watts in the four-hole playoff to win the claret jug.

Suddenly, he was one of the hottest properties in golf. And in the twilight of his career, O'Meara wasn't about to turn down the riches that came his way.

He flew 60,000 miles during one five-week stretch late last year. Already this season he has played in Dubai, Japan and Germany. Another trip to Europe and Japan is scheduled for the fall.

"What happened to me last year was a real bonus," he said. ``There's no reason why I shouldn't try to enjoy it. If I don't play well, I'll be the first one to be disappointed.

"On the other hand, you have to take a step back and say that a lot of good things have happened. Hey, I'm not a young stud out there like Tiger Woods. I'm kind of winding down my career."

It looks that way based on his performance this year.

O'Meara goes to Carnoustie Golf Links having not won this year, and really not having many chances. He finished second to Duval in the Mercedes Championship -- by nine strokes. He had a chance in the wind-swept Honda Classic, but finished three strokes behind Vijay Singh.

Since his final-round 78 at Augusta, however, his best finish has been a tie for 28th in the Kemper Open. O'Meara missed the cut in the U.S. Open, the first time he has done that in a major since the 1994 U.S. Open.

O'Meara concedes that his whirlwind pace has taken a toll.

"I could tell at Muirfield on the weekend (for the Memorial) that I was mentally a little bit out of it," he said. "I didn't practice that hard preparing for the (U.S.) Open."

The last player to repeat in the Open was Tom Watson in 1983. That became his fifth and final British title, as well as his eighth and final major championship.

Could this be the last of O'Meara?

"No matter what happens in the future, all those unbelievable great emotions that happened at Augusta or the Open, those will always be kind of etched in stone," he said. "Maybe that's something that I'll always be able to remember, even when things aren't so good."

AP