Live Blogging the 2006 British Open

We’re live blogging the final round of the British Open. Almost all eight hours of it!

Tiger Woods13:21 – Tiger Woods taps in for par and is the Champion Golfer of the Year for 2006. His margin of victory? A holed 4-iron from the fairway on the 14th hole Friday: two shots. One month after missing the cut at Winged Foot, Tiger claims a win on a course he’d never even seen a picture of before early July. He cries, hugs Stevie, and and gives Elin a big hug. Earl is not here to see Tiger win a major for the first time in his life.

13:18 – Tirico gives us a lesson on Nicklaus’ 20 vs. 18 majors (counting U.S. Amateurs) and Tiger’s soon-to-be 14 and compares them to the records of Hogan and Jones. Tiger putts to about eight feet. It seems I may have exactly predicted the winner and the score, unless he rolls this one in.

13:16 – They show the engraver, and Tirico says “I swear he started to carve Jean van de Velde’s name in there. There’s a little smudge where Paul Lawrie’s name is. I look at it every time.”

2006 Open Championship Preview

It has been a long time since good ol’ Royal Liverpool has played host to a major, will she be up to the test?

The Open Championship LogoWell it happens to be that time again: Open Championship time, that is. Golf’s oldest major championship is back at a course that hasn’t hosted a major since Roberto de Vicenzo won in 1967. I’m very excited for this tournament for a couple reasons: the course is running ridiculously fast and hard, interesting shots we rarely see played will be commonplace, and Tiger will surely be on the prowl.

For these reasons and many more, this week is sure to be exciting.

2006 John Deere Classic Preview

Once again, Michelle Wie will attempt to qualify to make the cut in a PGA event. This will hopefully provide some excitement throughout the week(end?).

John Deere Classic LogoWhat a birthday present. This week, Sean O’Hair will turn 24, but it may be his 23rd birthday he will be thinking about this week. The young man earned the respect of the field and gallery last year by putting together what he called the best round of his life on Sunday to win the 2005 John Deere Classic.

Robert Damron, who finished in a tie for second place just one shot behind O’Hair, quashed any murmurs about O’Hair’s longevity on tour by saying “this guy is going to be around for a while.” Although O’Hair currently ranks 100th on the money in 2006, the brilliance he displayed last year is likely to surface again soon.

However, much of the spotlight this week will be shining on Michelle Wie, as the youngster will once again try to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.

2006 Cialis Western Open Preview

One of the longest-running PGA Tour events returns to the Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill this year. The question remains: Who will be lower, Tiger or Phil?

Western LogoFew PGA tournaments have as storied a past as the “Cialis” Western Open. This tournament, in one form or another, has been played since 1899 when Willie Smith beat Laurie Auchterlonie (of St. Andrews descent) in extra holes. The Western Open has been played in many places since its debut, including sites as far from Chicago (the hometown of the tournament) as Texas, Pennsylvania, and California.

2006 Buick Championship Preview

With both the Buick Championship and the U.S. Womens Open happening in the same week, its hard to imagine a better week for golf!

Buick Championship LogoConnecticut isn’t exactly regarded as a mainstay of professional athleticism. Their only professional sports team are the New England Seawolves, who compete in the AFL. Perhaps it is for this reason that the crowds go bananas for their very own PGA Tour stop. This year is sure to please the Connecticut crowds once again with more stellar play from the best touring professionals in the world.

Booz Allen Classic Preview

The Booz is back! Another quality tournament returns for our enjoyment.

Booz Allen Classic LogoWell, this week we can finally see some birdies! It may be hard to top last week’s final-hole theatrics, but the Booz Allen Classic has been known to provide some drama in its own right. Last year, the Swashbucklin’ Spaniard found a putter that actually worked for him and walked away with this event.

You may not see eight-inch rough, but you can bet on seeing some birdies this week!

Final Round of the 2006 U.S. Open

We’re live blogging the final round of the 2006 U.S. Open. Will Phil Mickelson rack up the third leg of a Mickelslam, or will someone else walk away with the trophy?

Geoff Ogilvy7:27 – Johnny Miller: “I’ve never seen such a finish in championship golf.”

7:11 – Phil plays the last two holes at the U.S. Open +3 to lose to 29-year-old Geoff Ogilvy.

7:07 – Phil runs his ball into the thick greenside rough from the bunker. I think I’ve seen a lot of miracles in my day, but holing out here may just top them all. It would top Tiger’s 16th-hole chip-in at the 2005 Masters. Barring this miracle, Geoff Ogilvy is the 2006 U.S. Open Champion.

7:05 – Johnny Miller: “Man, he [Phil] got a couple bad breaks on the lies, didn’t he?” Uhhmmm, no??? Only the two bunker shots in the last two holes.

7:03 – Phil hits his third shot into the greenside bunker. Par is virtually out of the question now. He has to get up and down to get into a playoff or Geoff Ogilvy will win the 2006 U.S. open. Johnny Miller again: “just crazy shot selection.”

2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Preview

The U.S. Open returns to Winged Foot in what is sure to be one fabulous championship.

Winged Foot U.S. Open LogoIt’s finally U.S. Open week. I’ve been waiting for this tourney for a long while now. In my humble opinion, the U.S. Open is the hardest test in golf. Sure, The Masters is very pretty, the British is very windy, and the PGA is very exciting, but none are as brutal and more complete a test of golf as the U.S. Open. I look forward to this week all year and can’t wait for the action to begin. Let’s get started with the breakdown.

2006 Barclays Classic Preview

The week before the U.S. Open is rarely attended by some golfers and always attended by others. Will this year share the drama we saw last year with Padraig’s final-hole eagle?

Memorial LogoThe thoughts on many golfer’s minds this week may not be the Barclays Classic, being that the event comes the week before the U.S. Open, an event known for its drama and history. However, the Barclays Classic has provided plenty of drama in its own right, and should not be overlooked. While the term divine intervention maybe be a little strong, the luck of the Irish was on Padraig Harrington’s side last year as he took his second career PGA Tour victory.