Lee has not got enough

[rgs]

If he takes a look at Harringtons 2006 US Open finish he can take som heart for the next few years.
If Harrington had parred the last three hoels in winged foot he would have won the US Open--however he shot three bogeys to finish a couple of shots away.

I still think he will get another chance to win a major-he is talented enough to win one.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I totally diasgree about "jumpy hands" and think that given the state of the tournament he went for a % bunker shot to give himself a chance rather than being too cute and doing a Bjorn and leaving it in their and costing himself a chance. I don't think the water was in his mind at all with the chip at 16 and just think he hit a poor shot at a bad time.

I don't actually think his shot on Thursday into the burn was a bad shot. I think the bigger error actually came from Woods who followed him in.

I think what a lot of people are fogetting is that a links round is far different to a normal final round on a USPGA lay out and that there are times when bogey is actually a good score. The fact that he was making putts and making par meant in reality he was keeping ahead of the game. The putt on 17 for eagle was a great effort and looking from the low shot it seemed certain to break and drop which would potentially have given him the belief to go on.

Bottler? Not in my book

 

[jammydodger]

I don't think the water was in his mind at all with the chip at 16 and just think he hit a poor shot at a bad time.

Caused by his worrying about overhitting his chip which he did on one of the previous holes

I don't actually think his shot on Thursday into the burn was a bad shot. I think the bigger error actually came from Woods who followed him in.

Agree with the Woods comment but how was Westwood duffing it short right not a bad shot when that was the one place not to be ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think over the course of 72 challenging holes you are focussing on two or three poorly executed shots. I think if you looked at all of the top players this week they all did the same thing but it seemed that Cink made more putts on the last day than anyone else.

 

[Ste_Denial]

He played very few poor shots all week but seemed to be more heavily punished than many others.

homers got it spot on here, IMO over the whole weekend he played the best golf but it just didnt happen for him.

as for him bottling it, no way the way he played that bunker shot at 18 showed that he wanted to win. Does he have what it takes to win a major? i think he does, and so does ross fisher. iv always liked how he plays but lately he has put some good performances in and people have take note.

 

[USER1999]

Bottled it, pure and simple. Will never win a big one.

 

[jammydodger]

I think over the course of 72 challenging holes you are focussing on two or three poorly executed shots. I think if you looked at all of the top players this week they all did the same thing but it seemed that Cink made more putts on the last day than anyone else.

Yes Homer I see what youre saying and the reason behind it...however...Westwood dropped 4 shots over the rounds on the 16th , purely because he couldnt bring himself to commit to the shot that was needed. For someone who played beautifully for the 15 holes before that it says he got nervous/negative/lost bottle or whatever you want to call it. Maybe it was one of those holes that just didnt sit right in his mind

 

[brendy]

Bottled it, pure and simple. Will never win a big one.

I think we need to remember that out of 155 or so players, only one can win it and every other one will have stories of where they lost it. Unfortunatley the light only seems to focus on those in the top ten, what about the Tigers and Garcias of this competition? just because they were out of the running towards the end, nothing is said? surely they are bigger bottlers as they couldnt even get near the finish line intact.

 

[Molly]

You're right Brendy (happy buffday big man), got to be in it to win it...Westwood was, the other big names were left wanting.

It was Westwood's to lose and unfortunately, he did just that. I am gutted, but I bet he feels a touch worse!

The difference in winning it came down to small fractions in the last 4 holes.

On the 15th, he hit 7iron and it took a big bounce and went in the bunker. An indifferent bunker shot followed and a missed putt. In the next group, both Watson and Goggin hit the same club, landed in almost the same spot on the green and Watson stayed short getting a par, whilst Goggin played the hole in carbon-copy of Westwood - same bunker, same shot out, same putt missed in same place...matter of inches in the landing area and it would all have been different.

On 16, he played it poorly all week. He did tug the approach shot left and played a Molly-style chip back towards the water, but then a matter of millimetres from making the par putt.

On 17, he gave himself an eagle putt and again missed by a fraction.

On 18, he played a good tee shot down the middle...I think he got unlucky as he had about 60 yards of run and eventually fell into the bunker. You could argue he should have played further right, but a bounce an inch either way of where it did and the bunker would have been missed.

As for bottling it, I am not having that. On the tee at 18, he could see Watson was just over the green in 2, so expected birdie and knew he'd be one behind. Hit a good tee shot and got unlucky. Still wanted to win, so hit an absolutely stunning shot, clearing the lip by a couple of inches to hit the green and give himself a chance. Then Watson hits a solid tee shot and he's thinking a par will follow - exactly what I'd have been thinking. So not wanting to die wondering, he had a blast at it...too hard maybe, but he wasn't going to leave it short. The return missed, but he probably thought it was over by then. I don't think many top players in that position would have lagged it and hoped for the leader to drop a shot, that's not very positive.

I did not expect Watson to make a bogey on the last, but when he did, it becomes easy to criticise Westwood for not being more negative. Can't do it myself, though I can't help thinking he'd have given Cink a good run for his money in the playoff.

Hope he gets another chance soon.

 

[USER1999]

You see I did expect Watson to bogey the last, and I definately knew if he left a 6 footer he would miss it. His putting had been poor all day from that range. I guess I had the advantage of seeing Watson on telly, where as Westy had to judge from the leader board, but Watson's putting has been suspect for ages, it is common knowledge.
But also, how many of us have tried to cram a long putt, hit it miles past and said those immortal words 'well, it had to go in'. Well, how often does it? Especially when hit that hard? No, to me the correct thing was to ensure a 2 putt, and see what happened. Yes, the bunker shot was fantastic, but it was an easier shot, as it was a full one. The nerves kick in on the chips and putts. Bottled, well and truly.

And as for the big names who missed the cut? Well, to bottle it, you have to be in contention. They just played poorly, simple as.

 

[Faldo_Fan]

Regarding Westwood.....if anyone should have a fire lit under there arse it should be Mark Roe "short game guru"!!!

Westwoods chipping is and always has been shocking, for a tour pro and someone ranked in the top 50 in the world his touch around the greens is rubbish. Mark Roe was bought in to change that.....he must of hidden behind his sofa yesterday!!!!

luckily Westwood is an awesome lag putter normally (18th excluded).

I believe he didn't look at the score boards on 18 or didn't think -2 was low enough, hence him having a run at the first put on 18!!!

 

[muttleee]

what about the Tigers and Garcias of this competition? just because they were out of the running towards the end, nothing is said? surely they are bigger bottlers as they couldnt even get near the finish line intact.

But 'bottling it' by definition means losing it when the pressure's on. Garcia and Woods didn't play well at all so can't be accused of buckling under the pressure.

When Garcia went out in the last pair with Woods at Hoylake, he made a pig's ear of the front nine (4 over) after a great round on Saturday that really put him into contention. Then when he was far enough back that he had no chance of winning, he began to play well again. That's a true case of 'bottling it', if you ask me.

 

[RGDave]

Regarding Westwood.....if anyone should have a fire lit under there arse it should be Mark Roe "short game guru"!!!

Westwoods chipping is and always has been shocking, for a tour pro and someone ranked in the top 50 in the world his touch around the greens is rubbish. Mark Roe was bought in to change that.....he must of hidden behind his sofa yesterday!!!!

Well spotted. How embarrassing is it for your "pupil" to still be struggling so badly?

 

[USER1999]

Yeah, but you can only work with what you have, and it is Westys temperament that is the issue, not technique. I bet on the practice ground Roe's coaching has made a difference, but on the course? Under pressure? I think not. You can't make steel from plasticine.

 

[Parmo]

I like Westwood, I just think he is quite weak in the sand and should have played for the cash not the glory and ended up in the play off which I am sure he would have beaten them both, but as the stats say he was the best player of the week (FIR 80%+, highest in GIR) but just didnt have the luck of some.

Its the same for Garcia, last season it seemed his putting had returned and into this season but thats dropped off and his overall game is excellent but such a poor putter.

 

[freddielong]

I don't think you can say he bottled it he played the last very aggressively (to aggresive) in his head he had to make 3 and went for it and missed - He has the game to win majors and I think he will

 

[USER1999]

But that putt at the last was so stupid. There is no way it would have gone in at that speed, even if it had hit the hole. It was either a rush of blood, or mental melt down. Why does hitting a putt harder enhance your chances of holing it? On a 6 footer, where you can take the break out may be, but on a 60 footer, no way. This is an elementary mistake a pro shouldn't make, and if he is in this situation again, I believe he will mess it up again. He won't win a major, he hasn't got it.

 

[Molly]

Come off it Murph, it was a60ft putt! He hit it hard to make sure he wasn't short, not to take a break out of it! In his mind at the time, he was thinking that he needed a 3 to get in a play off, so lagging up short would not have been good enough. And from 60ft, an extra ounce of power could equate to 10ft past, as it did here. Very positive play, just didn't work out.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. So is the TV and as you mentioned previously, you had the benefit of seeing that Watson was not doing the business with the putter on Sunday. Westwood had to rely on his instinct and the available information - leaderboard, conditions, sight of Watson in A1 position on the last. It was a tough wind, so who's to say that Watson's dropped shots were not a result of missing greens rather than putts? All that added up in Westwood's mind to needing a 3. I think he was right at that moment. As it turned out, a few moments later, a 4 would have done.

He will win a major...for sure.

 

[HogansAlley]

I love Westwood but I agree with Murph. He won't win a major, you can see it in his eyes. He was the best player at the 2008 US Open too, where did it get him? Some people have it, some don't. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[davidlegge1]

Lee Westwood made ONE bad swing in the last four holes - his 2nd to 16. His tee shot at 15, like many others (Goggin, Goosen etc) was a marginal misjudgement, quite different to 'bottling' it.
His putts at 16 and 17 were excellent, and could easily have made Watson's mistake academic. As for his bunker shot on 18!!! If you ever go to Turnberry stand next to that trap and wonder at how he made the green - the best shot of this and MANY Open's.

If you think Westwood bottled it you don't know much about golf....

In my bag:
Driver - Titleist I think? Maybe Taylor Made 375J or something?
Irons - not sure - Dunlop something or other circa 1993
Putter - 15 year old Ping Pal.

H'Cap 2.7