Sports: Faceoff at the U.S. Open

[AP photo]
Retief Goosen of South Africa reacts after missing a short par putt at the 18th green during the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

By BOB HARIG

TULSA, Okla. -- With the game's greatest player out of the way, those who would seize a major trophy in his rare absence didn't know what to do. How else do you explain the bumbling, stumbling finish Sunday at Southern Hills Country Club, where golf history must wait a day.

Tiger Woods was on his private jet back to Orlando, the 101st U.S. Open to be decided without him. And nobody wanted the prize.

It was there for Mark Brooks and Retief Goosen (re-TEEF WHO-sun), both of whom three-putted the 18th green, the 72nd hole of the tournament. Stewart Cink did, too, making double-bogey 6 to finish a shot back. The stunning 18th means Brooks and Goosen square off today in an 18-hole playoff, the 32nd in U.S. Open history and the first since Ernie Els won at Oakmont in 1994. Presumably, one of them will emerge victorious.

The consolation? Jean Van de Velde and Scott Hoch now have company in major-championship misery. "It's the saddest thing I've ever seen in watching sports," Bradenton's Paul Azinger said.

Goosen, ultimately, committed the biggest blunder. The South African, who shared the lead through each round of the tournament, hit a perfect 6-iron approach at the 466-yard finishing hole, leaving a 12-foot birdie putt.

Players dream about having a 12-putt to win the U.S. Open. Goosen had two putts from that distance and still couldn't get it done.

When Cink missed the green and was unable to get up and down for par, Goosen had destiny in his hands. Inexplicably, he hit his first putt past the hole, leaving a testy 2-footer.

He missed, barely grazing the hole.

"I hit the first putt through the break, I hit it too hard," Goosen said. "The second one, I can't explain why that putt went right on me. I made a good stroke on it. It just didn't go in."

Goosen finished with 1-over-par 71 to complete the 72-hole tournament at 276, 4 under par. Brooks shot 70. Today's winner receives $900,000.

Cink, who shared the third-round lead with Goosen, shot 72 to finish alone in third at 277. Rocco Mediate (72) was fourth, with Azinger (71) and Senior PGA Tour regular Tom Kite (64) tied for fifth.

Woods, attempting to win his fifth straight major, was unable to muster a charge, shooting 69 to tie for 12th. That left an opening for some major-starved players, and nobody seized the opportunity.

Phil Mickelson, the second-ranked player in the world, shot 75 and tied for seventh. David Duval, ranked sixth, shot 74 and tied for 16th. And Sergio Garcia, ranked eighth, shot 77 to tie for 12th.

Meanwhile, Brooks, ranked 195th in the world and without a victory since his win at the 1996 PGA Championship, was waging battle with Goosen, a four-time European tour winner who ranked 44th and has had little success in the United States.

Brooks came to the 18th hole tied for the lead at 5 under par, hit his approach on the green, then three-putted from 40 feet. His 8-footer for par hung on the lip and failed to drop. As it turned out, that would have won the tournament, although Brooks was feeling like the lucky one afterward.

"I didn't quite hit it hard enough," said Brooks, who retreated to the locker room to watch Cink and Goosen play the final hole. And when he saw Goosen's approach so close to the pin, he started cleaning out his locker.

"I figured it was over, no question," Brooks said. "And it probably should have been."

Cink birdied the 17th hole to pull into a tie with Goosen, setting up a final-hole battle. But when Cink missed the green with his approach, the advantage went to Goosen. Cink chipped to 15 feet, and figured he needed his par putt to force a playoff. When it just grazed the edge, Cink went to sleep on his 18-inch bogey putt. That cost him a spot in the playoff when Goosen three-putted.

"I can't explain it," said Cink, a two-time tour winner from Atlanta. "I felt a little bit shaky on it. It's tough to explain. And in the situation again, maybe I'll take a little more time. ... Just a strange thing."

Very strange. It brought back memories of Hoch missing a 2-foot putt in a sudden-death playoff at the 1989 Masters, where Nick Faldo prevailed on the next hole. Or Van de Velde squandering a three-shot advantage on the 72nd hole of the 1999 British Open, where he then lost in a playoff to Paul Lawrie.

"It was a great break for me," Brooks said.

"I'm not going to jump out of my hotel room or anything," Goosen said.

Good thing. He'd probably miss the pavement.

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