[Jay Flemma]

I'm curious whether you Aussies think Geoff's chip in at 17 will be as huge in Australia as Watson's chip in at the '82 Open is here?

[Tom Huckaby]

Can Americans answer based on how it will be seen everywhere except Australia?

I'm guessing most Aussies will see it as better than Watson's.  But they also will be inherently biased.    And remember, not all Americans see Watson's as reverently as you seem to.

Interesting, I was discussing exactly this with a friend this morning.  My feeling is it won't go down with Watson's pin-breaker or other all-time great major-winning shots, for the simple reason that at the time it was struck, no one, including even Ogilvy himself, thought it was anything but a curiousity that would help Ogilvy finish 2nd or 3rd.  Sure take it away and of course he doesn't win... And of course he surely was trying to make it... But it wasn't like the others, which were struck with full knowledge of the implications.

I really think it's gonna go down as an interesting sidebar to Mickelson's collapse, which will also overshadow Monty's and the lesser gags of Furyk and Harrington.

Nope.  The 2006 Open will be forever known as Lefty's Lament... or something like that.  Hell in 5 years people won't even remember that Ogilvy won the damn thing.  Which is a shame... he surely is a deserving winner... but that's kinda how history gets written, at least in the mind of the public.

TH

[Chris Kane]

Not even close.  I think what will be remembered was how he got himself out of jail on the last three holes, brilliantly, while everyone else imploded.

[Tom Huckaby]

Chris/Jay - I'm also thinking both his pitch and his putt on 18 were BETTER / more clutch than the chip-in on 17.  On 18, he knew better what was needed... he also got two really bad breaks on the drive and approach on 18... A lesser man would have said screw it, the gods are against me... I thought it was VERY impressive how he made that difficult pitch and canned that putt, while all around him folded.

Gotta love the guy too, btw.  All class in interviews/post-mortems.

TH

[Mark_F]

Jay,

It will be even bigger.

Geoff's was all class.

Watson's was all arse...

Still, it would have been nicer if Geoff was wearing a purple shirt and lemon cream trousers to complete the effort. Then he might make the cover of the Women's mags as well as the daily rags.

[Anthony Butler]

Chris/Jay - I'm also thinking both his pitch and his putt on 18 were BETTER / more clutch than the chip-in on 17.  On 18, he knew better what was needed... he also got two really bad breaks on the drive and approach on 18... A lesser man would have said screw it, the gods are against me... I thought it was VERY impressive how he made that difficult pitch and canned that putt, while all around him folded.

Gotta love the guy too, btw.  All class in interviews/post-mortems.

TH

Tom, I would agree with you in terms of what image will be replayed in Australia. It will be the pitch and putt on 18. It must have occurred to Ogilvy at the time that an up and down would at least get him the clubhouse lead... and after watching Monty go down in flames in front of him, who knows? Soaking all that up, plus the two bad breaks... and then getting it up and down. That's clutch.

Still it can't match the setting, and the passing of the torch implications that Watson's chip-in carried at Pebble. That shot actually won him the US Open.

Visit the link below for the Australian media perspective on things, including some interesting quotes from some past Australian major champs. A couple of things of interest. Peter Thompson's thoughts on GO. No Norman quote. And the last round wasn't even scheduled for free to air TV.

Shocking.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/golf/miracle-at-winged-foot/2006/06/19/1150701484281.html

[Tom Huckaby]

Anthony - I concur that in no way does Ogilvy's up and down measure up with Watson's flagstick-cracker.  One went in, the other took two shots.  Had Ogilvy holed his third, we would have had a new all-time best... my point was more that in terms of clutch, what he did on 18 exceed what he did on 17.  Of course without the heroics on 17, 18 wouldn't have mattered... but I still put a lot of stock in knowing what's absolutely needed and absolutely at stake and then making it happen.

BTW, are you getting the idea I am having a very hard time praising Watson?  Nicklaus fan here, and that shot broke my heart more than any other I've ever witnessed.

Interesting stuff from Aussie media, also... and re pay TV, well... that's going to be our reality at some point soon enough.  

[Tim Pitner]

Geoff Ogilvy is the best player in the world?  Come on now, Peter Thomson.  I like Ogilvy and think he's a great player, certainly a legitimate top 10-20 player in the world.  But, he's not at that other level yet.  Certainly not because he won the Match Play.  Look at some of the names on that list--Maggert, Stricker, Sutherland.  With that said, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Ogilvy wins more majors.  And then, people will remember he won the 2006 US Open.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim - I also read a nice article on ESPN.com that plainly stated Phil Mickelson is the current best player in the world, even AFTER yesterday.

Nowhere is the question more relevant than in golf:  what have you done for me lately?

 

Heck, we can excuse Thommo.  He's a fine Aussie patriot.  Good on' him, I say.

Anyway, good point re Ogilvy and the future.. I too wouldn't be surprised if he won more majors.  But if he doesn't, then this really goes down as Lefty's Collapse long-term.

[A.G._Crockett]

Tom H., you're right.

In years to come, the question "Who won the U.S. Open the year that Phil Mickelson made double bogey on the 72nd hole to lose?" will be a great trivia question, even among golfers UNLESS Ogilvy becomes a consistent winner over the years.  

That to me is the unfortunate thing about setting up a course so that +5 will win.  The memories become much more about who screwed up than who succeeded, and that's not good year in and year out.

[Anthony Butler]

Anthony - I concur that in no way does Ogilvy's up and down measure up with Watson's flagstick-cracker...  Nicklaus fan here, and that shot broke my heart more than any other I've ever witnessed.

A bit greedy aren't you? Nicklaus had already won 4 US Opens.. Interesting that both shots were on 17 and would have left interesting par putts if they had not gone in. Watson's shot had a higher degree of difficulty though... I was a huge Tom Watson fan at the time... actually applied for a golf scholarship to Stanford that year... Went off him after his remarks about Bill Murray at the AT&T which made him sound like a uptight jerk.

The way it looked on TV Ogilvy pitched his shot on 18 to the left expecting the spin & slope to take it towards the hole. I am sure he has tour grooves on his vokey 60 but that shot with Phil's Mack Daddy 64 would have probably gone in. Only two other people could be relied upon to pull off a shot of that quality considering the circumstances. One was watching at home in Florida and the other was bouncing around in the trees about 200 yds away.

[James Bennett]

Geoff Ogilvy is the best player in the world?  Come on now, Peter Thomson.  I like Ogilvy and think he's a great player, certainly a legitimate top 10-20 player in the world.  But, he's not at that other level yet.  Certainly not because he won the Match Play.  Look at some of the names on that list--Maggert, Stricker, Sutherland.  With that said, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Ogilvy wins more majors.  And then, people will remember he won the 2006 US Open.  

I haven't read the link quoted above, but have seen Peter Thomson's quotes in our local Adelaide (Australia) paper.  The quote I saw says Peter Thompson regards Geoff Ogilvy as having the sweetest, smoothest and least flogging ( ) swing of the players involved - not the best player!

James B

[Kevin Pallier]

James

The SMH link does quote Thomson as suggesting Ogilvy as the # 1 player in the world after winning the recent World Tour matchplay and US Opens ?!? He's on a good run but I wouldn't go that far. Mickelsons form despite yesterday's histronics would suggest he's presently pushing Tiger for that spot.

To answer the original Q - maybe in Geoff's mind it might be but I Watsons chip in was "miraculous" to say the least. He was chasing Nicklaus' clubhouse score whereas Ogilvy I would suggest was more thinking about trying to post one.

I would suggest under the conditions the odds of Watson's chip going in would be much higher than Geoff's on # 17.

Damn good win though by the Aussie though - as the old saying goes - anything can happen in golf....

[Chris Kane]

I've lost count of the number of times Thomson has come out and labelled a player after the fact.  I didn't hear him mention Ogilvy before this week!

[James Bennett]

Kevin Pallier

The article from The Advertiser (a News/Murdoch paper) is attached.  I shall read the other link, but this one empahasises the rythmic nature of his swing and the anti-slogging nature of his swing.  I don't see a reference to him being the best golfer in the world.

James B

edit - just checked the SMH link, and yes, definitely in Thomo's view, Ogilvy is the best player in the world (as the winner of a stroke-play and match-play title).  Well, I hope Peter Thomson is ahead of his time, and is proven accurate in his view.

From The Advertiser, p92, 20 June 2006

What a swinger

20jun06
FIVE-TIMES British Open champion Peter Thomson believes new U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy has the world's best golf swing.

And he described the 29-year-old's one-shot victory over American stars Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk and Scot Colin Montgomerie yesterday as "heroic".

Thomson said the key to Ogilvy's win at Winged Foot was his flawlessly repetitive swing which stood up to immense pressure as his great rivals faltered.

Thomson, Australia's most astute judge of golfing talent, watched Ogilvy carefully throughout the tournament and was impressed with the way he was able to sustain his metronomic swing.

"He's matured greatly in the last year and he's now just about the best swinger we've got in the whole game of golf," Thomson said.

 
 
 
 
 
 


"It was revealed on the last day of the U.S. Open.

"Of all the players there he was the only one with a rhythmic swing that didn't change.

"The nearer he got to winning, the smoother he got and it's proved again that rhythm swinging will always beat that slogging."

[mike_beene]

Reminds me more of Trevino on 17 at Muirfield with Jacklin.He is the real deal.My mother knows his wifes family and thinks a lot of them.I learned a long time ago that she never misses on character.

[Danny Goss]

Tom H., you're right.

In years to come, the question "Who won the U.S. Open the year that Phil Mickelson made double bogey on the 72nd hole to lose?" will be a great trivia question, even among golfers UNLESS Ogilvy becomes a consistent winner over the years.  
 

I hope I get that question in a trivia quiz because I sure wont forget the answer - and  neither will a lot of other Aussie golf fans!

[Jay Flemma]

I kinda liked geoff's shirt!

Wait'll you guys see the two I'm pullin out for the buda cup.

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