People would have thought you were nuts if you had predicted either to win on the Tuesday before the event.

Which was a bigger surprise Major victory?  Hilary Homeyer in the U.S. Open or Ben Curtis in The Open Championship?

I'll go with Hilary Homeyer Lunke.  The shallow depth of field (comparatively) for women's golf cuts both ways.  Sure, she's a far inferior player to Sorenstam, Pak, or Webb, but she also had to beat fewer wonderful players.

I'll take her because her college and amateur success actually cooled off after her sophomore year at Stanford.  While Curtis hadn't done any more than she had as a professional, I always felt he was a guy who hadn't achieved his successes YET - while it sure looked like Hilary may not ever have professional accomplishments to point to.

You can make a good argument either way.  Any thoughts?  Both are shocking victories.

(Also, Homeyer had an extra day to blow it if you are taking into account HOW they each won.)

My vote is for Lunke as well. The way she stood up in the last group gets the nod to me.

I enjoyed Ben's a little more, though.

The question was surprise, not who pulled the bigger upset.

To me, those are different questions.

Sorry to disappoint, Jaks.

With the Tuesday qualifier in the original hypothesis it would seem even. But how about Saturday night or even all day sunday. In the Womens' Lunke was in position, her shorter ball made you wonder how and why she got there in the first place. But Sunday at the open, noone (even Curtis Strange didn't give the guy a chance as the guy walked up to the 72nd green. So, I'd have to say Ben Curtis was a much bigger surprise because it happened so suddenly. Now, they both owe alot to their respective caddies.

Shivas -

Look at the "RSG Weaknesses" thread - DM referenced a few of you guys there.

You guys almost have me convinced - maybe Curtis was the bigger surprise.

I think if he had been in the last group & drained that putt, I would be dead convinced. But he posted that score without the pressure of knowing what was happening behind him....

Let me think a bit more.

Seems like consensus here is that Curtis was a bigger surprise.

How 'bout this for a shocker?  The three in the playoff for the women were all AMERICAN!  That's the biggest surprise of all.

(It's okay, Hee Won Han came right back with a win.)

Lunke,  is the biggest surprise.

She is the Corey Pavin of women's golf.  She beared down and put all of her skills together to make one special week.  She shot 80 and something like a 74 in qualifying to make it by one.  She went out at the U.S. open and played the best golf of her life.  I am sorry to say but I believe we might never hear from her again.

Now Curtis is also a surprise.  But the difference between the 400th player in the world and the 1st is really quite small when you look at the whole picture.  Somebody reported that Tiger on average would have beat Ben Curtis by an average of 13.6 shots over 4 days.  Ben had a great week but the difference between Ben Curtis and Tiger Woods is less than what's between Hillary Lunke and Annika Sorenstam.  What people forget is that at one time Ben was the top am in the country.  

And Ben is a very good player and the main reason we probably have not heard of him is because he is a young pro.  It's hard for a lot of people to change to the lifestyle of the pgatour.  New golf courses, new hotels, lots of flying, new everything every week.  And how he has to adjust again as Open Champion.  

Ben Curtis looks more like a major champion than Hillary Lunke.

Darren --

Rick has this one right.

His putt was for a CHANCE to win the British Open. And he didn't know that. And that made it immeasurably less difficult than if he'd known: Make it or go home!

You've got the tape. Look at his face after he makes the putt on 18. That face is saying: Well, close but no cigar; I gave it my best shot. At least that's what I saw.  

Isn't Curtis one of the biggest upsets in sports history? To win in his first major is insane, beyond even Daly at Crooked Stick, though driving all night with a bottle of Jack to make the tee time is a pretty good story. My guess is you have to go back to Francis Ouimet winning the US Open to get a bigger upset.

I have to give a nod to JakaB on the Lunke story as great as it was. Half that field was teenagers it seemed, they may be the future of women's golf but until multiple 13 yr old's stop qualifying the depth of that field has to be questioned.