LYTHAM ST ANNES, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Ernie Els of South Africa reacts to a birdie putt on the 12th hole during the final round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club on July 22, 2012 in Lytham St Annes, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
25 Total Updates since July 22, 2012
10 months ago Article 0 comments
Adam Scott is too polite to blame his caddie for his own British Open meltdown, but he comes darn close to pointing the finger at Steve Williams.
10 months ago Article 0 comments
Tiger Woods continues his strong play in 2012 by a respectable third place finish at the British Open, and now occupies second place in the Official World Golf Rankings.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Nobody knew Ernie Els was going to win his second British Open until Adam Scott missed his second-to-last putt, sealing his fourth straight bogey and handing the Claret Jug over to the Big Easy. The Big Easy's win was just the end of the story. Here's the full one, in .GIF and video form:
Rory McIlroy didn't have a great tournament, and must have felt even worse than his scorecard after beaning this fan in the gallery with his ball.
Phil Mickelson was bad for two days and home for the weekend at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's, as evidenced above when he was searching for his iron shot on Thursday.
As bad as Phil was, Tiger was just as impressive, firmly in contention heading into the weekend, thanks to this wonderful shot on 18.
via @SI_Golf, this golf fan had the world smitten on Saturday.
Tiger's tournament was looking promising on Day 3, when he was sinking putts like above. That all came to a screeching halt on Sunday...
... when Woods' contention ended abruptly after finding himself in a bunker and triple-bogeying the hole. He was sniffing Adam Scott's coattails, but this ended his pursuit. Thank goodness this was so much funnier than the U.S. Open collapse
Adam Scott's anguish, in video form. After bogeying four straight holes to relinquish his three-shot lead, it's a wonder he was able to keep it together. This is a man clearly in shock though. I wouldn't have wanted to be a can of Foster's near the Australian last night.
Finally, Ernie's victory speech, complete with Canada zinger.
For a complete British Open leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
One of the few things better than Ernie Els's great comeback at the 2012 British Open in Sunday's final round was the meaty chunk of his speech shortly after winning. During said speech, he went from making the crowd chuckle at Canada's expense to giving praise to Nelson Mandela for uniting his native South Africa as quick as a wink.
Els on Canada, sort of:
I want to try and come and see (my family in London) this evening. I was supposed to go to Canada, but I think I'm going to blow that thing off. I'll have to come see you guys, and maybe get to Canada on Tuesday.
Els was referring to the RBC Canadian Open, which begins Thursday in Ancaster, Ontario.
He immediately went on to thank Mandela.
"I've got to thank, obviously, first of all, you know, President Mandela, who's been such a great influence in our country. We have been truly blessed to have a man like President Mandela take us through a very difficult time in our country. And everybody now, we can see the success of the country, now, and it's only because of President Mandela.
Comments like those are part of what has made Els one of the most beloved golfers in the world.
For a complete British Open leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Adam Scott is going to be thinking about how close he was to winning the 2012 British Open for some time to come — at least, he'll be thinking about that until he does, in fact, win a major. Seeing that his name was literally on a medal will probably not help him stop thinking about it.
Scott's four bogeys over his final four holes paved the way for Ernie Els to take his second career British Open, but the narrative of the 2012 Open Championship may well be Scott's staggering collapse.
Scott has 18 professional titles, seven wins coming on the PGA Tour and eight on the European Tour, and has four top-10s in his last seven majors. Scott's career will be defined by his performance in majors, however, as the careers of so many talented golfers are — and his arc is beginning to look a lot like that of fellow star-crossed Aussie Greg Norman.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Adam Scott bogeyed his final four holes Sunday to give Ernie Els the win at the 2012 British Open. Scott's collapse was a costly one. He will take home €656,864, or roughly $600,000 less than Els earned (€1,136,880) for winning the tournament.
The purse at the tournament was the same as 2011, with $7,745,085 being divvied up among the competitors. Over $1.4 million went to Els as he won the second Open Championship of his career.
Here is how the money breaks down for the top of the leaderboard:
1. Ernie Els: $1,413,569
2. Adam Scott: $808,069
T3. Brandt Snedeker: $520,583 (€423,172)
T3. Tiger Woods: $520,583
T5. Luke Donald: $326,376 (€265,272)
T5. Graeme McDowell: $326,376
T7. Nicholas Colsaerts: $239,830 (€195,796)
T7. Thomas Aiken: $239,830
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Adam Scott had a four-shot lead entering the final day of the 2012 British Open, and a four-shot lead over Ernie Els with four holes to play. And yet, after a monumental collapse, Els claimed the Claret Jug, leaving Scott to deal with the aftermath of another failed attempt to win his first major.
Scott, known for his gorgeous swing and titanic putter, moved to 10-under with his second birdie of the day and 17th of the Open Championship on the par-3 14th hole. But then his accuracy, so good all tournament, deserted him, and he started spraying shots.
Forced to recover from one poor shot after another, Scott made four straight bogeys to finish his round, finishing with an incredibly painful two-putt on the 18th hole. After hitting into a bunker off the tee, Scott recovered smartly, chipping out of it and hitting an approach to within 10 feet to give himself a par putt to force a playoff.
But that putt trickled just left of the hole, ensuring a bogey and Els' victory. Instantly, Scott dropped to a squat, grimacing at another chance gone by.
Scott has never won a major championship, and has long been seen as one of golf's finest players to never do so. His failure to come through in the clutch at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on this Sunday means he'll hold that dubious distinction for at least a little while longer.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Adam Scott entered the final round of the British Open on Sunday with a score of 11-under, looking as if he was going to cruise to victory without much of a challenge. Scott's clubs had other plans, however, as Scott found ways to falter down the stretch and did the work of shortening the gap for the other golfers in the field.
Scott opened the day with a bogey, then picked up two more bogeys through the first six holes of the course. With Ernie Els on his heels, Scott picked up a birdie on No. 14, looking like he'd recover and pull away again, but wound up picking up bogeys on the next two holes as Els tied for the lead at 7-under. On hole No. 17, Scott was able to land a tough shot to keep himself in the hunt but couldn't hold on and finished up with his third bogey in a row.
Scott finished up the day shooting a 5-over with a 6-under overall, surrendering the lead to Els after leading through much of the week.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Adam Scott entered the final day of the 2012 British Open with a four-stroke lead over Graeme McDowell. Like much of the field, he has fallen back on a windy day, however, and is now at 4-over through 17 holes, and 7-under overall. Ernie Els finished his day of regulation golf 2-under, and currently sits in the clubhouse tied with Scott atop the leaderboard.
Scott has shot bogey on his last three consecutive holes to set up a potential playoff assuming he can save par on No. 18 at Royal Lytham. That's hardly a given considering his current frazzled state.
Tiger Woods finished his day at 3-over and 2-under overall for the tournament. Brandt Snedeker tied Woods, shooting 4-over.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Things are starting to (finally) get interesting in the final round of the 2012 British Open. Leader Adam Scott, who began the day with a four-shot lead over Graeme McDowell at 11-under, has now fallen to 8-under par for the tournament after recording consecutive bogies on holes No. 15 and 16 at Royal Lytham.
Ernie Els has answered the call in response to Scott's troubles, making birdie at his final hole to reach 7-under par, and is now only one shot back of the lead. Scott is currently playing no. 17 and will likely face more pressure than he ever has in his major tournament career.
Scott will need to rely on caddie Steve Williams' major tournament experience to remain calm these final two holes if he hopes to win his first career major.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
A smooth swinger who has had trouble with his putter throughout his career is in great position at the 2012 British Open. Actually, there are two of them: Ernie Els turned in a great final round capped by a beautiful birdie on his 18th hole, and has cut Adam Scott's lead to one stroke.
Els found the green in regulation on No. 18 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, then buried a 15-foot birdie putt to finish a final round 68, the best round of the day by anyone who started remotely near Scott's lead. Els now sits at 7-under for the Open Championship as the clubhouse leader — and will be in another British Open playoff if scores hold.
Scott bogeyed his 17th hole after a poor approach led to a two-putt, and enters the 72nd hole of his tournament at 7-under and tied with Els.
Els has already won and lost British Opens in playoffs: in 2002, he outlasted three other golfers on the first extra hole after the traditional four could not determine a winner and took his third major; in 2004, Todd Hamilton defeated him by a stroke over four holes.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 2 comments
The Big Easy is making noise in the final round of the 2012 British Open.
Entering the day six strokes off the lead, Ernie Els is currently in second place at 6-under par, now just three strokes behind Adam Scott.
With many of the other golfers on the first page of the leaderboard having a difficult round, Els' three birdies on the back nine have thrust him into serious contention for the Claret Jug.
Els, who won the 2002 Open Championship and has 12 top-10 finishes for the tournament, may be the guy sitting in the clubhouse either as the leader or a stroke or two off the lead, patiently waiting for the remaining golfers to slip up and leave him as the last man standing.
He's currently the only golfer in contention whose final round is under par.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 1 comment
Innovations like the shot tracker that ESPN uses for golf are supposed to make following, understanding, and enjoying sports simpler. Putting Graeme McDowell's wayward hook on a shot tracker made following it easier, and McDowell will surely understand why, but he's not going to enjoy seeing it. At all.
This was McDowell's second shot from the fairway on the par-5 11th hole. It went left, and then left, and then left some more; it was like the Noam Chomsky of golf shots.
McDowell couldn't find the ball, took an unplayable lie, retook a fairway shot (it, too, went left) and ended up making bogey on the hole. He has had just about as poor a day at the British Open as Tiger Woods, who, if you'll remember, smacked a bunker shot off the wall of the bunker and then took a shot with his leg on the ground en route to a triple bogey.
McDowell is 4-over for Sunday's final round and has fallen to 3-under for the tournament, six shots back of Adam Scott.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 1 comment
Play has been difficult at the 2012 British Open today, as you could tell by noted golf enthusiast Brandt Snedeker's reaction to his missed par putt on hole No. 11:
Snedeker is currently playing hole No. 12 and is now at 3-under for the tournament, six shots behind leader Adam Scott.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
As the leaders of the 2012 British Open make their turn towards the back nine, there's probably not a single player that's terribly happy with their play.
Of the current top ten players on the leaderboard, only Luke Donald, who is tied for seventh with two other golfers, is under par on his round today.
But he's only 1-under on the day and 2-under for the tournament. He's not even really in contention.
Whether it's Adam Scott unable to make putts, Brandt Snedeker unable to handle the pressure of the final day of a major championship, or Tiger Woods making enemies with Royal Lytham bunkers, no player in any of the final groups is stepping up their game through the first nine holes.
It's very common to see the leaders come back to the field on Sundays of major championships. The pin placements get tougher, the greens a bit faster, the pressure a bit more real; but at this point nobody is going to run away with this tournament, and the Claret Jug may be awarded to the player who either screws up the least, or finds a way to start putting together a string of birdies on the back nine.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Tournament play has reached the final nine holes of the 2012 British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and Adam Scott still maintains his lead over the pack.
Scott, who began the day at 11-under par, has dropped a few shots in his opening nine holes and is now at 9-under for the tournament. Playing partner Graeme McDowell has also struggled slightly today, dropping two shots on his opening nine leaving him at 5-under and four shots back of the lead.
Tiger Woods has certainly struggled throughout the day as well, dropping two shots of his own and now finds himself at 4-under for the tournament and five shots behind Scott. Playing partner Brandt Snedeker and former major winner Ernie Els are tied for third place with Woods.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Something odd happened to the golf ball of British Open leader Adam Scott as he prepared to chip the ball onto the seventh-hole green.
Scott, who after taking a few practice swings and assessing the undulations in front of him, returned back to his ball, ready to address and hit... then a ghost or something came through.
Thankfully for Scott, a modification to an existing rule prevented him from being penalized.
We'll spare you all the fine print, but basically because Scott had yet to address his ball (put his clubface behind the ball in preparation to hit the shot), he was not penalized for the ball moving.
In previous years, he would have been assessed a one-shot penalty, and probably would have been pretty peeved.
Despite the better lie and no penalty, Scott was unable to get up and down for birdie on the par five, and had to settle for par, but it could of course have been much worse and much more dramatic.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Tiger Woods' chances at winning the 2012 British Open plummeted with his triple bogey on the sixth hole. But if he can harness more of the old magic, like he did on his chip-in birdie on the seventh, he might yet make a run.
Woods laid up on the par 5 seventh, then flew his approach shot over the green to a fringe area. He made up for it with a brilliant chip that stayed low and dribbled in, both getting a stroke back after misplaying the hole prior lost him three and preventing himself from having to putt, which has been somewhat problematic this week.
Woods' birdie puts him right where he was at the beginning of Sunday's final round: five shots back of leader Adam Scott.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Tiger Woods was in contention in a major and wearing his traditional Sunday red. But through five holes, his round had been profoundly boring.
Then he found a bunker on the sixth hole.
Attempting to chip a ball sitting just inches away from a steep rivet, Woods found his ball move backwards on this third shot, as he jutted out of the way to avoid being hit by it as it ricocheted off the bunker wall.
In his next shot, still in the bunker but in perhaps an even more precarious lie, Woods found himself on his hands and knees, forced to hit the ball sideways to the edge of the green.
From there, his 30-foot bogey putt missed short, and his double-bogey putt lipped out, resulting in an embarrassing triple-bogey for the world's most recognizable golfer.
When it was all said and done, Woods fell seven shots off the lead to 3-under par.
"His hopes for a 15th major championship...have now been dashed," ESPN commentator Sean McDonough proclaimed as Woods sulked his way to the seventh tee box.
Gulp.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Adam Scott has made his first mistake of the day at the 2012 British Open, and it came on his very first hole.
Leading the tournament by four shots going into today's final round at 11-under, Scott narrowly missed a five-foot putt for par on the par-3 first hole, causing him to drop a shot and fall to 10-under. Playing partner Graeme McDowell made par and remains at 7-under, but is now only three shots back.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods (6-under) is playing his second hole of the day and saved par after an outstanding bunker shot that saw Woods taking a difficult lie and leaving himself two feet for par. Woods has clearly decided to play more aggressively today, having hit a 3-wood off the second tee for the first time all week.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
Playing with Brandt Snedeker in his final round of the 2012 British Open, Tiger Woods has begun the final charge to capture his 15th major by attempting to catch leader Adam Scott at 11-under par.
Woods begins his day in fourth place and a full five shots behind Scott at 6-under par for the tournament. Prior to teeing off, Woods was spotted on the driving range working on different shots with his driver, possibly alluding to a more aggressive game plan for his final round. He has routinely played irons off most teeboxes in his previous three rounds, prompting questions about his ability to catch Scott.
Woods has tapped in for par on his first hole and now moves to the difficult par-4 second hole. Leader Adam Scott prepares to begin his round at 9:30 a.m. EST.
10 months ago Article 0 comments
Tiger Woods has executed his British Open game plan almost flawlessly, but he's still five shots off the lead heading into Sunday's finale.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
The 2012 Open Championship in Lancashire is nearly at an end. On Sunday, the fourth and final round will get under way. Adam Scott is hoping to hold on to his lead in the tournament, while Brandt Snedeker, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods are all in the hunt. The event will start very early for those of us who hope to watch live in the U.S.
While the round of play begins teeing off at around 2 a.m. ET, the television coverage will begin at 6 a.m. ET on ESPN. Early live coverage will be shown on ESPN until 1:30 p.m. ET.
At 3:00 p.m. ET, the end of play will be televised nationally on ABC and continue until a winner has been crowned.
You can watch live streaming coverage via WatchESPN, aka ESPN3.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
If you go into the final day of a major championship with a four-shot advantage, then you're liable to be the betting favorite. And if you were Adam Scott, who takes a four-shot lead into Sunday at the 2012 British Open, you would be the overwhelming betting favorite to take home your first major championship.
Scott's 11-under performance through his first 54 holes has made him a -175 favorite to finish on top at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, which would give the Aussie his first major in his 11th year of playing all four in a season.
Bettors less confident in Scott might want to wager on the folks following him who have hoisted trophies before: Graeme McDowell's four shots back and +400 to win the Claret Jug, and Tiger Woods' five-shot deficit translates to a +500 line.
And if you really want value, riding Brandt Snedeker (+1500) and hoping for a scintillating Sunday from a player who made no bogeys in his first 40 holes this week makes some sense, as does betting on the field, which comes with a +2500 line.
Here's a list of odds for the top 10 players heading into Sunday's final round of the 2012 British Open, via Sportsbook.ag.
Adam Scott (11-under): -175
Graeme McDowell (7-under): +400
Brandt Snedeker (7-under): +1500
Tiger Woods (6-under): +500
Ernie Els (5-under): +2500
Zach Johnson (5-under): +2500
Thorbjorn Olesen (4-under): +8000
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Update 0 comments
The 2012 British Open rolls into its final day of play on Sunday. Who will be crowned the champion at the end of the fourth round in Lancashire?
As the final round begins, the overall leader is Adam Scott, sitting alone at the top of the leaderboard with a cumulative score of 11-under. American player Brandt Snedeker and Graeme McDowell are tied for second place, both at 7-under, and Tiger Woods, never to be counted out, is alone in fourth place at 6-under.
Still, Scott has a comfortable lead heading into the championship round. He will need to keep his focus and make sure the game doesn't get away from him, while those chasing him will need to be in top form.
Here are the complete tee times and pairings for Sunday's fourth and final round of play. All times are Eastern.
2:20 a.m.: Martin Laird
2:30 a.m.: John Daly, Tom Watson
2:40 a.m.: Jeev Milkha Singh, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
2:50 a.m.: Charles Howell III, Ross Fisher
3:00 a.m.: Chad Campbell, Andres Romero
3:10 a.m.: Lee Slattery, John Senden
3:20 a.m.: Warren Bennett, Aaron Baddeley
3:30 a.m.: Juvic Pagunsan, Retief Goosen
3:40 a.m.: Bob Estes, Richard Sterne
3:55 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Fredrik Jacobson
4:05 a.m.: Brendan Jones, Ted Potter Jr
4:15 a.m.: Thongchai Jaidee, Yoshinori Fujimoto
4:25 a.m.: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Nicolas Colsaerts
4:35 a.m.: Pablo Larrazabal, KJ Choi
4:45 a.m.: Sang-Moon Bae, Adilson Da Silva
4:55 a.m.: Lee Westwood, Toshinori Muto
5:05 a.m.: Geoff Ogilvy, Miguel Angel Jimenez
5:15 a.m.: Ian Poulter, Greg Owen
5:30 a.m.: Branden Grace, Jim Furyk
5:40 a.m.: Rafa Echenique, Troy Matteson
5:50 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler
6:00 a.m.: Paul Lawrie, Carl Pettersson
6:10 a.m.: Simon Dyson, Garth Mulroy
6:20 a.m.: Jamie Donaldson, Dale Whitnell
6:30 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Harris English
6:40 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Joost Luiten
6:55 a.m.: Steve Stricker, Peter Hanson
7:05 a.m.: Thomas Bjorn, Hunter Mahan
7:15 a.m.: Alexander Noren, Justin Hicks
7:25 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Keegan Bradley
7:35 a.m.: Steven Alker, James Morrison
7:45 a.m.: Greg Chalmers, Simon Khan
7:55 a.m.: Anirban Lahiri, Nick Watney
8:05 a.m.: Vijay Singh, Jason Dufner
8:20 a.m.: Luke Donald, Kyle Stanley
8:30 a.m.: Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar
8:40 a.m.: Mark Calcavecchia, Louis Oosthuizen
8:50 a.m.: Bubba Watson, Thomas Aiken
9:00 a.m.: Bill Haas, Thorbjorn Olesen
9:10 a.m.: Ernie Els, Zach Johnson
9:20 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker
9:30 a.m.: Graeme McDowell, Adam Scott
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
10 months ago Article 0 comments
Adam Scott has a large lead at the British Open, but it ain't over yet. So what happens Sunday? Hopefully some drama as the third major winds down.
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10 months ago -Hart Van Santvoord Read More