By MARK CANNIZZARO
June 16, 2008
SAN DIEGO - The most disappointed player at the U.S. Open yesterday was easily Lee Westwood, who finished one shot out of today's 18-hole playoff at Torrey Pines when he failed to sink an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
"It's sickening not to be in the playoff," Westwood said. "But, all in all, I played pretty good all week and if somebody said, 'You're going to have a chance from 20 feet for a playoff on Monday,' then I would have probably taken that at the start of the week.
"So while I'm disappointed, I'm pleased with myself and I think that I've proved to myself, and a few others, that I think there is a major championship in me."
Westwood was trying to become the first European player to win a U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin won in 1970. He, too, was trying to become the first Englishman to win a major since Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters.
Phil Mickelson closed out his disappointing U.S. Open with a final-round 68 yesterday to finish 6-over for the tournament. He closed with three birdies in his final four holes.
Mickelson, of course, will forever remember this U.S. Open for his quadruple-bogey 9 on the par-5 13th in Saturday's third round. If he parred that hole, he'd have finished at 2-over and might have been in contention.
"It didn't feel far off," Mickelson said of his game. "I felt like I was close the whole week. I felt like I was ready. I just didn't score. I just didn't perform. I'm disappointed I didn't play well."
Tiger Woods had plans to be in Mexico today for a golf course design project.
"Looks like I'm busy (today)," he joked. "I think they'll understand."
Andrew Svoboba, who grew up playing at Winged Foot as a youth and is now a caddie at Old Oaks in Purchase, closed out his U.S. Open with a 7-over-par 78 yesterday to finish 16 over for the tournament at an even 300.
Svoboda, who missed making the cut in 2006 by one shot at Winged Foot but made his first major cut this week, shot rounds of 77, 71, 74 and 78. He said he plans to go to PGA Tour Qualifying School.
