| Tiger Woods today strolled to his second | | | | was ultimately another poor overall showing |
| British Open Golf title finishing fourteen | | | | by the UK based players. |
| shots under par, five shots ahead of the | | | | |
| veteran, the Scot Colin Montgomerie. It was | | | | The weather remained fine throughout the four |
| Tiger's tenth success in major tournaments | | | | days of competition with barely a shower of |
| and now only Walter Hagen's eleven majors, | | | | rain. Occasionally the wind blew but never |
| and Jack Nicklaus's total of eighteen lie | | | | gale force as it can do on this exposed |
| ahead of him. | | | | Scottish east coast course. The crowds came |
| | | | in their droves, forty thousand more than |
| Earlier in the week on the Friday Jack | | | | last year, and despite the one sided victory |
| Nicklaus had said an emotional farewell to a | | | | everyone enjoyed the week. Once again the old |
| huge crowd of golf fanatics who applauded him | | | | course failed to throw up a hole in one, |
| and Tom Watson all the way around the famous | | | | there hasn't been one on this course in the |
| old course at Saint Andrews on the Royal and | | | | Open Championship since Ben Crenshaw's in |
| Ancient Golf Club, the headquarters of golf. | | | | 1984. |
| | | | |
| But this was Tiger Woods' tournament and he | | | | Before the championship began Tiger was |
| stretched his lead overnight as all of his | | | | available on the betting exchanges and in the |
| rivals failed to put in a strong challenge. | | | | betting tents at 3/1 against and a huge tip |
| One by one they fell by the wayside, and in | | | | went round that Tiger was in the mood to do |
| truth Tiger always gave the impression that | | | | the business. Plenty of huge bets were struck |
| should a real challenge have materialised, he | | | | and many of the professional punters went |
| would have been able to raise his game. | | | | home happy to thoroughly toast Tiger |
| Nevertheless he won by five clear shots to | | | | throughout the evening. Just for once the |
| confirm once again, as Colin Montgomerie said | | | | bookmakers must have taken a battering. Aint |
| afterwards, that he is indeed the leading | | | | that a shame! |
| golfer of his generation, possibly any | | | | |
| generation. It wasn't all bad news for Colin, | | | | Next year the championship returns to |
| his second place moved him fifty-nine places | | | | England, and to Hoylake for the first time |
| up the world rankings to twenty-second. | | | | since 1969. Hoylake is a seaside links too, |
| | | | set on the Wirral beside the Dee estuary that |
| Jose Maria Olazabal finished a creditable | | | | looks out across Hilbre Island and over to |
| joint third on minus eight, sharing the third | | | | North Wales and Snowdonia beyond. |
| prize with a delighted Freddie Couples. As | | | | |
| for the other challengers Retief Goosen and | | | | Tiger has already sent out a warning to all |
| Vijay Singh fell away and were never able to | | | | the others. They will have to improve |
| land a blow, the same could be said for | | | | considerably down on Liverpool Bay if they |
| Sergio Garcia, and Kenny Perry. Ian Poulter | | | | are to stand any chance of removing the |
| finished the best placed Englishman in what | | | | coveted claret jug from Tiger's iron grip. |