Four Shots for One Win

As late-afternoon rolled around the Eastern time zone on Sunday, the sun was setting several hours away in England, although it had already set far behind Adam Scott hours before.

Coming into the final four holes on the last day of the Open Championship, Adam Scott held a promising lead as he ventured to his first British Open victory.

The lead was so promising that I left the room after seeing he was 4 strokes ahead of Ernie Els heading into the 16th hole.  And a mere hour later I would find out from an alert on my cell phone that Scott had blown the lead and Els had taken the win.

It was unimaginable that a professional golfer who only needed to par one of the final four holes to settle for at least a sudden death chance against Els would let that chance slip out of the grip of his club.

In a mere sense, a man whose made a living exceeding exceptions amongst the most predominant golfers in the World, needed to be average for one hole in the final four, and failed.

Scott bogeyed each and everyone of the final four holes of the Open Championship, handing the prestigious trophy over to the hands of long time veteran, South Africa's Ernie Els.

Although Els performance, whose long, respected career should not be mistaken for nothing but excellence, played well enough to deserve the trophy after posting a final score of -7, after a sensational two shots under Sunday performance.

While golfers such as Scott finished Sunday with a 5 over par performance, Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker, both finishing tied for 3rd place, posting Sunday scores of 5 over par (Woods) and 4 over par (Snedeker), Els' performance on Sunday needs to be respected as victorious, and well deserved.

As the age of many professional golfers of todays day seem to become younger and younger, the competition for major championships continues to increase as a mere toss-up to whose ever is on their A game that weekend, and whose mistakes turn into misfortunes.

While Els did not post a score of a tremendous fete in any day of the Open Championship, he appeared to be the least likely to fail in anyway of the four day tournament, as his worst day of the weekend he finished an even par.

However, with three majors down in this years golf season, the players, as well as fans, look forward to August for the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup in late September.  And like every tournament thus far this season, the possibility of victory remains unanimous until the final hole on Sunday afternoon.