I wrote it here at Cybergolf. Watney channels his inner Retief, Dustin at Pebble, blows 3 shot lead. We are tied at the PGA.
Meanwhile, that’s my fave piece of the week so far. From the article:
“Tonight, Watney sleeps on a three-shot lead, but that may be the most unsafe margin in golf. Retief Goosen was in a similar situation in the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. At that time, next to Tiger, he was the best cast-iron closer. Not only was Goosen the defending champion, he had all the nerves jarred out of him by a lightning strike. He couldn’t fold. He was the Dockers-wearing zombie, the Iron Goose! He was a mortal lock, sittin’ plush with a Royal Flush, as the song goes.
The next thing we knew, there were “Goose” feathers all over the front nine and Michael Campbell drove off with the trophy, one step ahead of the Carolina State police who still have a warrant for his arrest in the state for highway robbery.
Dustin Johnson, presently in second place, blew a three-shot lead at Pebble Beach this year just as quickly as Goosen did back at Pinehurst. Johnson seemingly owned Pebble Beach, cruising to two consecutive wins there in the AT&T.
He spent that Championship Sunday driving the ball all over Seventeen Mile Drive, and watched as Graeme McDowell drank scotch from the trophy.
Heck, Jean Van de Velde – “Jean of Argh” as venerable Dan Jenkins calls him – had a three-shot lead on the last hole at the 1999 British Open at Car-nasty. He then hit the wrong fairway, a grandstand, rock wall, bunker and Barry Burn on the way to the greatest 72nd-hole flame-out in a century. Golf makes people do crazy things and so does pressure.”
See you in a few hours with a wrap up. Meanwhile, here’s Woods and Foley on the range.
