Tue, Jun 22, 2004 page20

• `The Goose' takes 2nd US Open title

  UNRUFFLED South African Retief Goosen held his nerve in a dramatic last-round shootout to clinch the title on a punishing course that sank the rest of the world's best

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  South Africa's Retief Goosen took his second US Open title in a dramatic last-round shootout with Masters champion Phil Mickelson on Sunday.

  In a gut-wrenching inward nine, Goosen held his nerve while Mickelson self-destructed on the short par-three 17th to hand the South African the title.

  "It was tough. It was actually quite painful once you're out there and playing with the pressure," admitted Goosen, who won his first US Open in 2001. "It's a tough grind and all you're trying to do is stick to the game plan and try and stay away from big numbers."

  

  Retief Goosen of South Africa kisses the US Open Championship Cup after sinking his second putt on the eighteenth hole for the winning shot on the final day of the US Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, NY on Sunday. Goosen won with a 4-under par, beating Phil Mickelson of the US by two strokes.

  PHOTO: EPA

  Goosen and Mickelson were the only two players left who refused to buckle under the vicious conditions that had transformed Shinnecock Hills into a hell that left some of the world's best golfers shell-shocked.

  Mickelson, looking for back-to-back majors, trailed throughout the round but finally went in front when he birdied the par-five 16th.

  But Goosen, the third-round leader and playing directly behind him, matched Mickelson and went to the par-three 17th all square.

  And it was on the 17th that Mickelson's dream was crushed.

  The 34-year-old American hit his 6-iron tee shot into the left bunker. He blasted out to five-feet but saw his par putt slide seven-foot past.

  Then was his heartbreak as his bogey putt slipped by and suddenly a stunned Mickelson was walking to the 18th tee two shots back.

  "I don't know what happened on 17. It was not a hard shot out of the bunker," said Mickelson. "I hit an easy putt, hit it easy because I knew it was quick. But it still shouldn't have gone six, seven feet past."

  All the while, Goosen was standing on the 17th tee watching the drama unfold.

  The South African pulled his tee shot into the same bunker as Mickelson but splashed out to three feet and made no mistake with his par putt.

  Only a rush of blood to the head could rob Goosen of his second US Open title and it never looked like coming as he drilled his drive down the 18th.

  A 9-iron to 20 feet from the pin left him three putts for victory. He only needed two.

  "Obviously it was easier coming up 18 with two shots lead instead of one. I really focused a lot on just getting down in two and make my par and let's go home," Goosen said.

  It turned into a two-man race when Goosen and Mickelson reached the turn.

  Goosen began the day with a two-shot cushion but being challenged by a cluster of players all within striking distance on a course where bogeys can strike in an instant.

  But by the time Goosen and Mickelson two reached the turn, challengers Ernie Els, Fred Funk, Shigeki Maruyama, Tim Clark, Jeff Maggert and Mike Weir had all wilted over the punishing Shinnecock Hills course.

  Els started the day three-under and eyeing a third US Open crown.

  When he walk off the seventh green he had fallen to one-over for the championship. A double bogey on the eighth and his victory chances were all but shot. Els finished with a mind-numbing 10-over 80 for the day and seven-over for the championship.

  Funk saw himself plunging from two-under to three over. Weir dropped four shots by the time he reached the turn, Maruyama four and Maggert only one but four back from Goosen.

  Tiger Woods' Saturday dreams that he was firmly in with a chance despite starting nine shots back were quickly dashed as he reached the turn in four-over 39.

  It did not get any better for the world number one as he continued to slip further and further back from the leaders.

  Woods was angered about the course set up.

  "I hung in there. I grinded my tail off," Woods said. "I did the best I could. That's the best score I could get. The course got out of control.

  "A couple guys had putts from four or five feet on the first hole and the next putt it's a lob wedge hiking out of the rough.

  "The first two days were tough, yes, but they were fair. There is nothing wrong with a course being tough, as long as it's fair."

  Maggert, who finished third was equally upset about the conditions.

  "I turned on my television set this morning and saw what was going on and realized that it was going to be a bit on the comic side today," said Maggert, who carded a final round two-over 72.

  "What everybody saw on television speaks for itself. Any sane person can be the judge of how the greens played and realize its a little ridiculous."

  An idea of what was in store came early in the morning when the championship was almost reduced to farce when the infamous par-three seventh became all but unplayable.

  After the first two groups went through, officials quickly decided to water the green between every group to make it playable.

  The strong winds and sunshine had dried the green to near concrete and a lottery for the players.

  Kevin Stadler was the first to play the hole on Sunday and he could only look in horror as his two-foot putt slid past the hole, kept rolling, and finally vanished off the green.

  Stadler staggered off with a triple.

  Playing partner J.J. Henry had no better luck. He too had a triple bogey.

  In the second group, Cliff Kresge also carded a triple. Playing partner Billy Mayfair managed a bogey.

  Enough was enough.

  The hoses were ordered in and play was delayed for 10 minutes as water was poured onto the putting surface.

  An idea of the difficulty of the par-70 course was underlined by the early final scores -- Trevor Immelman shot an 82, Billy Mayfair 89, Phillip Price 84, Craig Parry 85 and Alex Cejka 85.
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