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Padraig Harrington wins the 2007 British Open in exciting fashion. It came down to the wire with a playoff. Harrington paid between $2000 and $2500 for every $100 bet. He is the distant cousin of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington.

The 2007 British Open was anything but uneventful the final day with four top golfers vying for the title. The leaderboard shifted dramatically during the final minutes with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington taking over the lead at 12:10 pm EST.

Padraig Harrington, the Irish professional golfer and former No. 6 in the world rankings who has won eleven tournaments on the European Tour and two on the PGA Tour, briefly shared the lead with Sergio Garcia during the 11 am EST hour. Bookmakers feared a Harrington win, in particular Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, Paddy Power. Harrington took over again in the final minutes.

Relative unknown, young Argentina Andres Romero, had taken over the lead from Spaniard Sergio Garcia. The entire time, South African favorite Ernie Els threatened.

Romero got himself into serious trouble when the ball was hit out of balance during the final minutes. He did manage to regroup but it was not enough. Romero finished third.

Sergio Garcia had led throughout nearly the entire 2007 British Open with the exception of the first half of Day 1. Garcia hung around the top of the leaderboard during the final two hours. Garcia tied atop the leaderboard with Harrington at 9 under par by 12:28 pm EST.

“You don’t need steroids in this game, you just need adrenalin,” joked one of the British Open announcers as the excitement built tremendously.

Garcia and Harrington ensured at the end that a European would win the 2007 British Open after years of draught.

Carnoustie, Scotland - Padraig Harrington got a second chance and defeated Sergio Garcia in a playoff on Sunday to earn his first major at the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Harrington took the aggregate, four-hole playoff 15-16.

This was the first major championship for Harrington, who became the first European to win a major since Paul Lawrie titled here in 1999.

“That’s going to take a long time to sink in,” said Harrington. “I’ve come a long way. I haven’t proved anything, but I came a long way. I’m going to enjoy it.”

Harrington made a disastrous double-bogey on the 72nd hole in regulation, but Garcia followed him with a bogey at 18 to force the four-hole playoff to decide the title.

“I felt like I had a second chance when I went to the playoff,” acknowledged Harrington. “I really felt I’d have a good chance.”

Harrington took a commanding lead right away in the playoff. At the first, he hit his approach to eight feet, while Garcia drove into the right rough, then found the front bunker.

Garcia blasted out to 12 feet and missed the putt. Harrington sank his birdie try to lead, 3-5. Both parred the par-three 16th to allow Harrington to maintain his two-shot lead.

Harrington continued his fine form at the 17th. He found the fairway off the tee then hit a sensational approach to six feet. Garcia also landed in the short grass, but his second stopped 30 feet left of the stick.

Garcia narrowly missed his birdie effort, opening the door for Harrington to take a huge lead. But the Irishman came up short with his birdie try and the lead was still two shots on the 18th tee.

Harrington, who hit a driver into the burn en route to a double-bogey at 18 in regulation, pulled out a hybrid-club in the playoff and found the fairway. His ball did not get much roll, leaving him a long second shot.

Garcia hit driver and ended up in the left rough. Harrington laid up before Garcia’s second rolled to 28 feet. Harrington’s third fell outside of Garcia to about 30 feet, giving the Spaniard some hope.

Garcia just missed his birdie putt, and his par chance was farther than Harrington’s bogey putt. Garcia made his, then Harrington followed him for the claret jug.

“I’m thrilled,” said Harrington, who became the first Irishman from either side of the border to win this event since Northern Ireland’s Fred Daly in 1947. “I know a major means so much to Sergio. His time will come.”

For Garcia, his first major title eluded him again. He held sole possession of the lead after the first three rounds, and for the second year in a row, played in the final pairing on Sunday.

But Garcia extended his majorless streak in perhaps his best chance to date.

“I hit some good shots coming in,” said Garcia. “It is what it is.”

The conclusion to regulation conjured up the ghost of Jean van de Velde from 1999.

The last time Carnoustie hosted the Open Championship, Van de Velde squandered a three-shot lead on the 18th hole. He lost to Paul Lawrie in a playoff — and both competitors in this year’s extra session made a mess of 18 as well.

Harrington came to the 18th hole with a one-shot lead over Garcia, but his drive bounced twice on a bridge and fell into the burn. After a drop, Harrington hit his third into the burn short of the green on the left to drop another shot.

Harrington hit his fifth shot four feet past the hole and sank the double- bogey putt to post a seven-under-par total.

Garcia, now with a one-shot lead, hit an iron down the fairway at 18 after a long delay from Harrington’s miscues two groups ahead. He waited several more minutes as the raker tended to the traps that both Chris DiMarco and Paul McGinley found in the group ahead.

“I had to wait 15 minutes in the fairway, which doesn’t help when you’re trying to win the British Open,” admitted Garcia.

Garcia’s second found a bunker short and left. He blasted out to six feet and had that putt to win his first major championship.

Garcia missed the putt and then headed with Harrington to the four-hole playoff, tied at seven-under-par 277.

Harrington fired a four-under 67 on Sunday, while Garcia managed a two-over 73.

Harrington earned his 12th European Tour win and his third PGA Tour victory.

Andres Romero held a two-shot lead on the back nine Sunday, but double-bogeyed 17 and bogeyed 18. Over his final 11 holes, Romero collected seven birdies, two double-bogeys, and two bogeys and finished alone in third place in only his third major at minus-six.

Richard Green matched the Open Championship record at Carnoustie with a seven- under 64 on Sunday. He tied for fourth with 2002 winner Ernie Els, who shot a two-under 69, at five-under-par 279.

Tiger Woods never mounted a charge on Sunday. He shot a one-under 70 and tied for 12th place in his bid to become the first player to win three straight claret jugs since Peter Thomson from 1954-56.

“The golf course, it kicked my butt this week,” said Woods. “I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be all week. I thought I was putting great, but I couldn’t get myself close enough all week.”

The back nine on Sunday was a wild scene. Three different players traded the lead, and on some holes there were four-shot swings.

Garcia began the final round with a three-shot lead over Steve Stricker.

Garcia let everyone back into the mix, though, starting with a bogey at the fifth. He had a five-foot birdie look at the sixth, but blew that putt four feet past. Garcia made that putt, but Stricker missed a birdie try from three feet to try and close the gap. That failed attempt was similar to the third when Stricker failed to capitalize from a similar length.

Garcia’s second at seven went through the green, and the Spaniard did not hit his chip hard enough. He left himself with 12 feet for par and missed that putt to drop to minus-eight for the championship.

Romero holed out from a bunker at 11 to get to minus-seven. Garcia’s tee ball at the par-three eighth missed right and he chipped to eight feet. The leader after each of the first three rounds, Garcia missed that putt to fall into a tie with Romero at seven-under par.

Romero might have felt some pressure being in a tie for the lead at that point. His second at the 12th went well right of target and landed in a gorse bush. Romero took an unplayable and made double-bogey to fall two back.

Harrington only trailed by two at that point and rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at nine to get to minus-six. He stuffed his approach to three feet to set up a birdie at 11 that tied him with Garcia at seven-under par.

Romero atoned for his error at 12 with a 10-foot birdie putt at the 13th and was within one of the lead. Garcia knocked his approach to four feet to set up birdie at 10, but left the putt short.

Romero continued his rebound with a seven-foot birdie putt at 14 to join Harrington and Garcia in the lead.

Harrington’s 25-foot birdie try for the lead at 12 horseshoed out of the hole.

The amazing run of Romero continued at 15, where he drained a 15-foot birdie putt to take the lead at minus-eight. At the par-three 16th, Romero hit a spectacular three-iron 20 feet short of the stick and converted that birdie putt to reach nine-under par and go two clear.

The next turn of events in the crazy final round came when Romero made a horrible decision to hit a two-iron out of the rough on 16. His ball went out of bounds, and he walked off with a double-bogey to drop to minus-seven.

Harrington’s second at 14 headed left, but bounced to 20 feet. He sank the eagle putt to move to nine-under par, one clear of Garcia. The Spaniard answered with a nine-footer for birdie at 14 and the pair was knotted at minus-nine.

Romero fell out of the race with a double-bogey at 17 and a bogey at 18, essentially making it a two-player race.

Harrington hit a spectacular tee shot to the 250-yard, par-three 16th, however his six-footer stayed above ground. Garcia could not save par at the 15th when he hit an iron off the tee and left himself 268 yards to the flag at the par- four hole.

Garcia fell one back and hit an indifferent shot into the 16th green. His ball stopped short and left and he putted up to two feet. Garcia made par, but had a stroke to make up on the final two holes.

That’s when both fell apart on 18.

“I don’t think I was the player destined to win,” said Harrington. “I’m a worker. I never had the emotional high of winning until I holed that (last) putt.”

Stewart Cink (70) and Hunter Mahan (65) shared sixth at minus-four.

Ben Curtis, the 2003 champion, posted a six-under 65 and tied for eighth place with Mike Weir (70), K.J. Choi (71) and the player who began the final round in second, Steve Stricker (74). That group came in at minus-three.

Carnoustie, Scotland - Sergio Garcia’s quest for his first major championship is very much on track.

He shot a three-under 68 on Saturday to remain on top of the leaderboard after three rounds of the British Open Championship at Carnoustie. He completed 54 holes at nine-under-par 204 and is three clear.

Steve Stricker posted a new British Open Championship record at Carnoustie on Saturday with an astonishing seven-under-par 64. He is alone in second place at six-under-par 207.

“It was just one of those rounds where my putter felt really well,” said Stricker. “I’ve been spending a lot of time working on my putting. I gave myself a lot of opportunities today, and I ended up making quite a few putts.”

Last year’s runner-up Chris DiMarco (66), Paul McGinley (68), Stewart Cink (68), Padraig Harrington (68), Paul Broadhurst (68), K.J. Choi (72) and 2002 winner Ernie Els (68) share third place at three-under-par 210.

Tiger Woods’ bid to become the first player to win three consecutive claret jugs since Peter Thomson in 1954-56 is still alive, albeit barely. He shot a third-round, two-under 69 and is tied for 15th at minus-one.

“I hung in there today and at least I’ve given myself a chance for tomorrow,” said Woods, who mixed four birdies and two bogeys in his round Saturday. “I remember Paul Lawrie came from 10 shots back to win in 1999, so it can certainly be done around here.”

Maybe not by the world No. 1.

Woods has never come from behind to win any of his 12 major championships. So far in 2007, Woods has been in the final group on Sunday at both the Masters and U.S. Open, and even held a piece of the lead on Sunday in both, but did not make it to the winner’s circle. Woods tied for second in both.

Woods was paired with Garcia in the final round last year at Royal Liverpool and Woods dusted the Spaniard by six on Sunday. Even if Woods beats Garcia by that amount on Sunday this year, it will not be enough.

Garcia will be paired with Stricker on Sunday. Garcia has never held a 54-hole lead in a major championship, but has tied for fifth the last two years at the British Open Championship.

“It was a good experience for me, to be in that situation,” said Garcia, referring to his final-round pairing with Woods last year. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully I keep playing the same way.”

If Garcia can, in fact, play the same way, he will be a major champion.

On Saturday, Garcia carried a two-shot lead into the round and quickly extended it with a 12-foot birdie putt at the first. He rolled in a clutch six-foot par save at the third and recovered from a wayward drive to par four.

Last week, Garcia unveiled a belly putter and it has worked wonders. He converted two more six-foot par saves at five and six, then ran home a 10-foot birdie putt at the eighth.

The Spaniard hit an amazing approach to tap-in range for a birdie at 11. That got him to nine-under par, but he had work to do to stay at that number considering Carnoustie’s demanding final holes.

His flat stick began to let him down a bit on the second nine. He had a great look at birdie from 10 feet at the 13th, but missed. Garcia’s six-foot birdie try at the par-five 14th stayed above ground, although he made a nice par save at No. 15.

Garcia hit a horrible approach left of the green at No. 17. It was so bad, it hit a male spectator in the head. Garcia went over to check on him and shook his hand, but had to regroup for a delicate pitch.

“It is tough,” admitted Garcia. “It’s not a good feeling. I shook his hand and he seemed to be fine. I didn’t see any blood and that always helps.”

Garcia chipped to four feet and poured in another huge par save.

At the last, Garcia ripped a drive down the fairway and immediately knew his second was going to be close. He yelled at his ball to be right and it was, stopping 10 feet from the stick.

Unfortunately for Garcia, his putt did not fall, but he is in his best position to capture that elusive first major.

“It would have been nice to make birdie there,” acknowledged Garcia. “I still have a very hard day tomorrow. I have to keep playing the same way I’m playing and hopefully I will be able to win this championship.”

As for Stricker, he flew out of the gate with three consecutive birdies, including a 25-footer at two and 35-footer at No. 3. He rolled in a 15-footer at five and a short one at seven to get to four-under par for the championship.

The 40-year-old American parred the next five around the turn then drained a 12-foot birdie putt at the 13th. Stricker made it two in a row with a two-putt birdie at 14.

Stricker looked to be in trouble at 15, but he holed a 30-foot par save. He missed the green at 16 and 17, but got up and down for par. At the last, Stricker hit a bunker with his second and blasted out to six feet. He holed that to stay three back.

This has been quite an odyssey for Stricker. Last year, he qualified for the U.S. Open and tied for sixth at Winged Foot. He was almost selected by Tom Lehman for an American Ryder Cup spot and won the Comeback Player of the Year award on the PGA Tour.

This year, Stricker has five top 10s, including a second to Choi at the AT&T National. He ranks 10th on the PGA Tour money list and is almost guaranteed a spot on the Presidents Cup team.

How did this all happen in a year?

“It was hard, but I made the most of it,” said Stricker. “I enjoyed getting into the tournaments that I did get into. I put more of an emphasis on taking advantage of those tournaments when I did get into them.”

Vijay Singh (68), Andres Romero (70), Jim Furyk (71), Mike Weir (72) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (72) are knotted in 10th place at two-under-par 211.

Carnoustie, Scotland - Tiger Woods shot a two-under 69 on Saturday and finished 54 holes at one-under-par 212 at the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Woods currently trails Sergio Garcia by six shots as the Spaniard is finishing his front nine.

Woods was erratic all day on Saturday, but was able to save some clutch pars.

He missed a 15-foot birdie putt at the first, then drove into the rough at two and dropped a shot. Woods got it going with the flat stick at four when his 50-footer found the bottom of the cup for birdie. He made it two in a row with a 15-footer at five, but ran into some trouble at six.

At the par-five hole, Woods hammered his drive down the fairway, but sprayed his second right into the gallery, hitting a woman. He got a good break in that he could hit his third from fairly tame rough, but a camera went off in his backswing. Woods stopped the swing, but could only make par.

Woods once again hit a poor approach, this time at seven, but his putter was still hot. He drained a 35-footer for birdie, but dropped a shot at 10 when his drive went in the tall grass and he could not hole an 18-footer.

Woods saved par from six feet out at the 12th and knocked his second well right of the target at the par-five 14th. He chipped inside two feet and tapped in for a birdie to get back under par for the championship.

He holed another clutch par save at 15. Woods hit a horrible two-iron right at the par-three 16th, but once again, found a way to save par.

At the closing hole, Woods hit another shaky drive into the left rough. He pitched out his second, then played a wedge to five feet. The two-time defending champion sank the par save to get in at minus-one.

“That was huge,” said Woods, referring to his save at the last. “That kept me in red figures. As of right now, I’m still in reach. It’s just one of those days.”

Woods has never come from behind to win any of his 12 major championships. So far in 2007, Woods has been in the final group on Sunday at both the Masters and U.S. Open, and even held a piece of the lead on Sunday, but did not make it to the winner’s circle. Woods tied for second in both.

He can become the first player to win three consecutive British Opens since Peter Thomson in 1954-56.

Carnoustie, Scotland - Spain’s Sergio Garcia played a very steady round of golf on Friday with an even-par 71 and is still on top in the middle of the second round of the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.

He finished 36 holes at six-under-par 136 and is still two ahead of Paul McGinley, who has yet to off on Friday.

“I managed to get around,” said Garcia. “I hit a couple bad shots here and there, but I hit some really good ones coming in with long irons. I managed to put a decent round in.”

Garcia’s fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez played sensational golf down the stretch. He birdied 14, nearly holed his tee shot at 16, then missed a six- foot birdie chance at the difficult closing hole to shoot a one-under 70.

Jimenez is in the clubhouse at three-under-par 139, while Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink are at the same number on the front nine of round two.

Tiger Woods began Friday at two-under par and remarkably found disaster right away. He badly pulled his opening drive out of bounds, then put his third shot, an iron off the tee, into the first cut on the right side.

Woods hit his fourth shot 20 feet left of the hole and missed the bogey putt. He tapped in for a double and dropped to even-par.

However, the two-time defending champion answered the only way he could. Woods stuffed a five-iron three feet from the hole at two and rolled in the birdie putt to get back to red figures.

That puts him five shots behind Garcia, who had trouble of his own at No. 1. Garcia pushed his approach right into high grass, but hit an amazing chip that stopped a few feet from the hole. He tapped in for par, but was not as lucky at four, when he missed a four-footer to fall back to minus-five.

At the par-five sixth, Garcia’s second landed long in a bunker. He blasted out to inches and kicked in the short birdie effort to get back to six-under par for the championship.

Garcia drove into a bunker at 11 and had no choice but to blast back to the fairway. He could not get up and down for par, but tallied a pair of nice two- putt pars from almost 40 feet at both 12 and 13.

Garcia, now with his group on the clock for slow play, missed the fairway left at the par-five 14th. He tried to muscle a three-iron to the green, but came up short. Garcia putted his eagle try from off the green to five feet, then converted that putt for a birdie.

He missed a birdie putt at 16, but missed the green at 18. Garcia nearly holed his chip for a birdie, but the ball ran almost 10 feet past the stick. He sank that putt and walked off with a two-shot lead.

Garcia’s belly-putting was the story on Thursday, but he needed 32 slaps with the long stick on Friday. It was enough to put him in prime position heading to a weekend that could net him his first major title.

“At the very least, six-under should be pretty close,” said Garcia. “That’s a good thing. I can get a good rest. I’m looking forward to the weekend and hopefully I can have a good one.”

Jim Furyk bogeyed the last to shoot his second consecutive round of one-under 70. He is minus-two, one shot better than U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera (73), Andres Romero (70) and Lee Westwood (70).

Phil Mickelson will not make the cut for the second consecutive major championship. After missing the mark at the U.S. Open thanks to a wrist injury, Mickelson double-bogeyed the last to shoot a six-over 77 and finish the tournament at plus-six.

Carnoustie, Scotland - Spain’s Sergio Garcia used a hot putter to fire a six-under-par 65 on Thursday and take the opening-round lead of the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Ireland’s Paul McGinley managed a four-under-par 67 and is alone in second place on a day when early players like McGinley were greeted with low temperatures and rain.

The drizzle stopped, but it never got above 50 degrees and the wind kicked up at times.

Two former U.S. Open champions, Angel Cabrera and Michael Campbell, shot rounds of three-under 68 on Thursday. They were joined in third place by Austrian Markus Brier, Boo Weekley and amateur Rory McIlroy.

Tiger Woods, the two-time defending champion, managed a two-under-par 69 and is four behind Garcia in his quest to become the first player to win three consecutive claret jugs since Peter Thomson did it from 1954-56.

Woods fell to one-under par after back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13. He got back to two-under par in the most unlikely fashion. Woods drained a very long birdie putt from just in front of the green at 16, then parred the last two.

“The back nine’s really tough” said Woods.”You’ve just got to suck it up and hit some good shots. Overall, to play the last three holes one-under par, I’ll take that any day.”

Woods was joined in eighth place by two-time winner this season on the PGA Tour, K.J. Choi, Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

That group at minus-two is strong with world-class players, but if Garcia can put four rounds together like he did on Thursday, he will be tough to overthrow.

One of Garcia weaknesses that held him back in major championships thus far has been his flat stick. Armed with a belly putter, Garcia putted beautifully on Thursday. He unveiled the long putter last week and the switch paid dividends.

“I didn’t like the way I felt with my stroke at the U.S. Open,” said Garcia. “I wanted to try something to feel like I could hole putts. I worked with the belly putter a little the last three weeks. It felt pretty good.”

The evidence came out early on Thursday. Garcia rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt at the first and added another birdie on the front nine at the par-five sixth.

At the par-four 10th, Garcia rolled in a long birdie putt from close to 35 feet to get within one of McGinley’s early lead. It was a run during the middle of his back nine that got him first.

Garcia converted a 12-foot birdie putt at the 12th, a 10-footer at 13, then capped off three in a row by nearly making a 90-foot eagle putt at the par- five 14th.

Garcia had 25 feet for birdie at the 15th, but missed. He found serious trouble at the 256-yard, par-three 16th when his tee ball missed the putting surface. The best the Spaniard could manage was a 15-footer for par. Garcia missed that putt to fall to five-under par, but still one shot ahead of the field.

He played a solid approach to the 17th green and canned the eight-footer for birdie to get back to minus-six. Garcia had 241 yards left to the flag at the highly demanding 18th at Carnoustie and he could not find the green. Instead, Garcia’s approach landed in a bunker right of the hole.

The man who played with Woods in Sunday’s last group in 2006 blasted out to five feet, then poured the par putt in the left side of the cup to grab a two- shot lead.

“It was a lot of good quality shots,” said Garcia, who is majorless throughout his eight-year professional career. “I had a couple of good up-and-downs when I needed them. On the back nine, I started hitting it quite close to the hole and rolled the putter nicely.”

This is quite a turnaround for Garcia after his last appearance in the British Open at Carnoustie in 1999. He shot an opening-round, 18-over 89 and ended up in dead last place.

“Like I said at the beginning of the week, it is not about revenge for me here,” he said. “I just want to play solid and want to play like I did today to give myself good looks at birdies and not to suffer too much out there on the course.”

McGinley flew out of the gate on Thursday with four birdies in his first seven holes. He got to minus-six with back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14, but two shots well too short to reach the green at either 15 or 16 cost him strokes.

The Irishman carded pars at his final two holes for second place.

This was somewhat unexpected for McGinley, who has had a mediocre year so far on the European Tour. He has made 10 cuts in 15 starts, but has not finished higher than a tie for 16th.

“My golf hasn’t been great for most of this year,” acknowledged McGinley. “I’m making a lot of cuts, but not performing with a lot of quality. I played a lot of quality today. Picked a good tournament to do it in.”

Rod Pampling, the first-round leader in 1999 who missed the cut, two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, Thomas Bjorn, Luke Donald, Jim Furyk and former PGA Champions Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel are part of a group at minus-one.

Three-time major winner Phil Mickelson is tied for 25th at even-par 71. Vijay Singh and 2002 champion Ernie Els shot 72s on Thursday.

Paul Lawrie, who won the ‘99 British Open in a playoff, shot a two-over 73.

Carnoustie, Scotland - Tiger Woods shot a two-under-par 69 on Thursday to open his title defense at the British Open Championship at Carnoustie.

With more than half the field yet to complete the opening round, Woods is currently behind Ireland’s Paul McGinley, who has his last few holes to finish.

The two-time defending champion and three-time winner overall began in tough morning conditions at Carnoustie. The wind blew, there were periods of rain and drizzle and temperatures barely reached 50 degrees.

Woods squandered a pair of chances at the opening two holes. He missed from 15 feet and 12 feet at one and two, then hit a pitching-wedge to four feet to set up birdie at the third.

At the par-five sixth, Woods hit a seven-iron 15 feet over the flag. He rolled in the eagle putt to reach three-under par and briefly take a share of the lead.

That was short-lived.

Woods hit a poor six-iron into a bunker at the par-three eighth and blasted out to nine feet. He missed the par putt, but atoned for the error with a 12- foot birdie putt at nine.

Woods’ round got away from him a little bit at the 12th. His two-iron approach went over the green and “had an easy chip” that came up 12 feet short. Woods missed the par putt, then hit a poor seven-iron that resulted in another bogey at 13.

Now only one-under par for the championship, Woods tried to muscle a two-iron, to the green at the 256-yard, par-three 16th. His ball came up just short of the putting surface at least 50 feet from the flag, but he somehow drained the long birdie putt to get to minus-two.

“Made some bomb there,” said Woods. “It was a shoulder-turn putt and then it got in. I just tried to get it up there where it was a tap-in or easy second putt. Low and behold…I don’t know how.”

Woods hit a driver off the tee into the wind at the difficult closing hole at Carnoustie. He then hit a three-iron to 18 feet, but his birdie try stayed above ground.

“It was the middle part of the round on the back nine, 12 and 13 where I made a couple of mistakes,” said Woods.

PGA

BRITISH OPEN - 136TH BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Carnoustie Golf Club (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland - The season’s third major, the British Open Championship, returns to Carnoustie for the first time since Jean van de Velde’s collapse in 1999.

Eight years ago, Van de Velde carried a three-shot lead onto the 72nd hole and — yada yada yada — he needed to make a seven-foot putt for a triple-bogey just to get into a playoff with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard.

Tiger Woods enters the open as the two-time defending champion.

The yada yada yada, of course, included a stunning array of inept shots and bad decision by Van de Velde, video of which lives on year after year at British Open time.

Lawrie eventually won — he remains the last European to win a major — but his story rides shotgun to the greatest, most shocking and best-known collapse in golf history (it beats Mickelson at Winged Foot).

Borrowing from the movie Tin Cup: Years after that British Open, no one remembers who won or lost, but they remember Van de Velde’s seven.

This year, accommodations were made to assuaged criticism over what many players deemed an unfair layout at Carnoustie last time around. Tiger Woods, on his Web site, called Carnoustie in ‘99, “probably the hardest British Open course I have ever played … The set-up was unfair and ridiculous.”

This year, Woods enters the Open as the two-time defending champion. He edged Chris DiMarco by two strokes last year at Royal Liverpool, memorably breaking down on 18th green following his first major victory since the death of his father, Earl, that spring.

Woods enters the week as an overwhelming favorite to win again, followed by the usual big-names everyone likes to throw around for the majors: Phil Mickelson, who stumbled and finished runner-up at the Scottish Open last week; Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, who have never won the British; Ernie Els, who has shown signs he can win again; and players like Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie, who each finished well in their last British Open starts.

TNT will have extensive coverage of the first two rounds, as well as split coverage with ABC on the weekend.

Next week on the European Tour is the Deutsche Bank Players Championship, which was won by Robert Karlsson last year. The PGA Tour will have the Canadian Open next week, where Jim Furyk claimed his last victory this past September.

PGA TOUR

THE U.S. BANK CHAMPIONSHIP, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - This year, the U.S. Bank Championship is in the unenviable position of being the simultaneous event to the British Open.

Last year, that distinction fell to the B.C. Open, which no longer exists on the PGA Tour schedule.

Cory Pavin won the last U.S. Bank Championship, cruising to a two-shot win last July for his 15th PGA Tour title and first since the 1996 Colonial. Pavin fired a tour-record 26 on the front nine Friday on the way to a course-record- tying 61 in the first round. He will be back to defend his title.

Brown Deer Park Golf Course will be hosting this event for the 14th time, and the tournament will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Dave Stockton won the first event in 1968.

The Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds from 4-7 p.m. (et) on each day.

LPGA TOUR

HSBC WOMEN’S WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP, Wykagyl Country Club, New Rochelle, New York - Last year, 39th-seeded Brittany Lincicome earned her first LPGA Tour victory with a 3 & 2 win over eighth-seeded Juli Inkster in the World Match Play final.

Brittany Lincicome picked up her first LPGA Tour victory at this event last year. Both of the finalists had knocked off stiff competition to get there.

Inkster, the eighth seed, squeezed out a 1-up victory over top-ranked Annika Sorenstam in the quarterfinals, the same day Lincicome bested second-ranked Michelle Wie, 4 & 3.

In Sunday’s semifinals, Inkster knocked off the always tough Paula Creamer by a 5 & 4 score, while Lincicome barely handled Lorena Ochoa in 19 holes.

In the final, Lincicome birdied early and often to build up a lead. The win was a long time coming for the former amateur standout, who held a first-round lead at the 2004 U.S. Women’s Open before she turned pro.

A week prior to last year’s Match Play, Lincicome shared the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, but ultimately finished seventh.

“Hopefully great things are to come,” Lincicome said of her Match Play win. “It’s a huge confidence booster.”

The Golf Channel will have coverage of the first two rounds, and CBS will broadcast the weekend. Next up for the women is the Evian Masters, where Karrie Webb won last year.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

PRICE CUTTER CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Missouri - Doug LaBelle was one of eight players to shoot a round of 63 in last year’s Price Cutter Charity Championship, using the week’s low number to help his win his first Nationwide Tour title on the way to a promotion to the PGA Tour.

Of course, going low at this event is necessary. Last year, no less than 12 players carded four consecutive rounds in the 60s. LaBelle was one of them, eventually finishing with a 27-under 261 for the win.

Paul Claxton leads this year’s money list, but he could be surpassed this week if Nick Flanagan, who trails him by $16,404, has a good finish. Claxton is not in the field.

Next week’s event is the Cox Classic, where Johnson Wagner beat Craig Bowden by four shots last year for his second win of the season.

CANADIAN TOUR

CANADIAN TOUR INTERNATIONAL TEAM MATCHES, Scarboro Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Ontario - This week, the top eight Canadian players will compete against a team from the United States and a team of international players in a specialty event ahead of the Canadian Open next week.

Eight groups of threesomes comprise the main draw of the tournament, to be held on Wednesday at Scarboro Golf & Country Club.

There are nine points available per hole: five points for the winner of the hole, three points for second and one point for third. The team with the most points at the end of the day will win.

DURAMED FUTURES TOUR ALLIANCE BANK GOLF CLASSIC, The Links at Erie Village, Syracuse, New York - Last year’s winner, Ha-Na Chae, has climbed to sixth place on this season’s money list following three top-10 finishes in just four events.

Chae made $24,545 on the Futures Tour last year, bolstered by her win at the Alliance Bank Golf Classic.

Following this week, the Futures Tour is off until the USI Championship begins August 3, where Charlotte Mayorkas won last year.

The British Open: Britons Love To Bet On It

While Americans tend to bet on golf while playing it with friends or neighbors or that egotistical cheater from the legal department at work, golf-minded Britons tend to bet on golf while, well, breathing. So says Chuck Culpepper of the Chicago Tribune.

He points out that these feisty Brits will go as far as to bet on the daily color of Ian Poulter’s outfits.

Graffiti Wall is anticipating heavy betting activity on the British Open as we descend upon it this week.

North American facing bookmakers the likes of Bet33.com will be offering your typical Odds to Win the British Open prior to each day’s activity in addition to matchup betting and they will get action from US bettors.

But it’s in Great Britain where the British Open takes center stage in terms of wagering.

It’s sentiment laced with knowledge, it’s legion this time of year, it results in mass romantic bets on the Englishman Colin Montgomerie, and it’s part of the reason the British Open reigns as “the biggest sporting event of the summer,” Robin Hutchinson of Ladbrokes told the Tribune.

He estimates Ladbrokes will take in 5 million pounds (about $10 million) this week, and that because Ladbrokes usually gobbles up 20 percent of the market, he can reckon that a national take of “25 million to 30 million pounds for four days of golf isn’t bad.”

It trumps Wimbledon by about 20 percent, ranks alongside the Grand National steeplechase race of springtime and lures roughly as many wagerers — if not the money — of the FA Cup soccer final each May, Adams said.

Graffiti Wall, with its keen friendship with our mates across the pond in the United Kingdom, notes that the odds to win this year’s British Open should be a smashing good show!

The British Open betting frenzy also illustrates how gambling has made the trek from “from sin to vice to socially accepted leisure activity.

Griffiths, a professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University who specializes in the psychology of gambling, has spent 20 years studying addictions while maintaining that they remain rare in British society. “You have to realize that gambling for most people is natural, normal and causes little or no problems,” he said.

With the British Open and other golf events, it even has a vivid parallel history, according to the Tribune report.

Ladbrokes still reels from having decided that Tiger Woods wouldn’t win the 2006 Open at Royal Liverpool, offering him at 6-1 early on. “The thinking was he didn’t like links golf,” Hutchison said, and that thinking cost about 5 million pounds ($10 million).

It also lost a significantly smaller amount on whether Woods would shake hands with Nick Faldo on the first day as they played in the same group.

Woods did, and naysayers lost.

Silvis, IL - Jonathan Byrd came from four shots down with five holes remaining Sunday to win the John Deere Classic and earn a berth in the British Open.

His comeback was made easier by the collapse of Tim Clark, who surrendered a seemingly safe lead down the stretch with a pair of costly bogeys that left him still seeking a long-overdue first PGA Tour win.

Byrd made three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 14th and shot a five- under 66 to close out his third PGA Tour victory and first since the 2004 B.C. Open.

He finished at 18-under 266, one shot better than Clark, and will make his first-ever start in the British Open next week at Carnoustie.

“I’m going. I don’t have any other plans,” Byrd said, standing on the 18th green before collecting his $738,000 check. “I just have to make a quick trip home to get my passport.”

For Clark, such a trip won’t be necessary. The 2006 Masters runner-up closed with a three-under 68 Sunday to end at 17-under 267, missing the satisfaction of winning yet again on the PGA Tour.

Although he owns three European Tour wins, and two apiece on the Nationwide and Canadian Tours, Clark has failed to break through in 136 events on the PGA Tour.

And counting.

“The biggest disappointment is not being able to play next week,” said Clark, who won $442,800. “I was 13th at Augusta and 17th at the U.S. Open, and I don’t get to go to the British Open, which kind of blows my mind a little bit.”

Overnight-leader Nathan Green made a five-foot par putt at the 18th hole to salvage a tie for third place, finishing with an even-par 71 at TPC Deere Run to join Troy Matteson (66) at 15-under 269.

Carl Pettersson, the only top-50 golfer remaining in the field after Masters champion Zach Johnson missed the cut, had a three-under 68 Sunday and ended alone in fifth place at 14-under 270.

Clark had a four-shot lead after making birdie at the 13th, his fifth birdie of the day — and also his last. Moments later, Byrd made a birdie ahead at the 14th to climb back within three shots.

Soon, he would be clinging to a lead of his own.

Playing in the group ahead of Clark, Byrd knocked his tee shot at the par- three 16th within three feet to set up a birdie that put him at 17-under.

Back at the 15th, Clark sent his approach shot into the rough surrounding a greenside bunker, leaving himself with a tough stance and a lot of work for par. It would be a sign of things to come.

Clark chipped out to 20 feet, then badly missed a par putt way left of the hole to make bogey and fall back to 18-under, suddenly just one shot ahead of Byrd.

He left himself in another dangerous spot after hitting a fat nine-iron into the front bunker at the 16th. But true to his nature as a top South African golfer, Clark was able to blast out to a couple feet to save par.

Byrd made the green in two at the par-five 17th and two-putted from 60 feet for another birdie, tying Clark at 18-under.

When he got to 17, Clark decided to go for the green as well. But he missed well short and ended up in another bunker, this one in the fairway. Left with a plugged ball and an uphill stance at the top of the bunker, he only managed to mash it back into the fairway.

Clark chipped his fourth shot to six feet, a distance where he ranks among the best putters on the PGA Tour. But he slid the curling left-to-right putt just past the edge of the cup to fall one shot back.

He also missed a desperation 75-footer for birdie at the 18th to make it official.

Sitting on a table in the scorer’s tent, Byrd watched it all unfold on a television. The newest member of the British Open field, he was congratulated by his wife and several other people in the room.

“This feels great,” said Byrd, 29, who is now the only American under 30 on the PGA Tour with three wins. “I’ve never played [the British Open], so I’m excited.”

For Clark, who had played in three of the last four British Opens, Sunday marked his third second-place finish on the PGA Tour. He was still battling a neck injury, but said he would have accepted an invite to Carnoustie.

“Certainly if I’m playing as well as I am now, I feel like I would have had a good chance to have a good week and be right up there,” said Clark. “But as it turns out, I don’t get to go.”