Sunday's Birdies and Bogeys

By golfdigest.com

July 19, 2014

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Birdie: Rory McIlroyIt wasn't as easy for Rory as he thought it would be, but McIlroy hung tough. Pushed in ways he never was in his first two major wins, McIlroy played solid, if not quite as spectacular golf en route to a one-under 71, good for a two-shot win and his name on the claret jug. "I never dreamed of being at this point in my career so quickly," said McIlroy, who is now a Masters win away from the career Grand Slam. "The more I keep looking at this trophy and seeing my name on it, the more it will start sinking in." With the win, McIlroy joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win three majors by age 25. -- Luke Kerr-Dineen

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Birdie: Gerry McIlroyAs if watching your son win a major championship wasn't enough of a reward, Rory's dad also got paid on Sunday. Gerry and three of his friends had the foresight to place a bet of 400 pounds at 500-to-1 odds on Rory winning the British Open before he turned 26 a decade ago. Cashing in that ticket will be especially sweet since this was the last year Rory, 25, was eligible. Does Mr. McIlroy have any other future prop bets we can get in on? -- Alex Myers

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Bogey: Tiger WoodsWhat to make of Woods' week at Hoylake? On one hand, it was indeed a week instead of two quick rounds and a flight home. On the other hand, a Sunday 75 gave Woods, in 69th place, his worst-ever 72-hole major finish as a pro. Pair that with his post-round comments in which he intimated U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson should pick him with a wildcard selection for this fall's matches, and it was a rare moment when Woods seemed to be seeking special treatment. While Woods is still in the early days of his return from microdiscectomy surgery, he has yet to assure anyone he'll be near top form come September. And let's not forget that the 64-year-old Watson bested Woods by five shots this week. Maybe Woods should wait to send Watson a message on a week when he's not outplaying him. -- Sam Weinman

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Birdie: Sergio GarciaUnlike many of his previous close calls in major championships, Garcia has to leave Hoylake feeling upbeat about his performance. Sure, there was the fluffed bunker shot on Sunday and the short birdie putt he missed on Saturday, but no one challenged McIlroy more during the final round. Garcia was five under through 10 holes to at least make things interesting, and he ended up with his best major finish since a T-2 at the 2008 PGA Championship. Still only 34, it's hard to imagine the Spaniard not ending his drought in majors eventually if he's capable of more weeks like this. -- A.M.

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Birdie: Rickie FowlerIt was going to be a tall task to catch Rory McIlroy on Sunday at Hoylake, just as it was for Fowler to chase down Martin Kaymer while playing with him in the final group last month at Pinehurst. Yeah, Rickie had his sites set on the claret jug, but a second-straight runner-up finish in a major brings with it a good bit of satisfaction. It took a little while for Fowler to warm up, but a bogey-free 67, including birdies on three of the last four holes, shows how he is continuing his maturation as a golfer. He also became the first player to finish in the top five of the year's first three majors since Tiger Woods in 2005. -- Ryan Herrington

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Bogey: Dustin JohnsonRory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson were the only two players on the first page of the leader board who could overpower the golf course. Rory used his power to full effect throughout the week, but Dustin -- despite a second-round 65 -- was fairly middling the rest of the time. His Sunday 72 dropped him to T-12 and provided no pressure on Rory's lead. -- L.K.D.

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Birdie: DramaSure, the end result was what we expected. But unlike at the U.S. Open, when Martin Kaymer's Sunday romp at Pinehurst was nap-worthy, this Open was never quite sewn up until the end. Whether it was Sergio Garcia channeling his circa-1999 gusto, or Rory McIlroy's inevitable nerves -- or very likely a combination of the two -- this Sunday never felt like the formality it was supposed to be. -- S.W.

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Bogey: Royal LiverpoolNae wind, nae rain, nae golf is the way many in the British Isles think of the sport. Our guess is that includes members at Royal Liverpool. While rain impacted Saturday's play, the lack of wind for most of the week left Hoylake exposed to the world's best players in the world. A total of 46 golfers finished under par, with Rory McIlroy's 17-under 271 becoming the lowest winning score in the Open since Tiger's 270 at Hoylake in 2006. -- R.H.

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Birdie: Jim FurykA bogey-free 65 lifted Furyk into fourth place Sunday, the same result he had at Royal Liverpool in 2006. Indeed, his affinity for Hoylake runs deep; in all eight rounds at the course he has broken par. More importantly, perhaps, Furyk's record in grand-slam events is looking more impressive. This is now the fifth time he's had a top-five finish at the British and 14th in any major. -- R.H.

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Birdie: Adam ScottOutside of Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott played the best golf of anybody in the field this week. He teed off in the afternoon on Thursday and the morning on Friday, which meant he played in the heaviest winds both days, and he played most of his Saturday round in the rain. Regardless, Scott kept grinding, shooting 66 on Sunday to move him up the leader board into T-6. -- L.K.D.

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Bogey: Martin KaymerAfter winning the U.S. Open by eight shots a month ago, Kaymer finished 25 shots behind McIlroy and beat only two of the 72 players who made the cut at Hoylake. In other words, he's just another reminder that golf is really, really hard. It was also another reminder that Kaymer isn't very comfortable playing links golf. He now has only finished inside the top 30 twice in seven starts at the British Open. -- A.M.

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Birdie: Shane LowryThe 27-year-old Irishman had never finished in the top 30 at a major, but that changed in a big way on Sunday. With a final-round 65, which matched the low round of the week at Hoylake, Lowry vaulted into the top 10. Of course, he never came close to challenging his buddy, Rory McIlroy, but he could have a chance to compete with him in a couple years. Ireland's potential squad at the Rio Olympics in 2016 is looking pretty strong. -- A.M.

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Birdie: Tom WatsonA round in the 60s at the British Open is nothing new for Tom Watson; he had 29 in his illustrious Open career before a Sunday 68 at Hoylake. But to shoot one . . . wait for it, Beatles fans . . . when he's 64? Links golf obviously is Watson's muse as he broke his own record for the oldest player ever to make the cut in the championship, eventually finishing T-51. Do we dare bet against him doing it again in his Open swan song next year at St. Andrews? -- R.H.

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