The 00’s have officially passed us by and with it goes one of the most memorable decades in major championship golf history. The dominance of Tiger Woods was a hallmark of the past ten years and while the great man did produce some of the most impressive golf in major history there were other players on the major stage that who shone brightly as well. That being said, here are my top ten major memories from the last ten years.

1. Tiger Woods – 2000 U.S Open at Pebble Beach- It was by far the most dominating performance in the history of professional golf- there is not even a second place. Only one player in history had ever reached double-digits under-par in the U.S Open before (Gil Morgan ten years earlier at Pebble Beach), and Woods not only reached that number- he stayed there. When he eventually finished his domination for the field he had finished at -12 for the tournament and won by and astonishing 15 shots, relegating runners-up Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez to merely a trivia question in golf history. Such ruthless dominance may never be seen again.

2. Y.E Yang – 2009 U.S PGA Championship at Hazeltine National- While the decade was defined by the dominance of one man with a part-Asian heritage, the last major of the decade would see the first Asian, a South Korean, ever take down that same champion in dramatic fashion. It may take years to really see the impact of Y.E Yang’s victory at Hazeltine, but when we look back at the landscape of golf over the next ten years, this victory may be the one that changed everything.

3. Phil Mickelson – 2004 Masters- It took a while. Actually, it seemed like it took half a lifetime. Phil Mickelson’s first major win was followed by a collective sigh of relief from the golfing world and finally made a major champion out of “Lefty“. For Mickelson, it was akin to getting not just a monkey, not even a gorilla, but King Kong off his back.

4. Tiger Woods – 2001 Masters- It had never been done before and it may never be done again. It was not achieved by Hogan, or Snead, or Nelson. Not by Palmer or, Watson, or Player. Not even by Nicklaus. By winning the 2001 Masters Woods became the first man to hold all four major championships at once and stamped his place among the greats of all time.

5. Geoff Ogilvy – 2006 U.S Open at Winged Foot GC- Despite Ogilvy chipping-in on the 71st hole, the 2006 U.S Open will always be remembered for “the massacre” that followed. First, Padraig Harrington topped his approach into the 72nd hole, dropping himself from contention.  Then Colin Montgomery made double-bogey from the middle of the fairway and Jim Furyk missed from five-feet, both on the 72nd hole. Finally, Phil Mickelson puts the icing on the cyanide-cake by hitting the wildest drive ever hit on the final hole of the U.S Open, ultimately taking double bogey. Ogilvy, it turned out, was the last man standing.

6. Padraig Harrington – 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale-  The next two majors make my list not because of the winner, but because who almost won. Ten years since he last made a serious run at a major Greg Norman almost became the oldest part-time golfer to ever win a major.  Ultimately he was trumped by the spectacular eagle Harrington made on 71st hole, one of the greatest clutch shots of the decade and the only reason I have placed this tournament ahead of the next one.

7. Stewart Cink – 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry- Like the previous entry, this Open Championship may have been the story of the decade if it had turned out a little different. Sexagenarian Tom Watson captured our hearts for four straight days at Turnberry, but eventually he ran out of steam, or mojo, or pars- which ever way you want to look at it, and succumbed to Stewart Cink in a playoff. With 99.9% of golf fans pulling against him Cink went ahead and accepted the Claret Jug, and his gracious response to the victory and to Watson himself should not be understated- a more deserving major champion may not exist.

8. Shaun Micheel -  2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill CC- Micheel’s win was the second consecutive come-from-nowhere victory in the majors following Ben Curtis at the 2003 Open Championship. Micheel’s win trumps Curtis and makes the list because of the dramatic way in which he won. Clinging to a one-shot lead and with the entire golfing world watching Micheel drew a 7-iron and hit the ball so close to the hole a beginner could have made the putt for birdie and not sweated it. It was simply jaw-dropping.

9. Tiger Woods – 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla GC- There were some great duels down the stretch over the past decade but none can match the one where a journeyman pro took on the greatest player of recent times- and almost won. Over the stretch of six hours that Sunday Bob May gave Tiger Woods all he could handle. That Woods came out on top was not a surprise- that May never once blinked was.

10.  Padaig Harrington – 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie GL- It was supposed to be Sergio Garcia’s Open Championship. He led after all three rounds and looked to have the tournament locked up before he was caught by Steve Stricker, then by Andres Romero, and finally by Harrington. All four players tried valiantly to lose the tournament and at one stage it looked like nobody wanted to take the Claret Jug home with them. Despite two trips to the burn on the 18th hole Harrington prevailed in a playoff and somewhere the ghost of Jean Van de Velde smiled just a little bit.

The Hollywood Foreign Press announced their nominations for the Golden Globe Awards this week and the Academy of Arts and Sciences will be doing the same in a month or so. And while December is a hot month for movies, it is a decidedly slow one for golf. That being said it’s a great opportunity to run through the players who shone brightest in 2009 and who were consequently recognized by the major tours for their efforts. We begin, as we always seem to do when it’s awards time, Tiger Woods.

PGA Tour Player of the Year – Tiger Woods – For the 10th time in 13 years Tiger Woods has claimed the mantle of the best player on the PGA Tour, and even in light of his off-course media attention of late, few would be brave enough to suggest he didn’t earn it once again in 2009. Despite not winning a major this year (the one thing Tiger measures his success by), Tiger went ahead and dominated all comers in 2009, winning the Fed-Ex Cup, the money title and recording the lowest scoring average on tour for the 9th time in his career. His money total of $10. 5M was $4M ahead of second place finisher Steve Stricker and his six wins was more than double any other player on tour.

Yes, he did struggle in the majors by his standards, recording 6th place finishes at the Masters and U.S Open, a missed cut at the Open Championship and finishing 2nd behind the improbable Y.E Yang at the U.S PGA. Despite all this 2009 was a year where things must be kept in perspective. Woods returned from major knee surgery at the beginning of the year, an injury that has taken Ernie Els the better part of three or four years to recover from, and stepped straight back into the role of the game’s most dominate player. With an indefinite hiatus ahead for Woods, 2010 is going to begin the same way 2009 did – amidst uncertainty. But if nothing else, Tiger is still Tiger and 2010 is sure to prove to be a defining year in the great man’s career.

European Tour Player of the Year – Lee Westwood – Ten years ago Lee Westwood was on top of the European golfing mountain. He was the Order of Merit winner, a Ryder Cup star and had climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings. By 2002 Westwood was languishing outside the top 250 in the world. He was frustrated and discouraged with his golf game. In his own words he was lost. This year Westwood showed just what hard work, patience and a strength of will can do. Trailing 20-year old Irish supernova Rory McIlroy into the last tournament of the season at the Dubai World Championship, Westwood went ahead and played the tournament of his life, shooting an absolutely flawless eight-under, 64 in the final round to claim a six-shot win in the event and leap-frog McIlroy to win the inaugural Race to Dubai. For a player who as been close in multiple majors the past two seasons, the win reaffirmed many pundit’s beliefs that Westwood is a player on the cusp of greatness.

LPGA Tour Player of the Year – Lorena Ochoa – She may not have done it in the same dominating fashion as in recent years, and she may have found a new challenger to her crown as the best female player I the game, but Lorena Ochoa is still had the LPGA Tour player by which all others are measured. Although she finished 4th on the final money list, $400,000 behind rising star Jiyai Shin of South Korea, Ochoa’s three wins and Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average were enough to give her the nod for the fourth consecutive year in the POTY points-based system . It took a final hole birdie from Ochoa at the Tour Championship to hold off tour freshman Shin in what may have been the best and most under-appreciated finish in a non-major event in golf in 2009.

LET Player of the Year – Catriona Matthew – While many women are still on maternity leave less than three months after giving birth, Scot Catriona Matthew was back at work and on her way to winning her first major championship, the Ricoh Women‘s British Open. Punctuated by a five-under, 67 in the second round, the 15-year veteran was the only player to finish under par at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. She finished the tournament at three-under, three shots clear of runner-up Karrie Webb. Matthews is the first Scottish player to win the LET POTY and just the fourth Brit in the 30-year history of the award.

PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Marc Leishman – The Aussie became the first player since Charles Howell III in 2001 to win ROTY honors without winning a tournament. “Leish” finished 20th on the final Fed-Ex Cup points list and 47th on the final Money List, rubbing shoulders with the game‘s best throughout the playoffs.

European Tour Rookie of the Year – Chris Wood – After bursting onto the scene and contending late on Sunday at the 2008 Open Championship, Wood went ahead and did the exact same thing in 2009 at Turnbury. He eventually finished T3 and also made the exclusive field for the Dubai World Championship at the end of the year.

LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Jiyai Shin – Few rookies have dominated golf in recent years like Shin did in ‘09. After winning 10 of 19 events on the 2007 Korean Tour and the 2008 Women‘s British Open, Shin transplanted herself to the LPGA Tour in 2009 and continued her rise to greatness, winning three times, more than any other player on tour and leading the tour in money earned.

LET Rookie of the Year – Anna Nordqvist – After a stellar amateur career in both Europe and the on the American collegiate circuit Nordqvist made a massive impression on the world of golf in 2009, winning the LPGA Championship, a major, in just her fifth start on tour. She would cap off the year by winning the Tour Championship and representing Europe in the Solheim Cup. It was a resume that would have put Nordqvist in contention for the POTY award most other seasons, but behind Ochoa’s consistency and Shin’s year-long hot streak, she had to settle for third-best on the LPGA Tour. The LET ROTY award was her consolation for a strong first-year campaign.

Most of the endearing images we have from the Masters are victorious ones: Jack Nicklaus raising that huge, black putter head in the air as he birdied 17 on the way to an improbable victory in 1986. Nick Faldo putting his hands above his head in disbelief as he knocked over Scott Hoch in the rain and mist in 1989. Hometown boy Larry Mize flipping his visor off his head, and running across the 11th green as he celebrated his improbable chip shot in 1987.

These players all provided us with long and lasting memories that will echo through history. But they all have one other thing in common; all three of these men had to go through the same player to win. All three men took down Greg Norman.

Norman’s trials and tribulations at Augusta are not news to anyone. He has come so close so many times at the Masters he probably deserved at least a sleeve of a green jacket, a lapel maybe. As an Aussie, I grew up cheering for him in every single event he played, but as April rolled around every year the talk around the clubhouse would begin in earnest, “Is it his year?” is all we wanted to know. Unfortunately, the answer was always, “no”.

That fateful year of 1996 when Norman shot a course-record 63 in the opening round, before collapsing in a heap as Nick Faldo methodically and ruthlessly won his third green jacket, was one of the hardest things I have ever had to watch. It was like watching a car crash. Into your house. In slow motion. Only more painful.

But following his sublime performance at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale last year Norman has played his way back at Augusta for the first time since 2002. One must imagine driving down Magnolia Lane would produce some conflicting emotions for Norman, a man who, at times, looked like he wanted to win at Augusta almost too much.

“I’m going back because I love it,” Norman said last week. “I love playing there. I love the people there. I love the establishment there. It’s just a good feeling for me.”

Those good feelings aside, a lot has changed in Norman’s life since that last Augusta start seven years ago. His very public and messy (not to mention expensive) divorce from wife Laura was followed by an even more public marriage to tennis great Chris Evert.

“A couple of people really wanted me to go (to Augusta), and Chrissie has never seen the Masters,” Norman said. “So to get her there and to see what I think is the greatest golf championship, and my favorite tournaments of all time, was another factor, as well. I think the reaction is going to be incredible, to tell you the truth.”

Many of his fellow competitors are happy to see Norman back as well. One such player is the current world No. 1 Tiger Woods. As an amateur Woods played several practice rounds with Norman, taking notes from the Shark that he put to good use later in his career.

“It’s amazing,” Woods said. “For someone who’s had such a great career and come so close, you almost feel like he has won the tournament – even though he hasn’t – because he’s been there so many times. I don’t know how many second-place finishes, but he’s been so close so many times. And it’s hard to believe he’s not in the locker room.”

“I think if anyone ever deserves to win a Masters, it’s Greg Norman,” said fellow Aussie Robert Allenby, one of seven in the field this year. “And that would be a fairy tale, that’s for sure, if he went out there this year and won it. But you know, it will be nice to see him there.”

He may not be the red hot favorite like he was back in his prime, but you’d be hard pressed to find a more deserving winner. Not many fans believe he can contend at age 54, almost a full decade since he last contended at Augusta National, but that won’t stop the 2009 Augusta patrons from cheering him every single step of the way. Greg Norman is a part of Augusta folklore, synonymous with the Masters, for better or worse.

What do you get when you combine the tee at the par 3 12th at Royal Birkdale with the green at the par 3 7th ?

Welcome to the newest hole at Royal Birkdale!

Fantastic video production by Red Bee Media and direction by Toby Crawford. Post production was done by Concrete.

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The awards keep flowing for Ireland’s Padraig Harrington. The reigning British Open and PGA Championship champion has added to his vast 2008 honours list after being named Player of the Year for men by the Golf Writers Association of America.

Harrington has already won the prestigious PGA Tour Player of the Year Award as well as the European Tour’s Shot of the Year.

His newest award certainly ranks among the most prestigious and most respected of honours because it is given by those who are among the fiercest critics of golfers – the media.

He also ended world number one Tiger Woods’ three-year winning streak, garning 184 votes to 58 for Woods. Fijian Vijay Singh collected three votes.

Harrington has had a stellar year by successfully defending his Open title and then battling injury to win at the PGA Championship.

The 37-year-old became the first European to win two straight majors in the same season and fifth golfer in the past 20 years to double up in majors over a calendar year.

Woods, who won the US Open in an epic 19-hole play-off, was unable to play in the final two majors of the year but there is no denying that Harrington fully deserves his latest accolade: Tiger, or no Tiger.

Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa was voted women’s Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association, thanks to her seven victories in this year’s LPGA Tour and a second major title at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

She has taken over as the successor to Sweden’s newly retired Annika Sorenstam. Ochoa has held on to her world number one ranking and led the tour’s money list with more than $2.7 million in prize money.

She collected 232 votes to easily beat second-placed Paula Creamer, who gained 13 votes. In third place was Taiwan’s Tseng Yani, who received three votes.

Jay Haas took the honours in the senior category to become the first player to win three straight awards.

Haas won twice on the Senior PGA Tour this season, including the Senior PGA Championship. He finished second on the money list behind Bernhard Langer.

His victory was closer than for the other categories as he earned 115 votes to Langer’s 79. Eduardo Romero was third on 50 votes.

His ball laying 249 yards from the hole, the imposing thought of Greg Norman lurking two strokes behind him prompted Irish Padraig Harrington to take out his five-wood earlier this year at the British Open.

Little did he know at the time that the incredible shot that saw the ball land just three feet from Royal Birkdale’s 17th-hole flag would win him The European Tour Shot of the Year prize for 2008.

Harrington converted the eagle-putt for a final round of 69 and a four-round total of 283, which gave the 37-year-old his second straight Open triumph.

In a dominant year for Harrington, he also won the US PGA Championship. The Dubliner described on the European Tour website exactly what was going through his mind when he made the decision to go for the green instead of laying up. He said:

“I was worried if I laid up and made par, I was giving Greg a great chance to get within one shot of me, and one shot is not comfortable in any shape or form going down the 18th. Once I hit it, it was perfect. It’s one of the few times I think I’ve ever heard my caddie say good shot to me before the ball is finished.”

Harrington admitted he would have been happy simply to have the ball land on the green. The fact that it was only three feet from the hole was a major bonus.

That was not his only prize in the Tour shot awards. Harrington also took third place for a tee shot to eight feet that helped him to a birdie-two on the second-last hole of the US PGA Championship.

The runner-up was Graeme McDowell, for his seven iron at the third hole of a play-off with India’s Jeev Milkha Singh at the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

Indian Jeev Milkha Singh emerged from a stellar field that included Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els to win the $5 million Singapore Open at Sentosa Island over the weekend.

The son of a former Olympic runner shot a final round of two-under-par 69 for a total of seven-under 277 and a one-stroke victory over Irishman Harrington and South African Els.

Harrington, who has won the British Open and PGA Championship this season, closed with a 70 for his 278 while Els completed a 71 on the last day.

Australian David Gleeson and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy tied for fourth on 279, one ahead of Korean Charlie Wi.

Then came Dane Thomas Bjorn and Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat, on 281, with Mickelson following them on 282 after his closing round of 75.

Jeev is a product of the Asian Tour and has since successfully adapted to the European Tour, winning several high-profile events.

His victory in Singapore was worth $792,500 and should be enough to ensure that he ends the season on top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He said on the Asian Tour website:

“I could not have asked for more honestly – I think I am a very fortunate man to win, those boys put a good effort out there, Ernie and Padraig. The golfing gods are on my side so I am breathing much better now.”

Jeev started the final round five strokes adrift of the leader but charged up the leaderboard and hung on despite two late bogeys.

Three-time major winner Harrington missed a five-foot birdie chance on 18 that would have forced a play-off.

Els did the same thing on the 18th, except from 15 feet as he settled for his second runner-up effort in this tournament.

On the LPGA Tour, soon-to-retire Annika Sorenstam lipped out with an eight-foot birdie attempt on the 18th, allowing Angela Stanford to win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Playing in her penultimate event before retiring from the pro scene, multi-major winner Sorenstam totalled 12-under-par 276 after her round with Stanford shooting three-under 69 to finish on 275 and earn a one-stroke victory.

Sorenstam tied for second with Brittany Lang while tournament host Ochoa, the world number one, settled for 14th place at four-under.

Padraig Harrington may have lost in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf event in Bermuda earlier this week, but there is no denying the impact he has had on the sport this year.

And as a reward for his achievements, highlighted by victory in the British Open and PGA Championship, the Irishman has been named PGA Player of the Year.

The world number four becomes the second European to win the title, thanks mainly to the two major titles he won this season.

The last European player to receive the award was England’s Nick Faldo, who walked away with it in 1990.

The award is given based on a player’s overall performance, including tournament wins, Order of Merit standings and scoring average.

Harrington dominated the latter part of the major season, successfully defending his Open title at Royal Birkdale before winning the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, becoming the first European winner of the event in 78 years.

Tiger Woods, who has won nine PGA Player of the Year titles, was out of the reckoning this year despite winning the US Open.

World number one Woods was forced to skip the rest of the season because of a knee injury that he aggravated on his way to winning at Torrey Pines.

Meanwhile, Harrington was beaten by American Jim Furyk in a play-off at the Grand Slam tournament in Bermuda.

Furyk sank an eight-foot eagle putt to win at the first extra hole, relegating Harrington to his second straight runner-up position after he was beaten by Argentina’s Angel Cabrera in a play-off last year.

Furyk and Harrington completed 36 holes of regulation at four-under-par 136 at The Mid Ocean Club, both scoring two-under 68 in the final round.

South Africa’s Retief Goosen, a two-time US Open champion, carded a 71 to finish third at one-over 141 and fellow South African Trevor Immelman, the US Masters winner, was a further four strokes adrift after scoring 69.

Furyk replaced Woods in the field and was rewarded by his second title, having won the same event in 2003.

Tiger Woods has congratulated Padraig Harrington for his PGA Championship victory, while at the same time expressing frustration that he wasn’t there to battle it out with the Irishman.

Writing in his newsletter, Woods said he watched some of the action unfold at Oakland Hills last week when Harrington won his second straight major after the Open at Royal Birkdale.

US Open winner Woods, of course, had won the PGA Championship the previous two times but was unable to compete in the final two majors of the season because of a knee injury that will keep him out of action until at least next season. He wrote:

“I watched some of the PGA Championship and want to congratulate Padraig Harrington on his wins at the British and PGA. As a two-time defending PGA champion, it was a lot more frustrating not to be competing and that hurts the most.

“The thing I miss the most about not competing is the fight. I’ve gone through this experience before, so I knew what I was in for. I know I’m in no condition to beat anybody right now, so I don’t have a problem with not being able to compete.”

Woods is happy with his recovery so far but said he would not be able to even attempt a swing until next year.

Meanwhile, Harrington’s victory last week bodes well for defending champions Europe at this year’s Ryder Cup.

Nick Faldo’s team not only have a bunch of Europeans, led by Harrington, itching to win in the United States’ backyard but they won’t have to contend with Tiger – not that Woods has ever been a major factor in team events.

But two-time Open winner Harrington is likely to be the target of American players according to some reports.

PGA Tour player Boo Weekley said in a Belfast Telegraph article that there will be a queue of Americans eager to take him on. Said Weekley:

“He’s got a target on his back – yes, sir. I want to beat anybody I tee it up against and it would be an honour to beat him. I’m ready to go out now. It doesn’t matter who Paul puts me against.”

However, golfing legend Jack Nicklaus is still backing the US to reclaim the trophy at the Valhalla Club on the course he designed. He said his only advice to US captain Paul Azinger was to let the players “go out and play”.

If he hadn’t done so already at last month’s British Open, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington sealed his status as a true golfing heavyweight with his epic and draining victory at the USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

Battling through 36 strength-sapping holes on the final day, and then scrapping with Spain’s Sergio Garcia in a tussle reminiscent of their 2007 Open play-off, Harrington won his second straight major title by two strokes.

Rain had washed out most of Saturday, which meant the players had to fight through two rounds on Sunday.

Harrington went into the third round seemingly out of the reckoning, having shot a 74 in the second round to follow up his opening 71.

However, he saved his best for last with successive four-under-par 66s to complete the 72 holes in three-under 277, two ahead of Garcia and former Open winner Ben Curtis.

Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson were tied for fourth at one-over 281, with Steve Flesch along on 282.

Phil Mickeslon and Andres Romero both ended on 284 for joint seventh. India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, the first-round leader, and Korean Charlie Wi, who emerged as a contender on the final day, had to be satisfied on 285, along with Alastair Forsyth and Justin Rose.

But the day belonged to Harrington, who has done what no other European has achieved since Scotland’s Tommy Armour in 1930, and that is lift the Wannamaker Trophy, to go with the two Claret Jugs that he has already won.

Harrington himself was totally mystified by his ability to overcome his Open “hangover” and claim two straight major titles, last achieved by Tiger Woods in 2006. He said in a RTE Sports article:

“It is totally different to The Open. I was very confident in The Open. Here I hit some of the wildest golf shots ever hit on a golf course on Friday. In the end it was a lot of sheer willpower.”

Just as he had at Carnoustie in 2007, Garcia played a major role in ensuring an enthralling conclusion to the 90th PGA Championship.

That won’t make him feel any better, though, as the end result was the same, with Harrington all smiles and Garcia dejected, having come so close again to winning his first major title.

Garcia effectively lost it at the 16th when he hit an approach into the water. Still recovering, he missed fluffed an easy putt on the 17th to allow Harrington to take control. Said Garcia:

“If a couple of things had gone differently, we would have been talking differently. But they went Padraig’s way, not mine.”

Still, it would have taken some courage to beat Harrington. These were not easy conditions and two 66s was an amazing feat, even for the absent Tiger Woods.

Also, it was more than just a two-man race with Curtis, the 2003 Open champion, going into the fourth-round with a one-stroke lead over Stenson and American JB Holmes, who had put himself into contention at the halfway stage.

And indeed, Curtis appeared to be blowing away the opposition as he went four under after only six holes. But he came back down to earth around the turn with three bogeys that brought he field back.

Harrington was fairly subdued in the early holes of the fourth round following his sizzling third-round 66.

A bogey on the fifth was followed immediately by a birdie. It was after the turn that he really started to come to life.

He fired birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th to stride alongside Garcia at three under as the tournament took on a matchplay feel.

Then came the decisive 16th, where Garcia’s ball fell in the drink with his second shot after it bounced off the green. Harrington fell into a greenside bunker and then blasted 25 feel past the hole.

The Irishman then holed the as Garcia bogeyed and both players were involved with a three-way tie with Curtis.

Garcia then lipped out on the 17th as Harrington nailed the putt, while Curtis fell one behind. On the final hole, Harrington, putting first, parred to ensure victory and Garcia, knowing the title was beyond reach, only managed a bogey.

Greg Norman was again in contention at an Open event but, like before, failed to land the top prize as American Bruce Vaughan fought back from nowhere to win the Senior Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Norman birdied five of the first seven holes on the final day but failed to sustain his charge, finishing tied for fourth.

Vaughan, meanwhile, beat compatriot John Cook in a sudden-death play-off to take the $315,000 first prize, the biggest pay cheque of his career.

Vaughan recovered from three shots off the lead as Cook’s early advantage disappeared. He then rolled in a 15-foot putt in the play-off to win his first senior major title.

After a trying two years during which time he underwent six operations on his left knee and had two partial replacement procedures, the 51-year-old, who closed with a 70, was grateful to be holding aloft the trophy.

Apart from beating Cook and Norman, he also got the better of fellow Kansas native Tom Watson, Bernard Langer and Ian Woosnam, to name a few. He said on the European Tour website:

“The money’s great, because I’ve had problems with my knee and haven’t been able to play much for a long time. You know, I just kind of was biding my time waiting to get out here because I thought I could play out here. Until you win, you’re just another player. It is a special win with the players in the field. I mean, look how good Greg played last week. Tom Watson as well – you know Tom is legend where I’m from.”

Norman, a two-time Open champion, came close to winning the British Open last week when he led going into the final round. But defending champion Padraig Harrington came up trumps on the final day to take his second straight title.

Cook finished with a 71, reviving the agonising memory of his Open loss to Nick Faldo at Muirfield 16 years ago when he squandered a two-stroke lead with two holes left.

Argentina’s Eduardo Romero was third on 279 while Langer was a further stroke behind after his 68. Norman and Gene Jones also shot 68 to tie for fifth with Watson, who closed with 70.

The European Tour, meanwhile, was in Moscow where Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg won his second Russian Open after a final round of 68.

The 2005 champion completed his four rounds at 21-under-par to score a two-shot win over Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara at the Le Meridien Moscow Country Club.

Tied for third place was England’s Benn Barham and Norwegian Jan Are Larsen.

Lara tagged Lundberg for most of the final round, even taking the lead after the eighth. But a bogey on the ninth and some great recovery play from Lundberg enabled the Swede to go into the 18th hole two shots ahead.

Across the pond, Chez Reavie won his first PGA Tour title when he closed with a one-under-par 70 to win the Canadian Open by three strokes from Billy Mayfair.

Reavie finished 17-under-267 for his victory, which was worth $900,000 and also enabled him to qualify for next week’s World Golf Championship as well as the final major tournament of the season, the PGA Championship.

Mayfair managed 68 in the final round while Sean O’Hair also fired 68 and Steve Marino made 70 to tie for third at 13-under-par. Canadian Mike Weir finished with a 69 to end up a further stroke behind.

Anthony Kim moved into the top 10 of the world rankings after tying for eighth place. Kim finished seventh at last week’s Open at Royal Birkdale having already won twice on the PGA Tour this season.

On the LPGA Tour, Helen Alfredsson defeated a player more than half her age over three play-off holes to win the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Baines, France.

The 43-year-old Alfredsson won her sixth title when she overcome Choi Na-yeon, 20, in the play-off after fighting back from four shots off the lead earlier in the day. She also set a tournament record of nine-under-par 63 in the second round.

Alfredsson and Na finished on 15-under-par 273 after the Korean closed with 66. World number one Lorena Ochoa, of Mexico, was fifth on 12-under.

As the challengers fell away on Sunday afternoon it looked like it was going to be a case of last man standing. Then Padraig Harrington reminded us why he is such a great champion. Harrington was four under for the last six holes and that included some of the best golf of the week. And his five wood into the 17th green was the shot of the championship – perhaps the finest shot in an Open for sometime.

That shot confirmed what, by then, we already suspected. Harrington, dogged, determined and inspired in equal measure, was going to retain his crown. In doing so he became the first European since James Braid to win back to back Claret Jugs.

James Braid clinched his back to back victories at St Andrews in 1905 and Muirfield in 1906. He’d already won at Muirfield in 1901 and went to capture two more titles at Prestwick in 1908 and St Andrews in 1910. That’s a record Harrington might like to emulate.

Like Harrington, Braid could actually be called a late starter: Harry Vardon and John Henry (JH) Taylor – Braid’s colleagues in golf’s Great Triumvirate – had won three Opens apiece before Braid won in 1901. In fact they had both won back to back triumphs: Taylor in 1893 and 1894 and Vardon in 1898 and 1899.

James Braid was born in Fife. Despite their proximity to the Home of Golf his parents displayed little interest in the game and the young James was taught by his older cousins. Trained as a carpenter, and skilled in finding and refining discarded second hand clubs, Braid developed his trademark style of forceful golf at the Elie links.

As an amateur he was offered the post of clubmaker at the Army and Navy in London. His success in the role, combined with good results in amateur tournaments, persuaded him to turn professional in 1896. He immediately made his presence felt on the professional circuit and finished second behind the English amateur Harold Hilton in the 1897 Open.

Like so many golfers before and after him, however, Braid’s fine long game was let down by a distinct lack of reliability on the greens. That changed when he cast off his wooden putter and began using a new aluminium model.

The simple change of equipment sparked a phenomenal 12 year stretch that included those 5 Open wins, another runner up place in 1909 and British PGA victories in 1903, 1905, 1907 and 1911.

Braid retired from competitive play in 1912 and became professional at Walton Heath in Surrey, where he remained until his death in 1950. As a course designer Braid was the architect of the Kings and Queens Courses at Gleneagles and helped remodel Carnoustie. It is thought that he designed or redesigned some 200 courses in Britain: although much sought after he was unable to work in America because of a fear of flying and motion sickness. He is also credited with inventing the “dogleg.”

As the Great Triumvirate Braid, Vardon and Taylor won 16 Opens between them and were instrumental in establishing the model of the modern professional golfer in Britain. Braid himself was a founder member, and later president, of the British PGA.

His great friend and rival JH Taylor described James Braid as “loyal, trustworthy and sincere.” Braid was a true giant of the game. To follow in his footsteps is to walk in exalted company. After the last week Padraig Harrington does not look out of place in Braid’s shadow.

There is something about injuries and winning a major this season. Padraig Harrington was only 75 per cent confident of completing 72 holes of a brutal British Open at Royal Birkdale because of a wrist injury.

In the end, it was not percentages but sheer guts, talent and determination that not only allowed him to last all four days, but helped him win his second straight Open title.

As for the wrist? Well, that was strong enough to raise the Claret Jug, having earlier helped him to a final round of one-under 69 for a total of three-over-par 283 and what turned out to be a comfortable four-stroke victory over England’s Ian Poulter, who also shot 69.

There was only going to be one fairytale at a windy Birkdale and the story of Greg Norman, attempting an unlikely major at 53, faded in the first three holes of Sunday’s fourth round as three straight bogeys wiped out his overnight two-shot lead.

Norman finished tied for third on nine over with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson after closing with 77. Stenson had a 71.

Jim Furyk and English amateur Chris Wood tied for fifth on 10 over, two ahead of a group of nine on 12 over 292. This included South African Ernie Els, whose closing 69 made him the only golfer apart from Harrington to shoot under par more than once in the tournament.

It was only an opening round 80 that stopped Els from being a contender.

Harrington became the first European in more than 100 years to win back-to-back Open titles, having enjoyed his first taste of major success last year at Carnoustie.

While Norman was a sentimental favourite, there was no lack of applause and kudos for the 36-year-old Irishman, who said in an AP article:

“I did say to him (Norman) coming down 18 that I was sorry it wasn’t his story that was going to be told. I did feel that, but I wanted to win myself. In this game, you have to take your chances when you get them. Obviously, winning a major puts you in a special club. Winning two of them puts you in a new club altogether.”

The Australian, a two-time Open champion, is only a part-time golfer these days, devoting more time to his course design business and his sometime appearances on the Senior Tour.

He also recently got married to former American tennis great Chris Evert. The last time he was in contention for a major was in 1996 when he famously collapsed in the last round at the US Masters, losing a six-shot lead and allowing Nick Faldo to sneak his sixth major.

As everyone knows, this is not the first time Norman has fallen in the final round with a major within his grasp. Will this go down as a choke? Maybe.

But more likely, it will be remembered as a time when Norman turned back the clock to entertain thousands on the course and millions watching on television. He said:

“I walk away from here disappointed, but with my head held high, because I hung in there. Where does it rank in those? Probably not as high as some of the other ones. Quite honestly, I’m sure I surprised a lot of people.”

Despite having a two-shot lead going into the par-five 17th, Harrington knew it was a great chance for Norman to get back into it with an eagle. As it turned out, Harrington nailed an eagle himself thanks to a glorious five-wood that stopped four feet away from the hole.

That gave him a four-stroke lead and pretty much sealed the title. Harrington admitted before teeing off on Thursday that his wrist injury would have forced him to withdraw from any other tournament. On the contrary, it turned out to be an excellent red herring for him, removing the pressure of being the defending champion.

“It was a great distraction for me. It took a lot of pressure off me. It took a lot of stress off me. The fact that I didn’t play three practice rounds like normal for a major was a big bonus. I was very fresh going into the weekend, and this 36 holes was a real battle.”

According to his good friend Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods has been watching the Open on television, as a golf fan.

If so, then he must be as excited and intrigued as all of us on how things will eventually pan out at Royal Birkdale this weekend.

Greg Norman, KJ Choi, Padraig Harringon and the new kid on the block, Camilo Villegas have provided viewers with plenty of potential storylines that could turn into fairytales.

Greg Norman, as we all know, is the original “Tiger” in terms of wooing the fans. Norman was world number one for many years and had the presence and charisma to carry a tournament on his own.

That he is back in contention, at the halfway stage and at 53 years old,, has turned the clock back for those fans who watched him dominate all those years ago.

Asia, meanwhile, is keenly watching KJ Choi. For long, golf writers in Asia have been mechanically pining for an Asian golfer to make a major breakthrough.

And what an appropriate venue for Choi to become that Asian golfer. It was at the 1971 Open at the same venue, that Taiwan’s affable Mr Lu came close before falling to American Lee Trevino.

Halfway leader Choi has a clutch of PGA Tour victories to his name and knows how to win, though he’s going to have a lot of competition.

And that could come from Colombian Villegas, the youngster with the movie star looks who is only a major away from becoming a big-time star on the circuit.

His spectacular 65 to take him to one-over at the halfway stage, two strokes behind Choi, was great to watch. Him, and players such as Anthony Kim, are certainly looking like forming the next generation of players trying to topple Woods.

For Irishman Harrington, the fact that he is only three off the pace after two rounds is amazing. The defending champion wasn’t even sure if he could last four rounds because of an injury that nearly forced him to pull out.

After a 68 in the second round, the last thing probably on his mind now is to withdraw.

Also part of the script is David Duval, a former Open champion who suffered a Baker-Finch-esque slump after his 2001 victory. He is tied with Harrington and is looking to revive his career.

That doesn’t cover all of them. There are plenty of other challengers who can emerge. Tiger will be watching very carefully.

Should we be dismissing this Open already? No Tiger Woods. No sunshine. No low scores (Camilo Villegas and his awe inspiring 65 aside). Will 2008 turn out to be an Open aberration? Will we be whispering shamefacedly about this like we do about Carnoustie ’99 or day three at Muirfield in 2002?

Of course we won’t. Or at least I won’t. Sure the weather’s grim and it must be a bit miserable for spectators (What’s the best way in this weather? Tramp over the course or choose a grandstand and give the rain a sitting target?) but, get this, golf is an outdoor sport.

If you play an outdoor sport in Britain – even by the sea in July – you’re going to get your fair share of wind and rain at some point.

The scores aren’t great. But it’s a bit like watching football: if you see Manchester United beat Grimsby 10-0 at a sunny Old Trafford you can be left speechless by their attacking verve and scoring genius. But if you see Manchester United grittily grind out a result against Chelsea with the rain lashing down at Stamford Bridge on a Tuesday night you can be equally impressed by their resoluteness, their determination to get the job done.

So it is in golf. Bobby Jones used to talk about his battles with old king par. The battle is the same at a blustery Birkdale or a sunny St Andrews. It’s how you win the battle that is different.

Some of the shots made yesterday were fantastic. Some of them weren’t so great. Some of the players pulled down their hats, zipped up their waterproofs and got on with it. Others looked out of place and miserable. So be it. That happens.

Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson struggled. There is a reason for that: neither is close to being in their best form. They can paper over those cracks when everything is perfect but, as they showed yesterday, that’s a lot more difficult with the wind and rain lashing at your swing.

Greg Norman has been the star of the show so far. At 53, newly married, friends with at least one President and, essentially, the full time of CEO of his own company, Norman hardly plays the game. But he rolled back the years. Why? Because he has nothing to prove, because his game is not dictated by coaches, analysts and psychologists. A strong wind can’t throw all his preparations into meltdown.

Tom Watson is another. Old school, gritty, determined, Watson can do no more about the weather than he can roll back the hands of time. So he just puts the head down and gets on with it. Not the worst weather Tom has played in. No, that was Muirfield, 1980, first round. He shot 68. Take that, all you young guns.

Padraig Harrington is another great story: rated only 50-50 to play, unable to complete a practice round on Wednesday, scared to shake the starter’s hand with his injured arm and playing in the worst of the weather. Rather easy to surrender to the conditions you’d have thought. But Harrington is defending champion and he wanted to show it. In the worst of the weather his 74 was brave and determined.

David Duval: the former champion, now languishing somewhere in the high 900’s of the world rankings, who woke up, looked out the window and said “oh, jeez.” And then shot a 73, which probably qualifies as his best competitive round for years.

Jean Van de Velde: A 73 on Thursday and a 71 on Friday to safely make the cut in his first Open since 2002. A plucky effort for a man so ravaged by injury that his aim each year is to make the Open and the French Open. Anything else is a bonus.

An unfair test? No, a different test for sure but one that still throws up surprises, inspiration and flashes of genius. To read some of the reports and listen to some of the commentators you would think that the weather has turned the Open into a lottery. Anyone who has ever played a links course in bad weather would tell you that that is not true.

Some holes will reward bravery. Some will reap rewards for going safe. Shots will change from hole to hole, a long iron here, a short iron there. Okay so it’s not golf as we normally recognise it but it’s still golf and it still takes guts, determination and a hell of a lot of skill.

And, more than that, it makes it compelling viewing. Because, thanks to the weather we have berated, we’re likely to have a whole heap of players in contention come Sunday and every single one of them will have a chance of nicking the Claret Jug.

So far, I am loving it. And, from the comfort of my armchair, I’m going to enjoy the rest of it as well. Whatever the weather.