Every week of the 2011 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors and join the conversation in the comments section below.
CLARKE FINALLY GETS AN OPEN
John Garrity, contributing writer, Sports Illustrated: Darren Clarke, whose career seemed to have gone off the boil some years ago, has won the 2011 British Open by three strokes over Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. Is the five-time Ryder Cupper's first major victory a triumph of will, or did Clarke simply regain his form?
Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: I'll go with a triumph of will along with a bit of good fortune. The guy hasn't been a threat in a major in years. Don't know how many players regain their form at that age. Even Clarke admitted that he got lucky with the draw on Thursday and Friday. He got a couple of nice bounces on Sunday, but he was also the most solid. Very deserving.
Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: Seemed like right guy, right time, right course. Lots of solid shots, good bounces and clutch putts, but I don't think he gets those everywhere. Great win, but I don't see him becoming any sort of force.
Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group: Clearly a return to form, but nonetheless a complete stunner. I thought Clarke was through years ago. A very popular win in Europe, and among tour pros on all continents. Clarke is one of the good guys in the game.
Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Clarke had the lowest score this week on a very tough golf course. In the final round, he made fewer mistakes than others on the leader board.
David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com: Clarke had to play in some tough weather and with pressure for the better part of two days, and he held together wonderfully. Every major winner has to combine good play with a little good fortune. Clarke was rock-solid and will be a really popular winner. I'm happy for him.
Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: It was a return to form by Clarke, who was as cool as could be on Sunday, and there's no question that these Irish guys are feeding off each other's major wins. Harrington, Harrington, Harrington, McDowell, McIlroy, Clarke isn't a coincidence.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: Was just out listening to Dustin Johnson, who mentioned Clarke's succession of made 6-to-10 foot putts early in the round. The guy looked so shaky with the putter early in his round Saturday, but he really buckled down Sunday. D.J. and Phil both said they tried to start making things happen because they didn't think Clarke would waver, and that's when the Americans began to fall apart.
Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: He's a classic case of his kids getting old enough to get interested in golf and rekindling his own interest in playing because they drag Dad to the course. Maybe now he will, or has, realized his potential. He seemed pretty satisfied to live a good life of cigars and wine and expensive cars, and now he's got the biggest win of all.
Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: A magical one-off. No one will ever enjoy an Open triumph more, which is good, because the form won't last.
Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Golf.com: The BBC announcer had a great line as Darren walked off with the jug to pose for pictures: "That trophy is going to take a hammering." I expect it'll be filled all night for the after-party.
Stephanie Wei, contributor, SI Golf+: I think it was his will and a return to form. I didn't have much faith in his stroke going into today, but his putting was impressive, and he hit the ball beautifully in the wind. His form was there. I saw him on the practice green working with mental-game coach Bob Rotella earlier in the week, and he said later that really helped. His attitude seems to have been right as well.
PHIL'S WILD RIDE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
Garrity: Philly Mick went out in 30 to grab a share of the final-round lead, but he spit the bit down the stretch and finished tied for second. Am I crazy to think that Mickelson still has a couple of heart-stopping, head-scratching, did-he-really-do-that major victories left in him?
Morfit: This was a near exact replica of what he did in the final round of the 2009 Masters, only then it was 30-37. He has so much talent it's scary, so yes, I think it's reasonable to expect he'll win another major somewhere. Maybe next month at Atlanta Athletic Club. He seems to like the place.
Godich: I don't see why not. This week's showing will only embolden him. Majors are what Phil has left to play for. He'll win one or two more, as long as he doesn't outthink himself.
Herre: I'm troubled by all the short putts Mickelson missed. That can be a sign of deterioration. I think he can win more majors, but he's on the downside now and probably can't be counted on to regularly contend.
Hanger: I agree. He's so prone to missing short putts now that it seems unlikely. Maybe another Masters or two since he's so comfortable there, but both the Opens just seem to require too sustained an effort.
Van Sickle: I also don't see Phil winning another major until he fixes his short putting, if he's able to. He says he hasn't been himself for a few years, is just starting to feel like the old Phil again, and the putting is the last thing to come back. However, he's also in the over-40 age group, where putting skills tend to diminish. Phil lost this Open because of five missed short putts. He proved his tee-to-green game is good enough to win anywhere. I think he'll win again.
Shipnuck: A career Grand Slam is still in play. He found something this fortnight in how to prepare and how to navigate the linksland. I can't wait to watch him in the next few Opens.
Evans: Phil can win into his early 50s. He's that good.
Godich: His ball-striking is so good that he might lap the field at one of these majors. Then those four-footers won't be so critical.
Garrity: How does he fix his putting? Hire a third coach?
Hanger: Shave about 10 years off his age.
Van Sickle: He's already got Dave Pelz and Dave Stockton. The big question is whether there's a bigger issue behind his short misses, like the Y-word, or if it's just some technical error that can be corrected. Not many guys putt great into their 40s. That's just a fact.
Gorant: The thing about a lot of those misses is that they didn't look like pushes or pulls, just misreads. Starting them too far outside the hole.
Dusek: In other words, over analyzing. Has Phil ever been accused of doing that?
Godich: How many of those putts is Bones helping to read? The only thing worse than having one guy overanalyze is having two guys overanalyze.
Shipnuck: He actually made more putts than he has at previous Opens. In these winds a lot of guys were shaky over the ball.
Van Sickle: Obviously, Phil's long putting was pretty good. He lit up the front nine, and in fact lipped out putts at 8 and 9 that would have given him a 28. But the short ones are dogging him. He also could've won in Phoenix this year but kept missing short ones.
Herre: The wind does make it tough to putt, but we're talking about three-footers here. Phil's not in Ernie Els territory yet, but he's headed there. And I don't think there's anything he can do about it.
Van Sickle: I think The Claw comes in a lefty version.
Tell us what you think: Can Mickelson win any more majors? If so, how many?
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