ESPN.com - Golf Online - British Open 2000 - Around St. Andrews: Couples' regret

By Bob Harig
Special to ESPN Golf Online
Friday, July 21

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- As the years go by, Fred Couples learns to appreciate things more. One of them is the Open Championship, which he missed a year ago at Carnoustie. The excuse given was a bad back. Couples inferred it was due more to a bad attitude.

Friday departures

For Paul Lawrie, it was not much of a defense of his British Open title. He followed an opening-round 78 with a 75 and never had a chance of making the 36-hole cut.

His reign as the Open Champion complete, Lawrie will try to get his game back together. It's a tough year. He missed the cut at both The Masters and Open Championship, and missed the U.S. Open with a groin injury.

"I'm going to go and do a bit of putting somewhere, take a few weeks off and play the British Masters," he said. "My year has been very frustrating. I have been injured more than ever in my life."

Lawrie wasn't the only recent British Open champion to miss the cut, which came at even-par 144. Nick Price (146) and John Daly (148) are headed home, as is three-time winner Jack Nicklaus (150).

Other prominent players to miss the cut included Michael Campbell (145), Hal Sutton (145), John Huston (146), Lee Janzen (147), Carlos Franco (148) and Chris Perry (149).

All of the amateurs missed the cut, with Finland's Mikko Ilonen the closest at 145.

Also missing were past champions Lee Trevino (157), Bob Charles (147), Gary Player (156) and Seve Ballesteros (147), who shot an excellent 69 on Friday.

"It was probably a mistake not coming," Couples said Friday after shooting a second-round 68 at the Open to reach 6-under through 36 holes. "I was playing poorly at the time and I did not feel like coming all this way and continuing to play that way. I did not see what would change if I flew all the way over here.

"I regret it. It's not one of the worst things I've done, but there are only four majors a year.

"Even playing a course like that and finishing 20th is a big deal because you're beating the course. I just felt like the way I was playing and what I'd heard about Carnoustie and what I saw at the time, it seemed like a good move. But you should always go."

On Friday, Couples experienced the uniqueness of the Old Course, although it was something he wasn't too pleased about.

When his approach to the par-4 16th plugged in the bunker fronting the green, he had no play but away from the pin. "I felt like I hit a great shot to get out," he said.

Couples ball ran another 30 feet and was right next to the pin -- on the second hole. "I was 150 feet away," said Couples, who had to wait while those on the second green played out.

"I couldn't hit and the two guys playing with me were probably as frustrated as I was. And they were not making 6," Couples said. "I was making a 6."

A different streak
Women with little or no clothing seem to have a thing for Tiger Woods at the British Open. Last year it was a partially clad stripper who managed to get onto the 18th green at Carnoustie and get close to Woods. On Friday, it was a topless woman who attempted to do the same thing.

This time, however, it was after Woods had putted out. She was detained before reaching the putting surface.

Woods was not pleased.

"Fortunately enough, we were already done, we were already walking off," Woods said. "I don't think that it should happen. And I definitely don't condone it, and it is not right to do that, especially here at the home of golf.

"This is where you should show the utmost respect for the game of golf. I don't think running down the fairway without your clothes on. ... I don't think that showed the proper respect."

Mr. Popular
For much of his career, Nick Faldo has not been received warmly in Great Britain, perhaps because of the way he approached his career with such unwavering focus.

But he has found a resurgence in popularity over his flap with 1999 European Ryder Cup captain Mark James, who criticized Faldo in his recently released book.

Faldo, who did not play in the Ryder Cup for the first time in 20 years and is Europe's all-time leading points winner, has received support from fans the last two weeks. He tied for ninth on Saturday at Loch Lomond.

"I've been conscious of that," Faldo said. "The support I've had over the Mark James issue has been amazing. I'm taking home literally two bags full of mail. I just thank everybody for their support.

"The issue is not dead. It has opened up a can of worms with the tour and it needs to be dealt with."

Quick exit
Lee Trevino made a sentimental journey to St. Andrews to play in the Open Championship for probably the last time. He even had his old caddie, Willie Atchison, carrying his bag.

Atchison worked for Trevino when he won the 1971 and 1972 British Opens. But despite recent success on the Senior Tour, Trevino struggled at the Old Course.

"I've never seen him so nervous," Atchison said. "He was in such a hurry the ball was in the burn at the first (on Thursday) before you could turn round, and we started with a 6. It took about seven holes before it dawned on him we were in the Open.

"I thought he had a good chance of level par or better the way he it the ball in the Past Champions Challenge."

Chip shots

David Toms has three PGA Tour titles and shot a final-round 64 at the 1998 Masters, including a record-tying 29 on the back nine at Augusta National. But he remains one of the more obscure players on the leaderboard. " I guess the only reason maybe a lot of people haven't heard of me is because of you guys (media)," he said. "That's okay. I haven't won a lot of tournaments. I'm 33 years old. I'm not the 20-somethings which a lot of stars are out here. I guess if I continue to play well, everybody will know who I am."

Jack Nicklaus well celebrate his 40th anniversary on Sunday the way he did his wedding day: by playing golf. Nicklaus will play a practice round at Sunningdale near London, site of a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match with Gary Player. "I played golf the day I got married 40 years ago. Barbara didn't mind then. She's certainly not going to mind now," he said.

David Duval, still second in the World Rankings to Woods despite not winning for 15 months, shot 70 to complete 36 holes at 4-under 140 despite severe back pain. "If it were any other event than the Open, I would probably not be playing," he said.

Sergio Garcia moved into contention with a 69 to trail Woods by four shots. It's quite a difference from a year ago, when Garcia shot 89-83 at Carnoustie and finished last. "This is a new British Open. No one is going to shoot 89 at the British Open. And you have to realize that, and that's what I did," Garcia said.

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.

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