Winners and Losers, 2009 British Open

For most, the 2009 British Open will be the story of "What if ... ?" What if a couple of putts had gone this way or that? What if the wind hadn't blown or someone had pulled a 9-iron instead of an 8-iron, or had a little more confidence over the short putts. But if you remove the what ifs, and look at the final results, who were the winners and losers from the Open Championship? Read on to find out ...

Winners

Stewart Cink -- Normally, the champion lands a spot under the category. A lot of people might think he fell into this win the same way Geoff Ogilvy did at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but Cink had to make some big putts coming in, including the birdie putt on his 72nd hole after failing to convert on the par-5 17th. His fist pump after the putt drop said it all. Cink played the four-hole playoff 2-under, and birdied three of his final five holes of the Open.

Cink was on the short list of "best player never to have won a major" and erased that with some gutsy putts on Sunday. Sure, he might not have been the people's champion, but Cink is one of the good guys on tour and deserved this as much as anyone in the field. Plus, more inside looks at what a British Open champion deals with!

Tom Watson -- One club choice. That was all it was. Watson said that while he was on the 18th fairway, needing a pair to claim his sixth Claret Jug, he initially felt the right club was a 9-iron. But Watson, being the wise, seasoned veteran he is, didn't want to try and over-swing at a shot he needed to win a major championship at 59 years of age. Watson hit the eight, and it was too much, and he failed to get up and down from a place few people got up and down from all afternoon. After that par putt went begging, you just knew it was over. Sure, you hoped he'd pull it out, but you somehow knew that he wouldn't.

But Watson did something for golf that few people in the game can do. He made us forget about Tiger Woods. He made us shift our conversations away from another failed attempt by guys like Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey. He was the story at a course that he won at in 1977, at a tournament 32 years later that he had no right to be leading. Sure, he didn't win, and it was a pretty sad moment for all sports fans that he didn't, but you can't help but applaud his efforts. And while I don't know what else to add, I can promise you that there was a caddie, somewhere in the sky, looking down on Tom, applauding him as he finished up on Sunday.

Watson's run was more than an attempt to win. It was living evidence that golf is the best sport in the world.

Chris Wood -- Seriously, does this kid ever finish out of the top-10 on his home turf? Wood, just 21, has played in two British Opens and has finished in the top-10 in both. The Englishman (Englishboy?) shot a final-round 67 and was one bogey on the 18th away (he was in the same spot as Watson a couple of hours earlier) from making the playoff. Wood, who is 6-foot-5 and might weigh 145 pounds soaking wet, looks like he could be a Ryder Cup-per soon, and obviously doesn't get rattled in major championships. A pretty solid performance from a young guy looking to break through.

Turnberry -- There was a lot of talk about this golf course not being a great British Open venue. In the Duel in the Sun, Watson and Jack Nicklaus went around this course like it was a pitch-and-putt. After an opening round that saw 50 guys break par in perfect weather, the winds picked up and showed that Turnberry is a true test of links golf. It has some stern golf holes, but fair ones, and concludes with a "must birdie" 17th and a tough 18th that forces players to hit precise golf shots to even sniff a par. Next year we get St. Andrews, but Turnberry is just as solid a test as any of the venues around. I hope the R&A returns soon enough.

Losers

Tiger Woods -- It really took me a couple of re-watches of Tiger's second round to fully grasp what the commenters around these parts had pointed out -- Woods looked like a baby this week at Turnberry. You never hear me bash Tiger because, frankly, he is the best in the world at what he does, but his conduct at Turnberry was pretty self-involved. Slamming clubs, hitting his bag, tossing 5-woods, screaming any curse word possible for all to hear. I know we all get frustrated on the golf course (trust me, I'm as bad as anyone), but at some point Tiger is going to have to realize that his attitude does more than just express his disgust at his current situation. It turns people off of golf. Off the course, Tiger is probably the most cautious athlete alive, making sure not to say anything to turn eyes away from his brand. Lately, I wish he'd bring a little of that onto the golf course.

Lee Westwood -- Another major championship that has left Westwood shaking his head as he drives down the winding two-lane highway away from Turnberry. Lee, who was in command at the British Open, bogeyed three of his final four holes, including one at the 18th hole that kept him out of the playoff. This is the second time in just over a year that Westwood has failed to convert on the final hole to sneak in to a playoff, dating back to the '08 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Does Westwood have the game to win a major championship? It appears so. Does he have the mindset? That still seems to be the big question.

Michael Campbell -- Well, there are bad attitudes (like Tiger displayed on the golf course) and then there is just bad sportsmanship. Campbell, the 2005 U.S. Open champion who finished t-3 at the British in 1995, withdrew for the fourth time in a tournament last week at the British after being 20-over. Campbell, who also pulled out of the Players and missed the cut at the Masters and U.S. Open, can't keep doing this, mainly because it's a waste of a spot for someone that might actually finish the tournament. In junior golf, if you withdrew from a set number of tournaments, you were disqualified from certain bigger events. Maybe the PGA Tour needs to implement something like that for major championships. It's a shame that players are sitting at home while Campbell starts playing poorly and decides he's doesn't want to finish. Quitting sure does make you look bad.

Curtis Strange -- Even while some people thought TNT did a poor job on Thursday and Friday, I was surprisingly content with their coverage. The commentary was good, but not overkill, and they showed a lot of golf and focused on the right groups. ABC is the opposite of that, and most rests with Mr. Strange. Countless times on Sunday, Strange would nail home that this putt was "VERY IMPORTANT," which most sports fans understand since it is the back nine of a major championship. Guys would hit shots to 20 or 30 feet, and Strange would act like his kid had just won an Olympic medal. Maybe relax a hair, Curtis, and just give us solid commentary from a guy that has been there before.