Goosen puts panic button away to win the U.S. Open

By Clifton Brown

TULSA, JUNE 19.For Retief Goosen, Monday wasn't only about winning. It was about redemption. It was proof that his confidence wasn't shattered by his meltdown on Sunday on the 18th green, when he missed a putt from 18 inches, a gaffe that temporarily cost him the U.S. Open and forced Monday's 18-hole playoff against Mark Brooks.

Goosen had two choices - either win or spend his career trying to live down one of golf's all-time blunders. So on a picturesque day at Southern Hills Country Club, Goosen conquered his demons, routed his opponent and at age 32 won his first Major championship.

Taking the lead for good on the seventh hole, and dominating the match from that point, building a five-stroke lead with three holes to play, Goosen held on for a two-stroke victory with an even-par 70.

It was the first 18-hole Open playoff since 1994, when Ernie Els defeated Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts. Retief Goosen (pronounced Ra-TEEF GOOSE-en) became the third South African to win America's National championship, joining Gary Player (1965) and Els (1994 and 1997).

Goosen, who anglicised the pronunciation of his last name and has friends who call him Goose, received a phone call of encouragement from Els on Monday morning, then displayed toughness and talent. Goosen recovered from awkward positions early to save par on several holes, and he one-putted 8 of the first 10 greens.

Brooks, Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Tiger Woods will remember this Major as an opportunity that slipped away. But Goosen will remember it for prevailing after a terrible three- putt from 12 feet on the final hole on Sunday.

``I've learned a lot about myself this week, and I know that I can handle a little bit of pressure,'' said Goosen, who won $ 900,000. ``I felt like I needed to win this today somehow, from what happened yesterday.''

Brooks was simply not his best on Monday, despite being given a second chance to win a tournament that he figured he had lost on Sunday. Though he birdied the par-4 No. 3 to take a one-stroke lead, Brooks made only one other birdie all day. He missed fairways, his usually reliable short game was inconsistent and he missed crucial putts.

Goosen relied on his irons off the tee, and his short game was superb. Goosen got up and down for par on the first three holes, something he did regularly in the tournament. And once Goosen built a five-stroke lead with eight holes to play, Brooks sensed Goosen would not fall apart.

``I hit a bad tee shot on No. 7, No. 9 and No. 10, and that was kind of the big deal,'' said Brooks, who won the 1996 PGA Championship, his only Major, and his last victory on the Tour. ``He built the big lead, and I couldn't put any pressure on him.''

Goosen, a veteran European Tour member who entered the tournament ranked No. 44 in the world, won his first Major before higher- ranked players like Mickelson, Duval, Sergio Garcia and Montgomerie. He was a member of the international team for last year's Presidents Cup and finished tied for 12th at last year's Open.

Though millions watched replays of his mistake at No. 18 on Sunday night, Goosen never saw it, going back to his hotel room, and by his account, sleeping for almost nine hours.

A four-time winner on the European Tour, Goosen was convinced he was playing well enough to win, and Monday he proved it. ``I was more nervous yesterday than I was today,'' Goosen said. ``I knew I had a 50 per cent chance of winning.''

Goosen evened the match at the par-3, 175-yard No. 6, hitting a splendid 8-iron tee shot to 6 feet, then making the putt for birdie. Then at the par-4 No. 7, Brooks made a bogey, hitting a poor tee shot into the right rough that forced him to hack out short of the green. After pitching onto the green, Brooks missed his 10-foot attempt for par, and Goosen had a lead he never relinquished.

Then came a two-shot swing on the difficult par-4, 374-yard No. 9, which Goosen birdied and Brooks bogeyed. Brooks hit another errant tee shot well into the left rough near the base of a tree. Brooks had the option of hitting sideways back into the fairway, but he elected to hit a low shot forward, under tree limbs and toward the green. But the tree trunk restricted his backswing, and he hit a weak shot that traveled only 15 yards and remained in the rough.

Brooks couldn't get up and down for par from there, leaving Goosen with an opening. Goosen's second shot at No. 9 landed 20 feet left of the pin, leaving him with a difficult left-to-right downhill putt for birdie. Goosen surveyed the break, hit a solid putt and dropped it into the hole.

Goosen swung the momentum even more in his favor at No. 10, when he birdied and Brooks bogeyed, giving Goosen a five- stroke bulge. From there, Goosen protected his lead, and Brooks squandered two opportunities for birdies - missing a 6-foot putt at No. 15 and an 8-foot putt at No. 16.

Goosen displayed little emotion after, but acknowledged that his emotions were churning. He had done something that hardly anyone had expected when the tournament began. And after 90 holes and five days of nerve-testing golf, he had done it the hard way.

``It hasn't quite sunk in yet,'' Goosen said. ``I'm looking forward to the rest of my career.'

- New York Times News Service

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