What a match! The British Open was completed yesterday rather than Sunday due to torrential rain that closed the “Old Course” on Friday, not to mention gale-forced winds that stopped play on Saturday as well. In the end, Zach Johnson, Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen, all #13 FCIRs, engaged in a four-hole playoff for the Claret Jug, with Johnson coming out on top, joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus (#8 BEIL), Tiger Woods (#10 BCAR), Sam Snead (#13 FCIR), Seve Ballesteros (#5 FEIR) and Nick Faldo (#7 FEIL) as the only players to win the Masters and a British Open on the Old Course.
Wow, was Zach emotional afterwards, finding it hard to say anything at all! “I can’t. I’m at a loss for words,” he stated with tears in his eyes. Indeed, #13s can be the most emotional especially when meaningful reality suddenly strikes them. (This capability also makes them elite Hollywood actors.) “I’m grateful, I’m humbled, I’m thankful. ‘m honored, this is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much in sports, specifically this tournament and golf. It hasn’t set in yet… I felt great, I was patient, I had some scripture going in my head and I thank the Lord, I thank my friends, I thank my family. I’m just in awe right now.”