US Open Follow-up: In the lounge of the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown White Plains on Sunday night, Geoff Ogilvy's new status as a major champion was apparent. Quietly unassuming, he signed flags and hats and any other paraphernalia presented to him; and, as any stereotypic Aussie would do, he ensured that the US Open trophy was filled, time and time again, with some celebratory concoction.
Earlier in the evening, Ogilvy, a 29-year-old Australian, was the last man standing at Winged Foot, the only one undefeated by the punishing finishing stretch of holes on the West Course. Ogilvy, who has risen to eighth in the latest world rankings, did what no-one else could manage in the final round: he parred his way in over the last four holes, a final round 72 for 285, five-over, giving him a one stroke winning margin over Phil Mickelson, Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk.
In becoming the first Australian winner of a major since Steve Elkington in the 1995 US PGA, Ogilvy - who had played most of his early career on the European Tour before settling on the US Tour - showed great resilience. On the 16th, he drove into thick rough, could only chip out onto the fairway, but then got up and down for par; on the 17th he again drove into rough and was still 100 yards from the green in heavy rough after playing two. His third shot missed the green, finishing in the first cut of greenside rough.
"Just chip it in, why don't you chip it in?" said his caddie. Which is what Ogilvy did, for par.
On the 18th, Ogilvy's drive finished in a divot. Faced with a 145 yards approach, his shot spun down the steep slope at the front of the green. Thinking he needed to get up and down to finish second to Phil Mickelson, who had yet to have his comedy of errors on the 18th, Ogilvy's chip carried five feet past the hole, leaving him a tricky downhill putt. He made it, and spent the next 20 minutes watching Mickelson's misadventures on the 18th.
Ogilvy, reared on a diet of Greg Norman's golfing adventures, has matured into a world class player.
Earlier this season, he captured the WGC-Accenture Matchplay title (beating four owners of major titles along the way in Michael Campbell, Mike Weir, Tom Lehman and Davis Love) and he had shown a propensity to play well in majors at last year's British Open where he finished fifth and last year's US PGA when he was sixth. He has decided to take a break until next month's British Open at Hoylake.
Of his emergence as a major champion and his development in recent years, Ogilvy remarked: "There was not like a light bulb, it wasn't like an epiphany or anything. It was just a gradual realisation that, for the most part, the best players out here are the best because they're the best mentally. It's just the maturing process." He added: "I don't think this win will change me at all. I mean, I'll be a more confident player and, on my resume, it looks better to know that I did it (win the US Open) . . . hopefully I don't have a post bash major slump."
