British Open Notebook

Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 17, 2011

Associated Press
The British Open notebook …
And to think that six weeks ago, Sergio Garcia wasnít even eligible for the U.S. Open or British Open.
The 31-year-old Spaniard changed his mind and entered the 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier, not only getting into the field at Congressional but finishing in a tie for seventh.
Then he got into the British Open at the last minute, when he lost a playoff in the BMW International Open in Germany. His earnings in Germany, along with what he won in the U.S. Open, was enough to finish among the top two on a special money list for players not already exempt. He put that to good use Sunday, closing with a 68 to finish among the top 10.
That should be enough to make him eligible for his first World Golf Championship of the year next month at Firestone.
Itís safe to say his fortunes are changing.
ěItís great,î Garcia said. ěI think the U.S. Open and Munich were very, very important because that was my last chance to get here. Iíve said it over and over again, this is my favorite championship of the year.î

APPRECIATIVE: Phil Mickelson had to settle for his seventh runner-up finish in a major, although there was some consolation in seeing Darren Clarke on his way to his first major championship.
Clarke’s wife, Heather, died of breast cancer in August 2006, just a month before the Ryder Cup in Ireland. Nearly three years later, Mickelson’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“He was one of the first people that called us, Amy and I, a couple years ago,” Mickelson said. “He’s been through this and couldn’t have been a better person to talk to. We talked for a few hours a couple of times. He’s a tremendous person and a very good friend, and I couldn’t be happier for him. It was fun to try to make a run at him.”

LONG TIME COMING: Clark went 54 starts in the majors ó and 20 in the British Open ó before finally winning one.
That wasnít the longest stretch of futility, though.
Tom Kite holds the record by playing in 72 majors before winning his first one in 1992 at the U.S. Open.