Tiger Woods smoothly retains Claret Jug with British Open cruise

There was no more playing around with his prey for Tiger Woods on Sunday. Cool and clinical, he executed his game plan and extinguished the opposition with the greatest of ease. So unfortunately in the end we didn’t get our tough battle of the giants. As I feared, Sergio Garcia blew up almost immediately as did Jim Furyk, Ernie Els stuttered soon after, and Chris DiMarco came to life too late to land a serious punch.

There was never a point Sunday where I felt Tiger was in any real danger. He was just so focused and controlled, almost like a robot. It wasn’t great golf in the sense of a nail-biting competition, but it was a wonderful exhibition of precision golf. I really did feel privileged to have been able to watch it.

So we gave up a bit by trying to take Tiger on at the start. For once he got the better of the first three holes - indeed he was unlucky not to score two birdies there and then. Since no one else looked up for a fight I decided to about turn and cover myself as best I might after the third. I then became too engrossed in Tiger’s round to want to bother with top five markets or the like. Television, kettle chips, yogurt (don’t ask) … heaven.

What I also found interesting Sunday was the performance of those two Argentinians, Angel Cabrera and Andres Romero. And that was some really sharp putting from the Japanese Hideto Tanihara - let’s see some more of him please.

And lastly, but by no means least, a requiem for English golf, which died somewhere between a Rock and a hard Wall on the fields of Hoylake this weekend. Did anyone see any of them actually turn up? Mind you, DiMarco, Furyk and Sean O’Hair apart, the Americans don’t seem too happy with their overall performance.

One aspect of American golf I really wish had not made the Atlantic crossing is the constant shout of “get in the hole” after every shot. Give it up guys, it’s really REALLY boring and about as childish as those protest ink/flour/whatever bombs thrown on the 18th green by Fathers 4 Justice protesters. They couldn’t possibly be blokes. What bloke would do that to a golfing green?

Last laugh was again with a forumite who asked the inevitable aftertiming question about the champion’s opening price: “Tiger six to one … has there been a better bet EVER?”

“Yes,” came the inevitable reply. “Eight to one after he bogeyed the first.”

Touche.