Rory McIlroy’s win at the 143rd Open Championship last week at Royal Liverpool was never in any doubt after the storming start he had, but thankfully, it did not even turn into a romp like Martin Kaymer’s triumph at the US Open at Pinehurst.
The final winning margin for McIlroy was two shots, and there were several performances, especially on the Sunday of the championship when the pressure is at its worst, that saw several players inch up to the perfect 10 score that we usually reserve for the champions in our post-major scorecard.
So, here is how we ranked the performances of the some of the leading players at the third major championship of the season.
Rory McIlroy (10/10)
With so many question marks hanging over his game, McIlroy posted a fitting riposte to each one of them. The only thing he was expected to do was play well on Thursday, and then fizzle after a terrible second round.
If Tiger Woods’ 2006 win at Hoylake will be forever remembered for the use of just a single driver in 72 holes, McIlroy’s 2014 triumph was all about how well he used the mightiest club in the bag.
His response to Freaky Friday? Take a 66. His answer to the persistent failures with the putter for the last year and a half? More than 10 clutch saves between 10 and 15 feet – always considered the make-or-break range in professional golf.
And even though he started Sunday with a six-shot lead, it was amazing how he protected that despite not having the best of rounds, and the superb charge by Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler.
Sergio Garcia (9.5/10)
Really, Garcia could not have done anything better that this, and he can consider himself unlucky that there was one player in the field who still played better than him.
The Spaniard tied for second place with Fowler, but we give him a better score because unlike the American, Garcia was fighting several problems, including that unwanted tag of being the best in the world never to win a major, and his history of what happened last time at Hoylake.
Rickie Fowler (9/10)
With two tied second-place finishes in his last two majors and three top-five in his last three, the American is clearly having a fantastic season. It’s never easy to win a major, but as the old saying goes…if you keep knocking on the door, it will open one day – or break down.
Adam Scott (8.5/10)
A third straight top-five at The Open just shows why the Aussie so richly deserves to be the No1 player in the world. And add to that the fact that he played the first two days in the more difficult sessions opposite of McIlroy, Garcia and Fowler, and it becomes even more commendable.
Jim Furyk (8/10)
Second at The Players and fourth in The Open, the American veteran is moving in the right direction. Royal Liverpool suited Furyk well, and he was consistent throughout.
Marc Leishman (8/10)
Along with Edoardo Molinari, the Aussie was the biggest surprise package of The Open. The world No51 put up another memorable major finish (after tied fourth at Masters last year). You do get a sense there is more to come from this quiet man.
Justin Rose (7/10)
Not many fans gave Rose a chance to maintain the amazing form which saw him win the Quicken Loans National and Scottish Open in his previous two starts. But for his final-round 72, Rose did very well to finish tied 23rd.
Dustin Johnson (7/10)
The big American played well in putting himself in contention, but there will certainly be question marks over his ability to deliver at the big stage after yet another miss in the majors.
Henrik Stenson (5/10)
Stenson said the key to doing well at this Open would be to hit fairways. The Swede did that superbly, finding 73.2 per cent of them off the tee. But his reliable iron play was not at his best, and so was his putting.
Martin Kaymer (4/10)
It almost felt as if the German was still in a party mood after his national team won the World Cup the Sunday before the Open. The world No12 looked a shadow of the player who won the US Open so convincingly not too long ago.
Tiger Woods (4/10)
The only thing Woods proved conclusively is that he is fit enough to last four rounds. But after a fighting 69 the first day, the rust just kept showing up throughout the tournament. Surely needs more game time.
Bubba Watson (3/10)
One single triple bogey derailed his campaign, but from American standpoint, the fact that their top Ryder Cup star struggled on links course yet again, would be of great concern.
Ian Poulter (2/10)
Agreed he played with a wrist injury, but this was his best chance to at least make things easier for Paul McGinley as far as the Ryder Cup is concerned. He will surely be one of the wildcards, but the loss of form in such a crucial stretch is worrying.
