What is happening to golf when the big names, (Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els), come up flat and short, and the new guy, (Graeme McDowell), wins? The backroom bookies are at work? No. The TV elves are juicing up the drama to keep things exciting? Nope. So what's the answer?

When the veterans fall part and a rookie steps up to take the roar of the crowd, the veterans are trying to hard, second guessing themselves. Tiger is trying too hard to beat Jack Nicklaus's record. Phil Mickelson is trying too hard to get out of the Tiger's shadow. A win at the Open would have meant that he would have finally stepped up into the light himself. Ernie Els was trying too hard to beat both Tiger and Mickelson, and all three of these very good and veteran golfers finished the day by beating themselves.

Don't want to take anything from the winner, Mr. McDowell, because to keep ones head, to stick to ones game, while others are losing their heads and their game, is an achievement, and to win the US Open, a major golf tournament, is something for the memoirs.