Human Golfers at the US Open

The playoff between Texan Mark Brooks and South African Retief Goosen to determine the winner of the 101st US Open Champion is under way. At stake is not only the championship, but the exemption from qualifying and advertising opportunities that come with being the US Open champ. But the big story, the story the USGA should expand on is the humanness displayed by the leaders Sunday. It was the mistakes that were made and the fact that many of the mistakes weren't overcome that showed America and the world that these men are human. It had to give every high handicapper pause to think that golfers at the top of their game in one of the largest tournaments in the world were making the same bad shots that any hack can make.

Maybe I have grown so used to watching Tiger Woods grind the field down, major after major this past year. His focus, steel nerves and mechanical-like play down the stretch at last years open, the British Open, the PGA and the Masters made him seem almost superhuman. Frankly it was getting boring. Don't get me wrong, Woods is an amazing golfer and athlete and a very deserving champion. But watching Phil Mickelson fade in the fourth round of every major under the relentless pressure had been played.

The leaders gave back a little to all of the golfers out there who struggle week after week just to break 90. It was refreshing to watch the pros struggle to make shots, to 3 putt greens and miss fairways at least for one day.