| NUMBERS GAME
The Open in Review
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The number of drivers that champion Phil Mickelson carried in his bag on his way to his maiden O p en Championship victory. Lefty eschewed the big stick – as he had done at the US Open at Merion in June – and relied on his 3-wood, hybrid and long irons off the tees at Muirfield. To make up for the missing club, Mickelson added a fifth wedge with 64 degrees of loft.
0.48
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The number of years in a row that The Open has been won by a player over the age of 40. Forty-three yearold Mickelson follows Ernie Els (42 at Royal Lytham last year) and Darren Clarke (42 at Royal St George’s in 2011).
8
The number of top-three finishes Lee West wood has had in major championships without winning one, which is a new record. The Englishman took a two-shot lead heading into the final round only to shoot a 75 and fall out of the
reckoning. The Open was the 62nd time Westwood had competed in a major.
14
It has been this many years since a “home” player won The Open. Third round leader Westwood and Ian Poulter, who carded a fine 67 in the final round, were the top British players, finishing in a share of third.
17
O liver Fisher made this many birdies during the week, which was more than any other player. Fisher, an Englishman, finished the tournament in a share of 32nd. The American trio of
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T he age difference, in years, b et we en Tom Wat son, the oldest competitor at the Open and amateur Matt Fitzpatrick, who was the youngest. Five-time Open champion Watson, who turns 64 in September, failed to make the cut, while 18-year-old Fitzpatrick not only made the weekend action, he also collected the Silver Medal for being low amateur.
61
The reported percentage that Mickelson will be taxed on his Open Championship earnings. Mickelson “won” £945,000, but the United Kingdom’s Inland Revenue will take nearly half of that, while his home state of California will reap the rewards too, claiming a shade over 13 per cent of the total.
75
The cost, in pounds sterling, of a daily ticket at The Open, which many decried as too expensive and the cause of the attendance drop at Muirfield compared to 2002 when the championship was last held here. Official figures put the attendance at 142,000 for the week, a 10 per cent drop. While children under the age of 16 were allowed in free of charge (as long as they were accompanied by an adult), and concessions were given to those aged 16 to 21, there was no discount for seniors.
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B est ball-striking of the week h o n o u r s w e nt to Sw e d e n’s Henrik Stenson, who found this percentage of greens in regulation, the highest of the field. Stenson was also the most accurate off the tee, hitting 80 per cent of the fairways. Mickelson, by contrast, was forced to rely on his short game.
The American found just 64 per cent of the greens, but averaged 29.25 putts per round.
450
The length, in yards, that Charl Schwartzel hit his d r i v e a t t h e 15t h h o l e during the third round which established a new Open Championship distance record. Amazingly, Schwartzel’s ball ended up on the green just six feet from the cup – but unfortunately for the South African he would miss the putt for eagle.
Clockwise from above: low amateur Fitzpatrick; Woods at the eighth, the hardest hole; Stenson led the ballstriking stats; Schwartzel crushed a 450-yard drive; Fisher made more birdies than anyone else; fans stumped up £75 per day for a ticket; Westwood now has eight top-three finishes in majors; Mickelson will likely pay 61% tax on his winnings
AFP
The eighth hole, a 441yard par-4, played this much over par during the week, making it the hardest at Muirfield.
By contrast, the 554-yard ninth ranked the easiest, playing 0.26 under its par of five.
Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker and Harris English tied for second in this particular category with 16.
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