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A16 sports
Wednesday 20 July 2022
Major disappointments belong to more than McIlroy

By DOUG FERGUSON Brookline for the U.S. Open,
AP Golf Writer he narrowly missed a 15-
The trouble with winning so foot putt on the final hole
much so early is that the to force a playoff.
losing can feel worse than One player stands out over
it really is. the others, and it’s a prod-
The British Open stung Rory uct of expectations. Jor-
McIlroy, even if he said it dan Spieth knows the feel-
wasn’t life or death. It might ing. He won the Masters
have hurt even more than and U.S. Open, was one
his 80 in the final round of putt away from a playoff
the 2011 Masters. He was at St. Andrews for the third
only 21 back then, without leg of the Grand Slam, and
a major, when talent ex- was runner-up in the PGA.
ceeded expectations. That’s a once-in-a-career
But then he won a U.S. Open performance in the majors.
with a record score at Con- Spieth was 21, in his third
gressional later that year. year as a pro. Good luck
He won the PGA Champi- living up to that, though it’s
onship the following year a nice problem to have.
at Kiawah Island. And two Does it make it worse or
years later, he added his Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 14th hole during the final better that McIlroy was the
name to the claret jug at round of the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Sunday only player to finish in the
Royal Liverpool and won July 17, 2022. top 10 at all four majors
another PGA Champion- Associated Press this year without winning?
ship just four weeks apart. even less right. Imagine he should have won. that was only good for a sil- The last player to do that
Four majors in four years. having a share of the 54- It only felt that way be- ver medal. was Rickie Fowler in 2014,
Only three other players in hole lead in a major, hit- cause so many wanted He will have just as many a distant memory because
the previous century had ting every green in regula- him to win. “what if” moments as Mc- Fowler hasn’t won a major
that many at age 25 or tion and still not winning. Save a thought for Cam- Ilroy. And that’s just from (and now is on the verge of
younger — Bobby Jones, McIlroy two-putted every eron Young. St. Andrews. Young, the falling out of the top 150 in
Jack Nicklaus and Tiger green. He had two-putt He drove into the gorse on best PGA Tour rookie this the world ranking).
Woods. birdies after reaching the the reachable par-4 ninth year, also made a three- There is some truth to Mc-
McIlroy is now 33 and still par-5 fifth in two and driv- and turned a look at birdie putt double bogey on the Ilroy’s immediate assess-
has four majors, not to men- ing the green on the par-4 into a bogey. Young missed 16th hole to finish one shot ment Sunday evening. He
tion some gray hair around 10th. a 6-foot birdie chance on out of a playoff at the PGA was beat more than he lost.
the edges. His popularity is The hole really appeared to the 15th. He wasted a big, Championship. Smith shot 30 on the back
just as great now as it was shrink when Cameron Smith bold tee shot on the 16th Will Zalatoris wasn’t a fac- nine — Jack Nicklaus (1986)
then, if not more. ran off five straight birdies when his wedge came tor at St. Andrews. He had and Gary Player (1978) did
Disappointment? Sure. to start the back nine and up short and rolled down to settle for a pair of runner- that when they won the
McIlroy now has gone 30 took the lead. “I had to dig he ridge. His two shots on up finishes in the majors this Masters — and his 64 was
majors since winning his last deep to make birdies and I the 17th were better than year. the lowest closing score by
one. Perhaps more surpris- just couldn’t,” McIlroy said. McIlroy’s, only to leave his Zalatoris three-putted from an Open champion at St.
ing is the British Open was Just don’t get the idea McIl- birdie chance short. And 20 feet on the 16th hole at Andrews. Among the great
the first time during that roy was the only player who needing something special Southern Hills in the PGA closing rounds in Open his-
drought he was atop the left St. Andrews — along to have any chance, he Championship. He wound tory, it rivals the 65 by Phil
leaderboard after 54 holes. with two other majors this drove the 18th green and up losing in a playoff to Mickelson when he won at
He did little wrong, and year — feeling as though holed a 15-foot eagle putt Justin Thomas. And then at Muirfield in 2013.q

Tony Clark appears likely to stay on as

baseball union head

ers’ Association of Ameri- director of collective bar- all ballot at 26-12 for ratifi-
ca on Tuesday. gaining and legal. cation. Clark said voices
Now 50, Clark took over The union’s key decisions are heard from lower-paid
as union head in late 2013 are made by a 38-man members of the union.
following the death of Mi- executive committee, “The veteran players were
chael Weiner. Clark led which includes an eight- the most vocal players
the union during labor ne- man executive subcom- about improving the sys-
gotiations in 2016 and dur- mittee. Seven of the eight tem for the younger play-
Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director ing the deal in March that members of the executive ers,” Clark said. “They rec-
Tony Clark answers a question at a press conference in their
offices in New York, Friday, March 11, 2022. followed a 99-day lockout. subcommittee made $12 ognize the changes that
Associated Press The new agreement ex- million or more in 2021 and were happening in the
pires in December 2026. the other made $3.5 mil- game and they recognize
By RONALD BLUM “There’s a lot of work that Bruce Meyer headed the lion. While the executive because they are in the
AP Baseball Writer needs to be done, and I day-to-day bargaining subcommittee voted 8-0 clubhouse with the young
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony am more than committed during the most recent against approving the five- players and wanting to let
Clark appears likely to stay to continue to do it,” the talks and was promoted year contract, team player them know that they had
on as head of the baseball former All-Star first base- last week to deputy exec- representatives voted 26-4 their back when sitting
players’ association. man told the Baseball Writ- utive director from senior in favor, leaving the over- down to negotiate.” q