Remember the British Open, when that crazy young Argentine, Andres Romero, played crazy golf, then gave it away on Hole # 72? Cue Graeme McDowell at the Volvo Masters. McDowell led on Thursday with 68, then didn’t resurface until Sunday on hole # 71, where he made a double-freakin’ eagle to take the lead! He then double-bogeyed 18 to fall out of the lead, into a tie for 4th.

Remember Padraig Harrington giving it away, then taking it back and winning? Well, Harrington gave it away with a nondescript, one-over 72, that included three bogies and two pars. Blaaahhhh! After proclaiming the Order of Merit so important, that was all Irish could give? For shame.

Call in Simon Dyson, a Brit who did nothing more than birdie holes 68, 70 and 71 on his way to a 69 and a one-stroke victory. Trouble was, Dyson couldn’t par # 72, and finished with 70, in a three-way tie with Soren Kjeldsen and …

Cue Justin Rose, who began the back nine with a four-stroke lead. The worst closer since a younger Lorena Ochoa, Rose went double-par-single-single on holes 65-68 to drop out of the lead. Rose birdied seventeen, then bogeyed 18 to go to playoff.

The endgame? Rose birdied playoff hole # 2 to win the tournament and the Order of Merit title from the absent Ernie Els. Bad golf, brilliant golf, steady golf…that’s the way a tournament should finish. Bravo Volvo Masters!

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