Each week, GolfChannel.com takes a look back at the week in golf. In this edition of After Further Review, our writers weigh in on another banner week for the LPGA, Colin Montgomerie’s improbable new hobby of winning senior majors, and Justin Rose’s likelihood of ending his struggles in the British Open.
If the LPGA were a publicly traded stock, the price would be soaring yet again. All its star power is glowing, with so many big-name winners, and yet even when a star doesn’t deliver on the game’s grand stages, the fairy-tale story is too compelling to ignore, as is the case with Mo Martin’s victory Sunday at the Ricoh Women’s British Open. If you could hold stock in the LPGA, you would have relished seeing Michelle Wie win the U.S. Women’s Open, given what she can mean to the women’s game. You also would have relished seeing an American (Stacy Lewis) rise to No. 1 in the world, Americans winning 11 of the first 17 events of the year and yet international stars galore making it interesting. Really, Inbee Park’s historic run winning the first three majors a year ago started this magical run in the women’s game. If the LPGA were a stock, it would be blue chip. - Randall Mell
Here’s a sentence that’s never been written before: Man, that Colin Montgomerie just won’t stop winning majors!
Here’s one that undoubtedly has: Those infamous Golf Gods work in mysterious ways.
Before reaching the age of 50, Colin Montgomerie spent the entirety of his adult life chasing an elusive major championship. On several occasions, he got close enough to taste victory, only to feel the burn of heartache when it was over.
Majors don’t mean quite as much on the senior circuit, but the fact that Monty now has two in a row is either the Golf Gods’ greatest act of reparation or their cruelest joke. Or maybe it’s a little of both. - Jason Sobel
Justin Rose is the best player without two majors. If it seems ridiculous to dole out such a label, consider that the Englishman will enter this week’s Open Championship having won back-to-back tournaments following his playoff victory at the Quicken Loans National, his sixth PGA Tour triumph, and Sunday’s windblown walk-off at the Scottish Open. It’s also worth pointing out that the major that means the most to Rose, this week’s Open, has historically been the one where he has struggled the most. As a professional, he doesn’t have a top-10 finish in the game’s oldest championship. That anomaly, however, seems destined to end, as well as his status as the best player without two majors. - Rex Hoggard
