The Open is closed

Paddy Harrington and his Claret Jug

Another July weekend and another mesmerizing British Open.

It's the best -- in my mind -- golf tournament in the world and definitely a top 5 stop-down, switch on the TV and watch every second sports TV.

The great thing about the British Open, in this regard, is that the coverage begins at 8 a.m. so you're done by noon or so and you can catch baseball or "That's So Raven."

As for the PGA post-Tiger (as if he's dead), they could not have dreamed up a better situation. For one, the conditions were ripe for some down and dirty golf. That wind was insane and in my limited golf viewing, I've never seen the wind mess with putts as much as it did Saturday and Sunday.

Two, you had some really good storylines throughout. The unknowns (Chris Wood, Simon Wakefield), the grizzled vets (Retief Goosen, David Duval, Ernie Els, Rocco Mediate), the defending champ (Padraig Harrington) and, of course, The Shark.

Essentially, you could bet that just about every website, blog, newspaper and telecast had a lead story every day of the Open ... without Tiger Woods.

The bad part of the Open? The fact that it's over and now we have to look forward to the crummy PGA Championship.

Notes:
1. Maybe the fact that Greg Norman had no business being in contention on Sunday makes him a good story Monday morning. But the fact remains that he came out on Sunday in a Major in 2008 the same way he did in 1986. Bogey, bogey, bogey. Maybe he was tired. However, there is no denying he has a screw loose in the head when it comes to pressure.

2. I was not rooting for Norman. Mainly because he annoyed the crap out of me as a kid in the 1990s with the brightly colored clothing and those retarded hats.

3. Chris Wood looks natural. And he's a mere amateur. Nonetheless, he plays so effortlessly.

4. One reason to love the Open or any difficult course is that the leaderboard can change in a hurry and a guy out of it on Friday can shoot up the leaderboard on Saturday. Look at the scores of some good golfers (Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, Stephen Ames). It's three good days mixed with one really bad, awful day.

5. Love listening to Harrington's squeaky Dublin accent.

6. Harrington's an interesting guy. Almost every time I watch him play, I'm impressed. Certainly two Opens will do that. But he's either placed or tied for fifth twice at the Master's and U.S. Open. He's 37 so two or three Majors are not out of the question.

7. Who else is a fav at the PGA?

8. Ian Poulter -- a master shit-talker -- quietly placed second.