TURNBERRY, Scotland -- As Nick Price walked up to the 17th green of the British Open to survey his 50-foot putt for an eagle, he smiled at his long-time caddie, Jeff Medlen, and said, "We haven't made a long putt all week, let's give it a shot."
In the end, Sunday's shot was heard around the world of golf, a shot that would be a death blow to the hopes of young Jesper Parnevik, 29, the Swede who had made a fatal mistake by not looking at a leader board until it was far too late.
It was a shot that traveled about 17 paces slightly downhill and broke some six to eight inches from left to right before dying on just about the last roll into the right side of the cup. It was a shot for an eagle 3 on the 498-yard par-5 hole that vaulted Price into the lead at long last in the 123rd British Open. And when he made one final two-foot putt for as perfect a par as could be expected under the most extraordinary circumstances, the silver Claret Jug was finally in his possession.
"In 1982, I had my left hand on this trophy and in 1988 I had my right hand on this trophy," Price, a native of Zimbabwe, told the thousands ringing the fairway and up in the bleachers during an emotional victory ceremony. "Now I've finally got both hands on it and boy, does it feel good."
In 1982, Price squandered a three-stroke lead in the final six holes, allowing Tom Watson to win at Royal Troon. In 1988, he battled Seve Ballesteros all the way around before succumbing at Royal Lytham. But on this day of hazy sunshine and high drama down the stretch, Price persevered, winning his fourth tournament this season, his second major and a winner's share of $176,000.
With a final round that was saved from a nightmarish disaster by remarkable salvages of par at the 13th and 14th holes, Price concluded his fabulous four-under 66 the way players are taught, and the way champions are supposed to respond.
It was birdie at the 16th, eagle at the 17th, par at the 18th for a 12-under score of 268 and his fourth round in the sixties this week. Far more significant, it provided a one-stroke margin over Parnevik, the stunned Swede who shot 67-269 and thought he had to birdie the 18th hole to win, when only a par was necessary. Because he made the same no-peeking-at-the-scoreboard mistake that was almost as costly to young Ernie Els in his U.S. Open victory last month, Parnevik decided to play for the flag instead of the far-safer, wide-open middle of the green at the 432-yard 18th.
Parnevik pushed himself into the lead with three straight birdies starting at the 11th, with two more at the 16th and 17th. But now at 18, after his tee shot left him 150 yards from the green, his wedge aimed at the pin came up just short, landing deep in a tuft of grass. Taking a slightly uphill stance, Parnevik played his third shot as if it was a bunker blast. But the ball came out softly, kicked slightly to the right and stopped about six feet from the pin.
He barely missed that one last putt for par. When he looked up at the scoreboard, he realized how foolish he had been.
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