Retief Goosen has a way of getting in the way of history.
You may recall that Tiger Woods went to Southern Hills in Tulsa for the 2001 United States Open, riding the crest of four major championships in a row, with the entire world predicting he would make it five.
At the end of the week, though, Goosen had emerged from relative obscurity to snatch his first major.
Fast-forward to eastern Long Island and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. It's Sunday and Phil Mickelson is in a New York state of mind. He's basking in -- wallowing in --the love he's getting from the Big Apple golf fans who have adopted him as their own.
Coming so close on the heels of his Masters breakthrough, it doesn't actually occur to Phil that somebody might beat him.
That somebody? Why, the quiet, unassuming Retief Goosen of course.
"I thought it was going to be my day," Mickelson said.
It very nearly was. Having chased Goosen all day long, Mickelson made his third birdie in four holes at 16 to grab the lead at four-under par on as difficult a day of golf as he could remember.
But the lead was fleeting. With Goosen watching from the 17th tee, Mickelson made a fatal double-bogey and the South African slammed the door.
Goosen is one of those people who just tunes out the world when he's working. His facial expression rarely changes. Good shot? Bad shot? It's all the same. And with the huge gallery screaming Mickelson's name all over the course, it was exactly the kind of response that was needed.
"I'm pretty used to it by now," Goosen said. "I respect that he's a great player and everybody would like him to win.
"In a way I just block it out and carry on with my own thing and play my own golf. I accept it because I know if I was playing in South Africa, they'd be rooting for me."
THING OF BEAUTY
Goosen's own golf is a thing of beauty when he's on and he certainly was on his game this weekend. Most of the players in the field couldn't remember a more difficult golf tournament. The setup simply was outrageous. The greens couldn't have played any faster.
While all around him players were falling off the leaderboard, Goosen simply ground it out. He opened with a birdie at the first hole, then followed with a bogey, then five pars in a row. By that time, his playing partner, friend and countryman Ernie Els had blown his brains out on his way toward a round of 80.
At 14 and 15, after a bogey at 13, Goosen made crucial par saves while Mickelson was trying to track him down. Goosen bent but didn't break. When he won at Southern Hills, he learned a valuable lesson when he three-putted from about five feet on the 72nd hole to let Mark Brooks into a playoff. Goosen won the playoff easily.
"This time I wasn't letting my guard down,' he said. "I know now it's not over until it's over.
"They say the first (major championship) is the toughest but I'll tell you, the second one is just as tough. I think it's just experience and self-belief that makes you stay in the hunt."
Mickelson had that same feeling until Goosen closed the deal. The fact that he has a major championship of his own was not much consolation.
"You know, it's just as disappointing as it was thrilling to win the Masters," he said. "To come very close, to play so hard for 72 holes and play better than everybody except one guy, is disappointing.
"It's my third second-place finish in this event and it's a championship I really want to win. It's no consolation to have a Masters title in my pocket."
For that he can blame Goosen, who has an appreciation for history. Both making it and preventing it.
