We at Longshot Apparel are glad to report that The British Open came out tall and American this year, two things that are close to our hearts. The top five contenders for the victory stand 6’1” and taller, and three were American. Irishman Darren Clarke standing tall at 6’2” took home the Claret Jug and whopping $1,405,078, (he had been waiting for the victory for 20 long years). Following behind Clarke was American Phil Mickelson (6’3), American Dustin Johnson (6’4”), Dane Thomas Bjorn (6’2”) and American Chad Campbell (6’1”). No slouches in that bunch.
Mickelson took runner-up again, for the seventh year in a row, but still played his unpredictable nature to bring the game close. Mickelson and Johnson still cashed a check for $689,737. Johnson had a double-bogey shot that might have cost him the tournament, but coming next to Mickelson isn’t something to be too upset about. Bjorn won the first round lead, and took fourth this year to cash the check at $419,416. Not too shabby. Lastly, but not least, Campbell has a personal best finish in the fifth spot and has shown continuous improvement in recent years. Campbell shared fifth place with shorter Anthony Kim (5’10”) and Rickie Fowler (5’9”), all taking home checks of $293,105.
These winners beg the question: Is golf, like tennis getting taller? Think about it though, being taller would give an advantage in strong winds, wider swing and maybe uneven ground to cover. But I’m not sure if height matters over the mind games on the putting green, other than the subconscious confidence height can bring. The clubs need to be fitted specially for the tall; otherwise things could get a bit messy on the driving range. This year, the height definitely brought confidence and cash, as well as triumph to our top five winners.
If Golf is getting taller, maybe Mickelson will stretch to victory, who is predicted to be nine feet tall by age 70.
