With 2008 over, skysports.com's Mark Kendall picks his players and moments from the last year.
With 2008 over, skysports.com golf writer Mark Kendall picks his key players and favourite moments from the last year
2008 started just as 2007 had finished, with Tiger Woods winning golf tournaments. Indeed, the world number one seemed more dominant than ever as he won on his first four starts of the season.
But the year was to end painfully and prematurely for Tiger as he revealed that he would require reconstructive knee surgery to resolve cruciate ligament damage.
However, that was not before the American had produced one of the most incredible victories of his or any career as he clinched the US Open crown, beating Rocco Mediate in a play-off to notch up major number 14.
A 15-foot putt at the 72nd hole to force the play-off was dramatic enough, but Woods promptly came out after the tournament to confirm he had played all five rounds at his beloved Torrey Pines with a torn ligament in his left knee and a double stress fracture in his left leg.
While Tiger claimed the second major of the year, the first ushered in a new major champion as South African Trevor Immelman produced a nerveless display to win The Masters by three shots from, perhaps predictably, Woods.
The final two were both won by the same man, Padraig Harrington, who went on to be named European Tour Player of the Year, PGA Tour Player of the Year (the first European to do so) and Golf Writers' Player of the Year.
Harrington came with a tremendous late charge to retain his Open Championship crown at Royal Birkdale, then followed it up a month later with an equally impressive triumph at the USPGA Championship, beating Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia into second at Oakland Hills - in the process becoming the first European to win the USPGA since Scotland-born Tommy Armour in 1930.
However, those two major victories were not enough to earn the Dubliner a second European Tour Order of Merit crown as the impeccably consistent Robert Karlsson pipped him at the post after a season that contained two victories and no fewer than 12 top-tens.
Across the pond Vijay Singh struck a blow for the over-40s as he emerged as the winner of the FedEx Cup, although the format proved something of an anti-climax with the Fijian having all but secured the crown before the season-ending Tour Championship by winning the opening two events of the play-off series.
But Singh was merely an interested spectator as attention in September turned to Valhalla and the Ryder Cup where Paul Azinger and his American team ended a run of three straight European wins with a deserved success in Kentucky.
Nick Faldo's European outfit had been hailed as the strongest to ever make the trip across the Atlantic, but Azinger and the vociferous galleries in Louisville inspired the Americans who ended as 16½-11½ victors.
The year also saw the retirement of the greatest female golfer of all time as Swede Annika Sorenstam decided to hang up the clubs after a 16-year professional career that yielded ten major titles.
Player of the Season - Padraig Harrington
No matter how you look at it there can be only one winner in this category - Harrington. Others have certainly excelled themselves; Vijay Singh doing his bit for the over-40s with three big wins, Mr Consistency Robert Karlsson becoming the first Swede to win the European Order of Merit and Tiger Woods, despite missing most of it, finishing 2008 with four victories including his extraordinary triumph at the US Open. However, Harrington still eclipses the rest by some distance after an unforgettable campaign that saw him retain his Open Championship crown at Royal Birkdale and then follow it with another typically courageous win at the USPGA Championship - becoming the first European to do so in the process. The Dubliner has now assured his place amongst the game's greats by establishing himself as a multiple major winner and will rightly look back on 2008 with huge pride.
Most improved player - Robert Karlsson
The Swede has demonstrated in the past he has the game to compete with the very best in the world; indeed in 2006 he finished fourth on the European Order of Merit. However, 2008 saw Karlsson transform himself from contender to arguably the most consistent player on the planet - although a certain Mr Woods might have had something to say about that had it not been for an untimely bout of knee surgery. The 39-year-old amassed no fewer than 12 top-tens en route to the Order of Merit crown, three of them coming at The Masters, the US Open and the Open Championship. A stellar campaign was capped with back-to-back victories at the Mercedes-Benz and Alfred Dunhill Links Championships, whilst he also performed admirably in Europe's Ryder Cup defeat. Karlsson puts his spectacular current form down to a more relaxed attitude, if he can maintain it 2009 could be the year he joins the major winners' club.
Rising star - Martin Kaymer
More than a few candidates for this gong with the likes of Anthony Kim, Ross Fisher and Oliver Wilson all worthy of mention. But we'll plump for Martin Kaymer who produced two big wins and a host of impressive displays in just his second season on the European Tour. Having narrowly failed to secure a maiden triumph in 2007, the 23-year-old German quickly put the record straight as he closed out an impressive wire-to-wire success at the Abu Dhabi Championship in January. A second almost followed at the Dubai Desert Classic a couple of weeks later but, having had to settle for the runner-up spot, he did add another title on home turf at the BMW International Open in June. Kaymer seemed well on course for a Ryder Cup debut at that point, but the sad loss of his mother led to some understandably indifferent form and he ultimately missed out. However, he brought the curtain down on 2008 by finishing joint-second at the Volvo Masters and, with wonderful all round game and temperament to match, has the world at his feet in 2009.
Moment - Tiger wins US Open
Darren Clarke's emotional return to the winner's circle at the BMW Asian Open - and subsequent fine form - deserves a mention, as does Padraig Harrington's thrilling victory at the USPGA Championship. But for sheer drama and an almost unrivalled sense of occasion, Tiger Woods' incredible showing at the US Open wins out - and more specifically his putt at the 18th green to force a play-off with Rocco Mediate. Holing a 15-foot putt might not seem too tricky a task, but when it's across a breaking and worn green with a bucket-load of pressure and a major title on the line, most mere mortals would not fancy it. Mr Woods is no mere mortal, though, and you suspect he, like everybody watching, expected the ball to drop... and drop it did. He went on to edge out Mediate in the play-off and for good measure then revealed he'd been competing all week more or less on one leg. Let's hope he returns better than ever in 2009 as the game is the poorer without him.
Best performance - Poulter at Ryder Cup
Tiger's win at the US Open should win this, especially given the circumstances it came in, but as he's already been acknowledged we'll sling this one in the direction of a certain Ian Poulter for his display at the Ryder Cup. Poults headed to Valhalla with his inclusion in the European side the subject of frenzied debate. The Englishman got the nod for one of Nick Faldo's two wildcard selections despite opting not to return to Europe for the final qualifying event, thus ending his hopes of securing automatic qualification. With Ryder Cup stalwart Darren Clarke in red-hot form, many observers thought Poulter's inclusion a mistake, but he answered his critics in some style. Europe may have lost in Kentucky, but it was certainly not for the want of trying from Poulter who won on four of his five outings, ending the event as the top point-scorer on either side.
Best shot - Harrington's five-wood at Birkdale
A pretty subjective category this one and certainly no shortage of options. Our winner, though, came from the five-wood of Padraig Harrington at Royal Birkdale. The Dubliner was in the midst of a magical back-nine performance on the Sunday at the Open Championship as he climbed to the top of the leaderboard on the back of some quite spectacular golf. The pièce de résistance came at the par-five 17th when he drilled a magnificent second shot to within five feet of the hole to set up an eagle that killed off the hopes of his rivals. A brilliant shot and one that has already found its way into Open Championship forklore.
Low Point - Seve's ill health
Losing the Ryder Cup was certainly a bitter pill to swallow for European golf fans, but the defeat in Kentucky paled into insignificance when news broke that Seve Ballesteros faced a fight for his life after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in October. The charismatic five-time major champion has subsequently undergone four operations to remove the tumour and now faces chemotherapy and further treatment as he bids to defeat his illness. As the whole game rallied around him, the hugely-popular Spaniard made encouraging progress and was able to leave hospital in December. Seve faces a long and difficult road ahead, but can count on an army of well-wishers as he confronts what he described as "the most difficult game of my life".
Controversy - Poults is number two
Darren Clarke being overlooked for the Ryder Cup? Colin Montgomerie's regrettable behaviour at the French Open? Tiger risking and ultimately causing serious injury by playing the US Open? Possibilities certainly, but we'll light-heartedly head back to Mr Poulter's doorstep for this one and those quotes about the world number two spot, Tiger Woods and not rating anyone else. To be fair to Poults, he insists his words were taken out of context and came out to passionately
put the record straight on Sky Sports. However, the whole episode raised a smile, especially as the quotes came in an article in which he was pictured naked covering his modesty with a pink golf bag, and who can't be tickled by the fact that Tiger now refers to him as 'number two'?
Year to remember - Kenny Perry
At 48 Kenny Perry could have been forgiven for thinking the best years of his career were behind him, but 2008 turned out to be his most memorable yet. The Kentuckian dedicated his whole season to qualifying for the US Ryder Cup team to take on Europe at Valhalla in his home state. He did so in style with three wins in a six-week period during June and July confirming him as arguably the planet's in-form player. At Valhalla he played a stellar hand as America got the better of Europe, capping it with a superb 3&2 win over Henrik Stenson in the singles. It represented redemption for Perry who blew a two-shot lead on the 18th during the final round of the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla and said for years the course owed him one. Indeed, the American claimed the victory as the pinnacle of his achievements in the game, stating: "I said this was going to define my career, but you know what, it made my career."
Year to forget - Nick Faldo
Colin Montgomerie will not look on back 2008 with a great deal of fondness as he slid down and further down the world rankings, but we'll opt for vanquished European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo. Since the defeat at Valhalla, Faldo has insisted he has no regrets and would do nothing differently... but there are plenty out there who would. From his controversial wildcard picks and questionable pairings to his dubious singles line-up and cringe-inducing opening speech, Faldo certainly did things his way - but it wasn't a successful way. Many were predicting a fourth straight European triumph in Kentucky with Faldo's team being hailed as one of the strongest European outfits ever to make the journey across the Atlantic. But inspired by the shrewd leadership of Paul Azinger and the raucous crowds in Louisville, the Americans emerged worthy winners as many of Faldo's big-guns failed to fire. Blame the captain, blame the players, blame who you will... the truth could just be that an American victory was just what the event needed, however hard it proved to take.
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