Americans Win, Far and Away

Two young Americans ruled on a majestic Sunday in Europe.

The American in Paris, Lance Armstrong, won his second consecutive Tour de France cycling race, making official what had been known for days after the Texas native built an insurmountable lead.

And in Scotland, native Californian Tiger Woods continued his assault on golf history with a mesmerizing performance at the British Open, becoming the youngest to win all four of golf’s major tournaments.

“He is something supernatural,” veteran golfer Tom Watson said of Woods. “He has raised the bar to a level that only he can jump.”

“It’s not really human what [Armstrong] does,” said mountain bicyclist Corbett Wood of Austin, the champion’s hometown.

Armstrong and Woods have met--they’re both under contract to Nike.

“Perhaps it’s his sport but he’s much more consistent than I have been or that a cyclist can possibly be,” Armstrong said Saturday.

“But clearly he’s the best golfer in the world. Nobody would argue that. And I don’t know that by winning the Tour de France you can say that you’re the best cyclist in the world.”

Armstrong’s victory continued a remarkable comeback from testicular cancer that was diagnosed four years ago and spread to his lungs and brain.

He won this year’s 21-stage, 2,255-mile tour 6 minutes, 2 seconds ahead of Germany’s Jan Ullrich, who has finished second every year since 1997.

“It was a hard Tour de France and, like last year, I’m glad it’s finished and I can see more of these guys,” he said as he stood with his wife, Kristin, and 9-month-old son, Luke, who wore a yellow outfit was dressed in yellow--which matched the tour winner’s jersey of his father.

Woods, 24, became the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam, the British Open, U.S. Open, Masters and PGA Championship, with his 19-under-par 269 at St. Andrews’ Old Course in Scotland.

“It’s the ultimate,” Woods said. “This is the home of golf. This is where you always want to win. To have a chance to complete the slam at St. Andrews is pretty special. I was able to bring it home.”

He brought it home in style, strolling over the stone Swilken Bridge on the 18th fairway and right into history.

Challenged briefly by David Duval, Woods pulled away for an eight-stroke victory. It wasn’t quite as overwhelming as his 15-stroke victory in the U.S. Open last month, but it was the largest in 87 years of golf’s oldest championship.

His score was the lowest in relation to par at a major championship and the best score at St. Andrews.

He became the first player to win all four majors since Jack Nicklaus’ victory in the 1966 British Open at age 26. The others players to win the career Grand Slam were Gene Sarazen in 1935, Ben Hogan in 1953 and Gary Player in 1965. Nicklaus went on to win the career Grand Slam two more times.

Woods now goes to the PGA Championship on Aug. 17 in an attempt to join Hogan as the only players to win three majors in one year.

Woods “is the chosen one,” golfer Mark Calcavecchia said.

Armstrong became the second American to win the tour more than once. Before Greg LeMond won the race for the first of three triumphs in 1986, no American had captured the grueling championship since it began in 1903. Now, Americans have won five of the last 14 races.

“Armstrong is a worthy champion. He was the strongest man, and he met our every attack. . . ,” said Ullrich, who watched Armstrong take control at Stage 10, the first of many mountain stages.

Because of his huge lead heading into the tour’s final stage, riders joked and clowned with Armstrong as they coasted past the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum and finished at the Champs-Elysees.

“This one’s even more special than last year,” Armstrong said.

Just as Armstrong and Woods have shown themselves to be in classes all their own.

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Associated Press contributed to this story.