O’Meara Comes Out on Top in Skins Game

Since money is no object at the Skins Game, not with a mere $1 million at stake, here are Sunday’s highlights from Landmark Golf Club ... other than Mark O’Meara making $405,000:

* A fan snaps a photograph of Tiger Woods in the middle of his downswing from the bunker at the 18th hole. Tiger yells, “Not in my swing!” Tiger then curses. Tiger’s caddie then snatches the camera from the fan and heaves it in the lake.

* A jackrabbit runs down the 16th fairway and Fred Couples comes close to collecting an unusual skin by smacking it with his golf ball. “Two shocks,” Couples says of the shot. “One, it was down the middle of the fairway, and two, it was a small target.”

* At the 18th green, after Phil Mickelson’s tap-in putt worth $200,000 ended the day, Woods hugged him, a show of affection that seemed to contradict their supposed feud. What’s next? Double-dating? Carpooling?

And so it went at the 20th edition of the Skins Game, where everybody walked away a winner, sort of, and most likely happy, which is what should happen when they’re passing out money.

O’Meara was the biggest winner of all, picking up five more skins Sunday, finishing with eight and probably displaying the best sense of timing. That was when he had a three-hole carry-over at the par three 15th worth $210,000. After guiding a six-iron to 3 feet, he rolled in the putt for the dough.

Afterward, O’Meara showed the proper attitude.

“The Skins Game is kind of anybody’s game,” he said. “I’m just happy to be this year’s champion.”

Mickelson was happy to avoid getting skunked Sunday. Until the last hole, Mickelson’s golf ball was directionally challenged. It was not traditional golf he was playing, he said, but something else entirely.

“Jungle golf,” Mickelson called it.

But at the 563-yard closing hole, Mickelson’s five-iron from 215 yards put him 30 feet from the hole and looking at an eagle putt. O’Meara was already out of the hole and so was Couples, who drove into some tumbleweed and left his second shot in the same tall grass.

Said Couples: “To play out of the shrubs is disappointing.”

Here’s betting the $170,000 Couples made makes him feel a lot better.

Woods was in the right greenside bunker in two, but he flinched at the sound of the camera when he was swinging and ran the ball 8 feet past the hole.

Tiger’s blowup was not as colorful as most, but then this was not a tour event either.

“It was right behind me,” Woods said of the camera. “I was lucky just to keep the ball on the green.”

Mickelson’s first putt left him a foot short and he tapped in, then waited to see if Woods would tie him.

But Tiger missed, it was over, and they started adding up the money before getting out of town as soon as possible.

Mickelson, who made $100,000 on the last hole Saturday, made $200,000 on the last hole Sunday and banked $300,000 with a total of three skins. Couples was next with three skins and his $170,000 and Woods had four skins worth $125,000.

They each said they had a good time playing golf for money, which someone else was kind enough to contribute, although Couples seemed annoyed he didn’t finish better.

“The last hole was terrible, but I’m happy to get out of here with some money,” he said.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Mickelson said.

“It was good for you,” Couples said.

As it turns out, this special event stuff is good for everybody involved.

This week, they’re moving the show to Sherwood Country Club, for a $3.8-million tournament sponsored by Target and hosted by Woods. Mickelson, O’Meara and Woods are all playing in it and Couples will be there to play in the pro-am.