Goosen Didn’t Fade Away

He doesn’t look, talk or act like a defending U.S. Open champion, but Retief Goosen knows golf is a game of feel.

“Yeah,” Goosen admitted Tuesday, “I feel like a defending champion.”

It has been a whirlwind year for the 33-year-old South African, who staved off a potential career-threatening humiliation last year when he beat Mark Brooks in a Monday playoff at Southern Hills.

Goosen, of course, should have wrapped up his first major title the day before, but he three-putted from 12 feet on the 72nd hole to force a playoff.

While the rest of the world dissected his major faux pas, the mild-mannered Goosen shrugged his shoulders and got on with his life, which has gone pretty well since winning the Open.

Goosen, in fact, has become a major player on the European and American circuits, having earned more than $1 million on each while climbing to No. 4 in the world rankings behind Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and countryman Ernie Els.

He finished second at this year’s Masters, fading down the stretch at Augusta after playing in the final pairing with the winner, Woods.

Goosen is eager to get another chance Sunday against Woods, winner of six of the last 10 major titles.

“Yeah, it probably would be ideal, to be there on Sunday playing against him and trying to beat him,” Goosen said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Goosen says he thinks the Bethpage Black Course is “probably going to be the toughest test we are going to see in U.S. Open history.”

It may well come down to the 72nd hole Sunday.

“I think I’m really keen and going to be determined out there to try to do my best and see if I can hang onto the title,” Goosen said. “It’s going to be a tough one.”

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A lot of 16-year-olds receive cars from their parents, but few kids earn one with a wedge.

Last week, Derek Tolan and his dad made a bet. If Tolan qualified for the U.S. Open, his father would buy him a car.

Guess what? Tolan, from Colorado, chipped in a 50-footer to win a three-way playoff at sectional qualifying and became the youngest player in this week’s field.

Pay up, Pop.

“We always set little bets like that; not in golf but in everything,” Tolan said. “It was more just a pride thing. But everyone is hounding him about it. So he’ll come up with something. He’s a good guy.”

For the record, Tolan says he hasn’t decided what kind of car he wants.

For what it’s worth, Woods was 19 when he played in his first major, the 1995 Masters, and he offered Tolan this advice.

“He’s in high school,” Woods said. “This is not high school golf.”

Woods said he suspects Tolan will be as nervous as he was back in 1995.

Woods tied for 41st at his first Masters, although he was the only amateur to make the cut.

“You try to tell yourself it’s just another event,” Woods said, “but that’s one of the hardest things to try to overcome when you’re on that first tee.”

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If Woods wins the Open, he will pass $30 million in overall earnings. Mickelson is the only other player to have passed $20 million.

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Rees Jones, who reworked Bethpage Black for the USGA for no fee, says he played a practice round at the course recently with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Giuliani’s 16-year-old son, Andrew. Jones paid the $31 greens fee for both.

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If it rains as expected tonight and Thursday to soften the course, Jones says the winning score will be about five or six under par.

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Staff writer Thomas Bonk contributed to this report.