‘It’s tough, but that’s the way I like it, says Harrington

CHICAGO is my kinda town, go the words of the great song, and a group of Europeans are determined they will be singing them in celebration of victory in the 103rd US Open here in the Windy City on Sunday night.

The foreigners wouldn’t be normal if they didn’t believe that the American stranglehold on the title since 1970 (interspersed with some cheeky interruptions by South Africa’s Gary Player and Ernie Els) couldn’t be broken this time round. The little-rated Canadian Mike Weir showed the way at Augusta National in April and there has been a definite undercurrent ever since of “if he can do it, so can I”.

Multiply those sentiments by about another hundred players and you see why the would-be Tiger tamers are hopeful that Woods, after all, may not be omnipotent.