When your best is still not good enough

For 71 holes, TomWatson looked like the guy I always rooted for growing up against the Golden Bear, looked like a guy that was as consistent a golfer as perhaps the sport has ever seen.

Then, on hole 72, he putted around the green like you and I do at the local golf course of choice. Come on, you know you have made a 9-foot- putt.

Golf shows us is can always be a game of great joy, but also a cruel game. Open Champion Stewart Cink knows full well. He missed a much SHORTER putt at Southern Hills in 2001.

The Trials and tribulations of a closing 18 holes will go down as anti-climactic. For the first 17 ABC commentators Paul Azinger, Andy North and Curtis Strange like the rest of the world were trying to help carry the 59 year-old Watson home. In fact, he actually it a great golf shot into 18, just the bouncing ball carried and rolled to the back of the green. One man's history was about to become another's.

Congrats to Cink, a beautiful putt on 18 put him in position to take advantage of Watson's demise at 18. It's Cink's first major, not bad a for a guy who missed the cut in his last outing.

Manny Acta out, Jim Riggleman in. Blaming Manny for the losses out, same fielding and pitching problems for the Nats, still very much in. The Cubs sweep a game at Wrigley/Nationals Park this weekend.

I had a chance to broadcast DC United's MLS match with Colorado Saturday night, a 3-1 win for the black and red. I was surprised at how fast the game went, even with a running clock, games on TV seem much slower. Jamie Moreno returned to the lineup United exloded for three goals and are right in the thick of the Easern Division race, one point behind Chicago.

Lots of officiating this week, including a chance to ref the US Basketball Junior Nationals being played here in DC. Looking forward to this event. Perhaps a certain 6-6 rising junior may be in it next year..