ENGLISH A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT

THEY hand the world No 1 ranking around like a game of pass the parcel and stampede the opposition in the Ryder Cup but when it comes to their own Open, England’s gilded generation still pull up short. There was a familiar look about yesterday — Luke Donald ghosting late in the day up the leaderboard for a creditable finish, more angst for nearly man Lee Westwood and the others struggling to make an impact when they want it most. Ian Poulter, who finished on level par after a closing 67, said he was at a loss to explain it all, but at least he came up with an inventive idea. ‘Every year, you guys say it’s going to happen and we don’t back you up,’ he said. ‘So, here’s a tip. Don’t write about us next year, tell everyone we’re c**p and maybe it will happen.’ He hinted more seriously at the pressure the home players feel, the kind that saw the previously in-form Justin Rose fail to make the cut. ‘I’d love to win one and we’re all trying very hard to do it. It’s not a question of us flying under the radar because we’re obviously not doing something right. It’s going to happen sooner or later but I’ve no idea when — it’s frustrating for everybody.’ World No 1 Donald pronounced himself pleased with everything bar his putting, finishing tied fifth, the same position as in the 2009 Open. ‘Tee to green, I was good enough to win this week. It could have been a really special round with a few more putts. I will leave knowing my game is definitely good enough to win a major,’ he said. At 34, there is still plenty of time for Donald to win one of the majors and become the first Englishman to do so since Sir Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters. For Westwood, the chances will not present themselves for ever, although this was not one of those in which he contended, only scraping into the weekend and ending on six over par after a final 72. He has only two more majors before reaching his 40th birthday. ‘Life begins at 40, so they tell me,’ he said. ‘I didn’t have much of a game coming in here; I didn’t expect too much.’ At the end of this year, he is moving to America to try to give himself that little bit of extra momentum before it is too late. ‘Playing over there with those practice facilities and the weather should have a big effect,’ he said. Rory McIlroy, their fellow member of the world’s top three, was never likely to win after his round of 75 on Friday. A major winner already, he will not panic over what has been a disappointing period, saying: ‘It’s a 20-year career, so I’m not going to get too wound up over just a few weeks.’