

Defending his honor


ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Todd Hamilton usually isn't much for dressing up, but he put on his Sunday best Tuesday night for the Champions Dinner.

He wanted to look sharp for the group picture. Since you can wager on almost anything in the British Isles, someone probably bet that Seve Ballesteros would confuse Hamilton for a waiter.

"It will be nice to get a copy of that with the former champions up there," Hamilton said.

The way he has been playing, he will need photographic proof he belongs with that group. Hamilton's best finish since winning last year's British Open is a tie for 13th place at last week's John Deere Classic. It has gotten to where just making the cut is a victory, which is not exactly a good conversation starter at any dinner.

"Man, why don't you start playing like the Open champion instead of a first-year or second-year player?"

That's the question Hamilton admits he often has asked himself. He has come up with a few possible answers. Others have come up with one he really doesn't like.

He's Todd Hamilton -- as in, who's that guy, and why is he holding the Claret Jug?

Hamilton beat Ernie Els in a playoff, sending everybody scrambling for some biographical information. No, his life wasn't the inspiration for last year's teen movie, Win a Date With Tad Hamilton.

He was just a 39-year-old golf vagabond who had 14 international victories, most of them in tournaments with names such as the Dydo Drinco Shizuoka Open. He finally got his PGA Tour card and won the Honda Classic. That proved he wasn't just a journeyman, but nobody expected him to do what he did four months later at Royal Troon.

Hamilton began the final round with a one-stroke lead, and he didn't fold despite being hounded by luminaries such as Els and Phil Mickelson. Maybe it was the shock of going from kissing whatever the Shizuoka Open gives away to planting his lips on the Claret Jug.

One thing's for sure: Hamilton has enjoyed his time with golf's most famous trophy.

Winners can keep it for a year, and Hamilton turned the jug into a mini-Stanley Cup tour. He'd often keep it in the trunk of his car. You never know when such a thing might come in handy at parties and bar mitzvahs.

Being something of a regular guy, Hamilton's first drink from the cup came at a Hooter's near his home in McKinney, Texas. He was out with some friends; they had a few beers. Then Hamilton became perhaps the only patron in Hooter's history actually to order the Dom Perignon listed on the menu.

There are other stories, such as the times he'd take it to local golf courses and leave it in the pro shop while he played.

"It was funny to walk in at the end of that five-hour round and see guys who looked to be in their 70s," Hamilton said. "They'd be just studying that thing and talking with their buddies and saying, 'I remember reading about this.'"

There was an unconfirmed report of a porn star, definitely not in her 70s, sipping from the jug. That probably never happened with Old Tom Morris.

True or not, Hamilton admits the commitments of being a British Open champ took a toll. Instead of the usual 22 or so tournaments, he appeared in 35 events. Everywhere he went, everyone seemed to want a piece of his time. That became difficult for a guy who always had been happy to oblige.

"I had to learn how to say 'no' to people," Hamilton said.

He has had to learn a lot in the past year. One small tidbit he discovered is that nobody has repeated as British Open champion since Tom Watson in 1983.

Nobody expects Hamilton to break the streak. Of course, nobody expected him to start one, either.

There was no pressure going into last year's tournament. Since then, Hamilton said he probably has put too much pressure on himself.

"Sometimes, that's hard," he said. "Maybe that's why I haven't done as well since the Open last year."

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