Trophy goes for a 145;Duck146;

Possessing greatness is a necessity to win at Oakmont, so went the talk all week at the US Open. The kind of over-the-top talent...

Possessing greatness is a necessity to win at Oakmont, so went the talk all week at the US Open. The kind of over-the-top talent Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus displayed in winning championships there, that Johnny Miller owned for a day while shooting his record 63 in 1973.

So, with Tiger Woods ready to win the 13th major championship that would edge him closer to Nicklaus8217; record 18 majors, how could the relatively anonymous Angel Cabrera emerge as champion?

Cabrera is 12th in European Tour career earnings, but his visibility in America probably couldn8217;t have been much lower. Despite six previous top 10 finishes in majors, he is almost never mentioned among the top contenders in big tournaments. Now that he8217;s stared down world-ranked No. 1 Woods and No. 3 Jim Furyk to bring a US Open title home to Argentina for the first time, that will change.

8220;The good thing is that I beat everybody here, not only Tiger Woods,8221; Cabrera said Sunday, moments after putting both arms around the championship trophy and tucking it close.

Cabrera, 36, doesn8217;t come from a country club background, growing up so poor he didn8217;t finish elementary school. He began golfing only because his caddie job allowed him to venture onto home-course Cordoba Golf Club. Back home, he is nicknamed El Pato 8212; The Duck 8212; for the way he walks down the fairway.

8220;I had to work as a caddie to put food on the table,8221; said Cabrera, whose best previous victory came in the 2005 BMW Championship, one of Europe8217;s top events. 8220;That8217;s why, probably, these moments are enjoyed even more.8221;

Curiously, Oakmont Country Club, home to the rich, wealthy and famous, put away most of the field with its toughness, enabling the once dirt-poor Cabrera to take care of the rest as he finished at 5-over 285 for the tournament. Cabrera8217;s victory is Argentina8217;s greatest golfing moment since Roberto de Vicenzo won the British Open in 1967.

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Despite Cabrera8217;s long success on the European Tour, he had only three wins there and was considered something of an underachiever. No more.

Jeev finishes 36th

Despite a very mediocre fourth round, India8217;s Jeev Milkha Singh finished tied at 36th spot. His last round was a disastrous 75, equal to his first two rounds and two over his third, but the overall poor scores helped Jeev, with an 18-over 298, to stay in view.

He outbound journey on the final round has no birdies but four bogeys first, second , sixth and ninth, while his 12th hole birdie was again offset by bogies in the 16th and 17th.

This was interesting, especially with Jeev having hit the greens more than 50 per cent of times.