Gola: Only thing Tiger makes is more weekend excuses

All Woods needed to tie Mickelson was a 69. He shot 74. Nevertheless, while he is ranked No. 1 in the world after four early-season victories, he treads water in the biggest events, the ones he used to build his season around. KERIM OKTEN/EPA

Tiger Woods just can't seem to win Majors like he used to.

GULLANE, Scotland - Meanwhile, in this corner, Tiger Woods.

Beaten up in another Sunday of a major, his old rival running off with the claret jug, there wasn't much left for Tiger to say except repeat the same old lines that should be handed out in advance to spare him the pain of saying them.

Believe it or not, after Woods failed to seize another moment at the British Open, playing golf the way many of the guys used to play while chasing him, Woods said he was "right there," and "very pleased with the way I'm playing, no doubt."

It's OK to roll your eyes because in the old days, "right there" meant being at the trophy presentation and "very pleased" didn't mean losing by five to Phil Mickelson. It used to be all about winning. Now he's happy with a solid top six. It had been 14-and-counting as in major wins. Now it's 21-and-counting as in losses.

"I think if it does feel any better, it's that Phil got to three (under par)," he said. "If he would have posted one it would have been a different story. I think a lot of us would be a little more ticked than we are now But he posted three. That's a hell of a number."

It also means that all Woods needed to tie him was a 69. He shot 74.

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The thing is, his game, restructured by Sean Foley, is still as good as anyone's, probably better. His health, outside of that elbow at the U.S. Open, is fine, his personal life with new squeeze Lindsey Vonn is happy and content.

Nevertheless, while he is ranked No. 1 in the world after four early-season victories, he treads water in the biggest events, the ones he used to build his season around. And when it comes to the weekends, he just hasn't delivered the goods.

The excuse Sunday was green speeds. "I had a hard time adjusting," he pleaded. That's another stock answer. Slow greens. But a bigger problem was distance control. He just couldn't get the ball close enough to the hole.

Interestingly, when he was asked how impressive Mickelson's 66 was, he offered the weakest of praise.

"The course was gettable," he said.

He just didn't get it.

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With Sunday's 3-over par, Woods is 24-over for his last six major weekends.

That also helps to explain why he has never come from behind to win a major. With ground to make up Sunday, he missed a four-foot putt on the first green and three-putted from the front of the green on the par-3 third, leaving himself a good 12 feet on the par putt.

At the turn, he had shot 38, even with a birdie on nine, which he followed with two straight bogeys on 10 and 11. If there's any explanation, it's that he may be playing too conservatively instead of going after it like Mickelson did Sunday. That's why he was such a great front-runner. He'd take the lead and not make any mistakes. The pressure would all be on the guys behind him.

Woods' last shot at a major comes in three weeks at the PGA at Oak Hill in Rochester.

"I've won 14 and in that spell where I haven't won since Torrey (Pines), I've been in there," he said. "It's not like I've lost my card and (am) not playing out here. So I've won some tournaments in that stretch and I've been in probably about half the majors on the back nine on Sunday with a chance to win during that stretch. I just haven't done it yet. And hopefully it will be in a few weeks."

That, too, sounds familiar.