Asterisks Aren't Just For #756

There's some chatter over at Loch Lomond about whether or not the Open really counts next week with Tiger out of the field. (Personally, I think so.)

Ernie Els thinks that the winner will have to answer some questions:

"The best player of this generation is not there and whoever is going to win next week is going to have to answer questions of 'Do you think you would have beaten Tiger if he was here?'" said Els. "Yet, although we will miss him The Open will be played whether Tiger is there or not. That's what we've got to realise."

Mickelson has a slightly different sentiment (and the correct one, I think):

"If you look back at Jack Nicklaus's 18 majors or Tom Watson's eight, I don't look back at the field they played, I just look back at the tournaments they've won," said the world No 2. "I do think it opens an opportunity for a number of players to come through and maybe win tournaments that they might not have won. But I haven't won a major in a couple of years and it would certainly mean just as much to me to win an Open Championship."

We don't discredit majors won with players missing from other eras. Case in point would be Lee Trevino skipping the Masters in his prime.