The PGA Championship

8:15:33 PM EDT

One word describes everything Tiger Woods does on the golf course: Focus.

 

Tiger is the most focused person I’ve ever seen do anything. Ever. Any job. Any game. Any anything.

 

The man doesn’t get rattled. He doesn’t get distracted. He doesn’t get annoyed for more than mere seconds about anything. 

 

(Okay, when the photographer on the 18th green starting clicking rapid fire photos on two separate occasions on Tiger’s penultimate shot, he drew a “Hey there, in the blue, hold your camera” from Tiger’s caddie Stevie Williams. But other than that, I couldn’t tell if Tiger was 10 strokes ahead or 10 behind by his demeanor.)

 

Not a single time that I could see during the back nine of this 88th PGA Championship did Tiger even recognize the standing ovations he received on nearly every swing of the club.

 

There were dozens of “You da man Tiger” and even a few “Tiger, you’re my hero” from people young and old. From people black and white. One woman near the 18th tee even asked Tiger, in a rather loud voice, to wish her husband a happy birthday. He didn’t oblige. Not a single recognition of this adoration from the man himself.

 

That’s not a dig on Tiger. He’s just that tuned in to what he’s doing. It’s like a basketball player focusing on a foul shot with thousands of fans in the background screaming at him. Except in basketball, that only happens for a few seconds on those kinds of shots. This focus for Tiger takes about four hours a round.

 

Not until his walk up to the 18th green did he even smile and tip his hat to the crowd. After signing his scorecard and walking back to the 18th green, Woods said that he appreciated all thecheers. And he did hear them. But he never showed it. Not while he was at the office. Not while there was a 12th major championship to win.  

 

They say the great ones have ice water in their veins. After today’s showing (and his previous 11 major titles), I am here to say that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer that ever lived. Sure, Jack Nicklaus has more majors. But not for long.

 

Most golfers, traditionally, hit their prime when they reach their 30s. Well, Tiger’s 30 now. And he’s got two more majors in the bank this year alone, 12 in all. There’s no one now between him and Jack's magical 18.  

 

Tiger will not only pass Jack, he will blow by him. The only thing that stops him is major injury. If he stays healthy, 20-25 major championships are completely in the realm of possibility.

 

Nothing done here outside of Chicago this week would say otherwise.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 100 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

8:12:01 PM EDT
Feeling Ecstatic

Not Even the Mrs. Gets a Good Seat: While the media get as close as anyone to the golfers during these golf tournaments, even Tiger’s wife had to stand on the hill behind the 18th green to try to get a glimpse of her husband. She was behind the rows of photographers who were there working, but Mrs. Woods couldn’t even see the big bright smile on her husband’s face while he was lining up his penultimate shot.

 

The Love Between Tiger and Phil: The 12th and 15th tee boxes here at Medinah are shared. No. 12 goes one way and No. 15 goes perpendicular to it. Whoever gets there first, tees off first. So as Tiger Woods and playing partner Luke Donald walk off the 11th green, Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter are set to tee off on 15. After Phil smacks his drive, he walks right past Tiger. He’s no more than four feet from him. Not a peep from either of them. Not a nod. Not a smile. Not a “Hey, what are you doing for dinner tonight.” Nada. To say there’s no love lost here is quite the understatement.

 

Hopefully Luke Learned Something: There’s nothing to be ashamed of for Donald. He finished tied for third in a major championship. No one gave him a chance coming in on Sunday morning. But what I did notice was on the 14th tee box, Tiger had the honor (which he did most of the day) and Donald just sits there watching him. Most people when they play golf, their head follows the ball off the clubface down the fairway. This time, Donald just stares directly at Tiger as if to watch the Great One. I get the image of a young NBA player just sitting and watching Michael Jordan drive past him on the way to the hoop and feel like he should stop to clap. Then he realizes, that was his guy. Oops.

 

Anything to Get a Good View: On the 11th hole, fans are several rows deep.They are doing anything they can to get a glimpse of Tiger. A few are lying flat on their stomachs. One guy even stretches his body under the ropes and is looking directly between the legs of a photographer to get a view of Woods. He gets up after Tiger’s shot and says something to the effect of… I gotta do whatever I can to see him.

 

Cameras, Cameras, Everywhere: There must be 15-20 different photographers following Tiger today. And that’s not even counting the TV guys. At one point, I’m behind a bunker around the 11th green and Donald hits out of the sand. All I hear is click, click, click about 30 times. Now I know why golfers get pissed if that happens before they swing. It’s just nuts to try to make good contact with that going off in your ear.

 

David Feherty Sighting: Easily the funniest man covering golf, the hilarious Irishman comes into view on the 12th hole. The guy is always working on the course. And when he’s not working for CBS, he’s working the crowd. He has several good exchanges with the fans that leave everyone in stitches. I now even like him more than I ever did.  

 

Coolest Walk All Day: Not sure if you could see it on television, but to get to the 13th green (the long, downhill par-3), there’s a small little foot bridge maybe five feet wide. Only the players, officials and media basically get to walk on it. I was about three people in front of Tiger’s caddie. Definitely one of the coolest moments of the day.

 

How Young Is Donald? I know he’s younger than Tiger, and maybe it’s just the situation we’re in, but Donald looks like he’s still in college compared to Woods. In actuality, I think Luke is 28 and Woods is 30, but their games seem lightyears apart. Granted, put Tiger against anyone right now, and that would seem to be the case.

 

Paralyzing Thought of the Day: My cellphone is still in my pocket. Please, God, letit still be on vibrate. I must have checked that thing five times during the back nine. I didn’t want to be the guy that Stevie Williams drop kicks because I messed up Tiger’s putt or something because my wife called to say hello.

 

Toughest Decision of the Day: Walking down 16 and I’ve had to go to the bathroom for a solid 15 minutes now. There’s some port-a-johns to the right. Do I make a run for it? I can get back and only miss one shot or so. Ah, the decisions. Of course I don’t. I can use the bathroom for the next fifty years. But how often can I witness history this up close and personal? I hold it. And make a run for the bathroom when I get back to the media center.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 17 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

3:09:27 PM EDT

(AOL Sports blogger Kevin Maguire shares his thoughts live from Medinah during the final round of the PGA Championship)

 

Tiger birdies No. 1 to go to 15 under par. Records could fall today. Sorry Luke. The force isn’t with you at Medinah anymore.  

 

Ogilvy makes a clutch, clutch bogey after dumping his approach in the water. Sometimes those kind of holes can really give you confidence. He was staring double in the face but makes bogey. If he can turn around with a birdie on 3 (which is very birdieable), he could still make a run at Tiger.

 

Tiger puts his approach on No. 2 pin high on the fringe. Nice, safe play. He manages a course better than anyone out here. The pin on the second hole is just four paces from the left side of the green near the pond. So he takes that completely out of the equation.

 

Sergio has a tap-in birdie on No. 3. How come I never get those?

 

Heard it here first. Donald had to witness Tiger making birdie on No. 1. That means he will make a bogey in the next 2-3 holes (if not on No. 2). That noise you hear are his wheels coming off.   

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

3:01:25 PM EDT
Feeling Ecstatic

Mickelson bogeys No. 1… to fall 7 back for tiger and Donald. He’s done. Sorry Lefty.

 

During the early part of the day, you see some guys going out tossing up birdies all over the place. This is a clear sign, just like yesterday, that a low score is going to be needed to win. I'm saying 18 under will win it.

 

DiMarco sticks his appr.fFrom 146 on No. 1 to about 2 feet. He makes biride to go to -9 (tied for 7th). He could make a move, but starting out six off the lead might be too much to overcome.

 

Sergio is wearing the colors of the Spanish flag today (instead of his canary yellow that he wore while playing with Tiger playing in the final round of the British Open this year). His first drive just went right down the middle. At least he's learning how to dress on Sundays. 

 

Mickelson misses his 8 footer for birdie on No. 2 to stay at -7. He definitely should have made that one. It's not going to be there for him today.  

 

Tim Herron goes to nine under with a birdie on the par-4 3rd hole. That puts him tied for 7th. Anyone see a Ryder Cup in his future?

 

Sergio made a tough 3-4 footer for par on 1. That's key for him. Sounds easy, but if he can putt today, he could win.

 

Weir’s drive on 1 goes into the fairway bunker down the left side. Gets it back on the green in regulation. Scrambling again to start today.  

 

Ogilvy goes out, drive on 1 goes right down the middle. Appr is about 7 feet below the hole. If he can stay steady (and not the rollercoaster rounds of the last three days) he could win his second major of 2006.

 

Sergio's wearing a red shirt. Tiger's wearing red shirt. Luke Donald is wearing a red shirt. Something to this????

 

When Tiger gets ready to tee off on No. 1, we’re sitting in the media tent probably about 400 yards from the tee box. We could easily hear the roar of the crowd. Hadn’t heard that at all before right now. Didn’t hear Donald’s cheers. Guess that "home" crowd isn't as big as he thought.  

 

Micheel makes birdie on No. 1 to to go -11, 3 back. Don't be the farm on him just yet.  

 

Adam Scott birdies no. 5 to jump to 9 under pard, 5 back of woods and Donald.

 

Ogilvy goes out and birdies No. 1 to get to -12, two shots back. he could have it.  

 

Ogilvy dumps his shot on No. 2 into the pond. Bunch of Ohhhhs from the crowd.

 

Tiger’s approach on No. 1 just clears the bunker. Good chance at him making birdie.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

8:14:09 AM EDT
Feeling Ecstatic

Medinah, Ill. -- No disrespect to Luke Donald, but the odds of him winning the 88th PGA Championship here at Medinah are slim to none and slim just headed for nearby O’Hare airport. That's not to say that someone other than Tiger Woods could win, like Mike Weir or Geoff Ogilvy, but it won't be the Brit who went to school at Northwestern.

Donald has the unenviable task of playing in the final pairing today. Normally, that's an honor for a Sunday at a major. But not when Tiger is your playing partner. No one will probably say it, but I can't imagine anyone (save Phil Mickelson) would want to be in that group.

At some point, Donald is going to turn around and start watching Tiger. It might be a miraculously long putt to save par on the first hole (like he did on Saturday). Or it might be a putt that slides in the side of the cup for birdie like he did yesterday on No. 17. Everyone's heard the stat -- 11 for 11 -- when Woods leads or is tied for the lead going into the final round of a major. This time will be no different in closing the deal.

Either way, the fans belong outside the ropes, not inside. If Donald's not focusing on his own game, he's finished. The moment you become a spectator in your own group, you have lost your edge. It might not happen on the first hole, but it'll happen. How could it not when you are witnessing history in front of your own eyes? It'll be early too. You can count on that. Tiger likes to break guys early so they know their place.  

Donald's best major finish was a tie for third in the 2005 Masters but I wouldn't expect him to even finish that high. The pressure of playing with Woods is more like a specter that hangs over your head. Just ask Weir. The 2003 Masters champion played in that final group with Woods here at Medinah in 1999. How'd that end up for ya Mikey? The Canadian ballooned to a final-round 80 and finished tied for 10th. He says he's learned from that experience, but it's a sight we've seen all too often with those that try to tangle head to head with Tiger on the Sunday of a major. And we can expect more of the same with Woods here at Medinah.

We all know Tiger loves history and records. What will likely become his 12th major (two-thirds of the way to Jack Nicklaus' record of 18) will also make him the only player in golf history to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course. Those are the kinds of things Tiger probably thinks about while everyone else on the leaderboard just sits and watches. And we’ll all be watching for more history this afternoon.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 6 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

7:11:47 PM EDT
Feeling Chillin'

Just some random thoughts from the late Saturday afternoon action here at Medinah.

 

Major Winners in Contention: Four of the nine players closest to Tiger Woods and Luke Donald on the leaderboard all have major championship wins on their resume. That should make for an interesting Sunday afternoon at Medinah.

Ryder Cup Update: Of the players who made the cut, second-round leader Tim Herron and Davis Love III are the only ones who look poised to make significant noise in terms of Ryder Cup points. Herron is tied for 8th and likely has to move up while Love is tied for 18th and has all but assured himself a captain’s pick as long as he doesn’t tank on Sunday.  

The other guys in the hunt for Ryder Cup berths didn’t fare so well. Stewart Cink stands tied for 40th,  J.J. Henry is  tied for 34th, Jerry Kelly is tied for 57th and Lucas Glover is also in tie for 52nd place. Henry should be fine for the Ryder Cup, assuming two of the three guys below him (Cink, Kelly and Glover) don’t miraculously leap into the top 10.  

Where, Oh Where, Are the Second Rounder Leaders? Billy Andrade and Henrik Stenson, we barely knew ye. Fortunately, Luke Donald and Tim Herron were also tied for the 36-hole lead and they are doing fine. Donald is tied for the lead with Tiger Woods and Herron is tied for 8th. Andrade had the biggest blowup of the day after shooting a six-over-par 78. He dropped from the overnight lead to 34th place in the span of a single afternoon. Stenson didn’t fare as bad, but still stands tied for 12th place.  

Movers and Shakers: Robert Karlsson jumped 33 places after his 3-under-par 69 Saturday for the biggest improvement on the leaderboard. The biggest drop? That came from Jim Kane, who after shooting 71-71 in the first two rounds, carded an 80 Saturday. 

Canadian Dreams: Let's hope Mike Weir does better this time heading into the final round of the PGA Championship at Medinah than he did the last time in 1999. The former masters champion shot a final round 80 to finish tied for 10th.

Time Check: At 4:48PM Central time, Tiger Woods takes his first outright lead after going 7-under par on his round through 15 holes. I say to CT sitting next to me, “it’s over.” The guy just doesn’t lose after holding the 54-hole lead at a major. He’s 11 for 11 in the department. I’m going to go out on a limb and say he’ll keep that perfect record intact.  

 

Tight Surroundings: At one point early during the third round, 10 golfers were tied for the lead. Medinah was just getting murdered. The course had no defense against the best golfers in the world.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

4:09:59 PM EDT
Feeling Surprised

If you follow golf, you know this guy. If you play golf, you’ve heard of him too. If you are lucky enough to be competing in the PGA Championship this year, you hope are “that guy.”

 

Who is it you ask? It’s the guy who tees off early and loves “moving day.” No, not when three guys and a truck show up at your house. It’s what everyone calls the Saturday of a golf tournament when players tend to make their move either up or down the leaderboard.

 

So I started my day in search of “that guy.” He’s the guy who you can watch with almost no one around, but who turns out getting close to the lead after barely making the cut. When you find him, you feel like you just got an insider stock tip. It’s like rooting for a baseball player who’s on the Double A minor league team, then he makes it to “The Show.” He’s your diamond in the rough.

 

The day starts with a scan of the leaderboard. Should I follow former British Open champ Ben Curtis (who started out at even par)? How about Rich Beem, who won the PGA a few years ago? I walk past the first tee and see Jason Gore there. Could he catch lightning in a bottle like he did at the 2005 U.S. Open once? Tough choices.

 

Then I find my man. (Or at least I think so). It’s Retief Goosen. He’s won two U.S. Opens and he’s off to a fast start. So I seek him out and catch up to him on the seventh hole. This has to be the guy, right?

 

Goose pars No. 7 to stay at -3 for the tournament, five back of the leaders at that point. His approach on the par-3 8th hole gives me promise that Goose is my man for today. He drains a 10 foot putt to get to four-under. He’s earned a few more holes of this fan’s time with that putt.

 

On No. 9, he makes a ho-hum par (after a perfect driveover the trees). As we walk down the 10th hole, the crowd starts to grow. Everyone is starting to jump on my bandwagon. Sorry folks, I got in first. The car has already left the garage.  

 

As soon as I think that, Goose three putts the par-5 10th. Shockingly, the crowd dwindles to pre-8th hole levels. I’m not feeling too smart right now. My insider stock tip just went the way of Martha Stewart and ImClone.

 

Goose now stands at -3. He can still be “that guy,” but my faith in him is weakening.

 

The South African hits a picture perfect drive on 11 and sinks a five-footer for birdie. The rollercoaster has hit the upswing again and we’re at four under again. Notice I say “we” because Goose and I are in this together. It’s like pulling for your favorite NFL team. When you watch closely, he’ll make those birdie putts. If you stop to use the port-a-john, he’s going to miss it.  

 

The 12th hole turns into another 3-putt bogey and that rollercoaster just went straight downhill. One more turn like this and I’m selling my stock in Goose.

 

He pars 13 and 14 and now I’m seriously considering bolting this group. I hear a loud roar over to my left and when I turn to look, I see Chris DiMarco’s name jumping up the leaderboard. I’ve always been a fan of DiMarco and given the personal tragedy he’s had to deal with in recent weeks after the death of his mother, I feel the need to follow him. Go Gators!

 

I decide that DiMarco’s my last hope to find “that guy” because if I wait any longer, the leaders will be on the course and by my definition, “that guy” can’t be too close to the lead.

 

So I snake my way across the course to the fifth hole where DiMarco is confidently walking down the fairway. He hits his second shot into the greenside bunker on the par 5 and gets up and down for a birdie. That moves him to -7 and just a shot off the lead. He’s four under through five holes today. I just wish I had bought DiMarco stock a little earlier. But that’s okay. He started at -3, so I’m a slight bandwagon guy here. No matter. If I put the time in, I’ll earn my stripes with him.

 

By the time we make it to the 7th hole, TV cameras are starting to follow him. That tells me I’m on the right track. At this point, he has made three straight pars and seems to be petering out. Plus, the leaders are on the course now and my search is pretty much done.

 

I wish I had more time to follow these guys, but there’s always tomorrow. Or the next major.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

7:57:04 PM EDT

Davis Love III – Being a shot off the lead after 36 holes might have booked his ticket for the Ryder Cup. At this point, worst-case scenario is Davis makes his seventh straight Ryder Cup squad as a captain’s pick. But we know he’ll want to take it easy on Tom Lehman so he doesn’t have to waste a pick on him. A terrible triple bogey on Thursday is the only thing keeping him out of the lead.

 

Geoff Ogilvy – He was paired with Tiger and Phil for the first two rounds and handled the pressure absolutely beautifully. Granted, he did win the U.S. Open. But the Aussie is showing he’s not just a flash in the pan. That’s why he’s in the hunt for his second major of 2006.

 

David Toms – The Louisiana native has won this thing before back in 2001. He had one of the steadiest rounds Friday and will be able to draw on his experience of a few years back to keep him in contention. Plus, being two shots off the lead won’t hurt his chances :-)  

 

Jose Maria Olazabal – Could the Spaniard break the seven-plus decade long European drought at the PGA? The two-time Masters champ stands at 5-under-par with fellow countryman Sergio Garcia. But don’t’ expect the younger, fancier dresser to  be there come Sunday afternoon. Jose Maria certainly might thought.  

 

Luke Donald – Taking a guy tied for the lead isn’t really a longshot, eh? But the Brit has already won on Tour this year and was a popular sleeper pick by many experts prior to this week.

 

Tim Herron -- Never underestimate the power of a man on a mission. The player with one of the best nicknames on Tour (Lumpy) is a longshot to make the Ryder Cup team. But if he stays near the top of the leaderboard this weekend, it’s not out of the question. Plus, picking a guy like this to play well is kind of like drafting a player for a fantasy football team knowing that he’s going into a contract year. He’s got plenty to play for and won’t let you down. 

 

Fred Funk – Okay, he’s the sentimental pick. The guy is allowed to play in Senior majors. So what does he do? He opts to play with the young guys. And he’s kicking butt up on nearly all of them after posting his second consecutive 69 on Friday. Will he hang around the top of the leaderboard come Sunday? Probably not. But we can dream, can't we?

 

Prediction for a Winner? Ogilvy takes home his second major of the year and forces everyone to answer the question… why didn’t you pay more attention to me the first two days when I played with Tiger and Phil?

 

Best Time Wasting Game of the Day: It's hard to miss Tiger Woods' wife, Elin, following her famous husband. Even amidst a crowd of hundreds, spotting her isn't that tough. But what is difficult is trying to figure out who the security guards are around here. There has to be some, but I haven't been able to pick them out yet.

 

Notable Players Not to Make the Cut (which was even par): Vijay Singh (+1), David Duval (+1), John Daly (+2), Fred Couples (+3) and Colin Montgomerie (+4).

 

Taking Advantage: John Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship as the 8th alternate. Billy Andrade was the seventh alternate after Steve Elkington pulled out this week. The Rhode Island native is making the most of his chance so far this year. He shot 69 on Friday and stands tied for the lead at 8-under.  

 

What About Europe? It’s been more than seven decades since anyone from Europe has taken home the Wannamaker Trophy. After 36 holes, three of the top seven are from across the pond. The streak is unlikely to end any time soon when Tiger Woods is hovering around the lead.   

 

Best Euphemism of the Week: The folks cleaning up the trash around the media center are all wearing t-shirts that say “PGA Ecology Team.” It’s a nice thought at least.

 

Ryder Cup Watch: A few golfers are showing they deserve to make the Ryder Cup team while a few have already sealed their fate.

 

J.J. Henry (-4) looks pretty safe at the moment inside the Top 10 while Stewart Cink (at -2) has a good shot to earn a few points and punch his ticket to the K Club in September. Davis Love III, at7-under and lurking around the lead, might clinch a Ryder Cup berth all by himself. If he doesn’t, expect a captain’s pick after his showing this week. And Tim Herron, who was 17th in points coming into this week, could leapfrog many compatriots if he continues his stellar play. Lucas Glover still has a shot and stands at 4-under-par after 36 holes.

   

Players like Zach Johnson (+2), John Rollins (+2), Vaughn Taylor (+5) and Brett Wetterich (+8) all missed the cut and won’t be able to improve their Ryder Cup point totals. Sorry guys, the likelihood of you going to Ireland in September isn’t very likely.

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

1:03:00 PM EDT
Feeling Happy

There’s generally two ways to watch a golf tournament. First, you can find a pairing that you are really inter

ested in and follow them around all day. Second, you can plop yourself down on a good viewing hole (usually a par-3) and just hang out. This way, you let the stars come to you. I decided to rest a bit and let the stars do the work.

 

Sitting on the hill above the par-3 17th hole might be the finest place to watch golf here at Medinah. I was lucky enough to get there 30 minutes or so before the first group came by and I had prime seating. It kind of felt like being a TV announcer. After watching where a few guys hit their shots, I could tell you that  a certain putt would break left or right and that most golfers were leaving their putts on the low side of the cup. Here are a few observations from the morning rounds.  

 

Best Shot of the Day: Adam Scott almost recorded the second ace here in as many days. The Aussie’s ball missed the hole on the fly by about six inches and came to rest about two inches from the cup. He was so close to the cup, the other two players in his group – Kenny Perry and Rory Sabbatini -- just let him putt out.

 

50-50 Shot: After the first 30 golfers came through the par 3 that’s playing 199 yards today over the water, it was even money if you would hit the green in regulation or not. Fifteen balls found the putting surface, 15 did not. Three players – John Daly, Angel Cabrera and Kelly Mitchum -- found a watery grave. Daly was the only one of the three not to make double bogey. His shot from the drop area stopped 2 feet short of the hole and he promptly sunk the putt.

 

Funniest Moment of the Morning: Robert Gamez launches his approach here at the 17th hole long and into the rough behindthe green. This stuff is so thick, when Jim Furyk’s ball landed next to the bunker in the deep rough, it took four guys to find the ball. And everyone knew exactly where it landed!

 

But back to Gamez. So he sizes up his difficult downhill chip to a green that rolls away from him with a pond sitting on the other side of the cup. His first chip attempt from about 40 gets about halfway down the slope. He now stands roughly 20 feet from the pin, still in the deep stuff. Next chip? Still in the rough. This stuff is thick. So what does he do now? He proceeds to chip it in. After that ordeal for bogey, he promptly picks his ball out of the hole and tosses it into the pond. I guess he thought that was about what that ball deserved after playing that hole so poorly. This also brought about the loudest cheers of the day so far.

 

Worst Wardrobe Malfunction: No shock… it’s Sergio Garcia. He’s got a BRIGHT orange pair of pants with shoes to match. The kid can dress. Now if he just could putt.  

 

Best Advice Not Given: Earlier in the morning, Fred Couples hits his approach right over the flagstick and he stops about 12 feet past the hole, directly in front of me. He leaves his birdie putt about six inches outside left of the cup. A few minutes later, Jeff Sluman’s ball ends up in the same spot. I suggest to the guy sitting next to me that we should tell Sluman that it doesn’t break as much as you think. Fortunately, we don’t say a word and Sluman drains the putt. I guess that’s why he’s on Tour and we’re not.

 

Sometimes, It’s Easy: The 17th tee box is way up the hill here at Medinah. Unless you have binoculars, it can be very difficult to tell which player is which when they are milling around on the tee box. That wasn’t the case for a few groups. The aforementioned orange pants of Sergio Garcia were a dead giveaway. Plus, with the wide-bodied John Daly, the extremely tall Vijay Singh and the much smaller Jeff Sluman, those guys were easily pegged by everyone in the gallery.

 

Everyone Loves Daly: Well, the crowd around the 17th green was building all morning long. When top tier players like Ernie Els and Davis Love III came through, everyone was quiet and waited patiently. After Daly finished out making his bogey, I’d venture to guess that about 30 percent of the fans just got up and left. Granted, it didn’t help that the next six groups had star players like Corey Pavin and Steve Stricker, but I’ll chalk it up to Daly’s popularity.

 

The Great Debate: I’m sitting in prime location for taking a Titleist in the mouth. It’s kind of like sitting in the first few rows at SeaWorld. You know the chance of getting drenched are pretty high, but you want to be there anyway. So the debate goes back and forth between some of the folks in the crowd... If a ball comes your way, do you try to knock it onto the green for the guy? Apparently, it depends on the guy. One fan said if it was Tiger’s ball, he’d try to throw it up behind the T.V. tower. Apparently not everyone loves a Tiger.

 

Not NASCAR, but Close: Just about every guy out here has some kind of endorsement deal. Some are worth more than others of course. But Davis Love III seems to have a few more than most. The front of his hat says Titleist, the side of it says FootJoy, his sleeves say Acura and the front of his shirt says Polo. Granted, he’s got a long way to becoming Dale Jr. or Jeff Gordon, but it could happen :-) 

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

7:06:13 AM EDT
Feeling Hopeful

In no particular order, these are a few things that would make this golf fan a happy camper come Sunday night.

 

-- Sergio Garcia tones down his wardrobe. Did you see the lemon yellow outfit during the final round of the British Open? Sergio really needs some help. If he spent as much time picking out his clothes as working on his putting, the Spaniard might have won his first major a long time ago.

-- Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods forced to play all four rounds together. They were paired together for the first two rounds. It's not out of the question that these two superstars could do it again for the weekend. But it might go down as the least amount of chatter between players in the history of major championship golf.

 

-- How about one for the old guys? One of the shortest hitters in golf (Fred Funk) contends for his first major at the age of 50 come Sunday. Funk is 198th on the PGA Tour in driving distance. Who cares if this is the longest course in the history of major championship golf.

-- Some guy comes out of absolute nowhere to qualify for the Ryder Cup team. We're talking about a J.B. Holmes type of guy. Would him and Tiger be an awkward pairing at the K Club?

-- John Daly proves that his two major wins weren't a fluke :-) Everyone seems to love Daly, no matter how insane his off-the-course life gets. Who else could Americans adore after he loses millions at the slots and drinks his way into oblivion?

-- A Chris DiMarco victory. Just slightly lost in Tiger's amazing, dramatic victory at the British Open this year was how DiMarco's mom passed away just weeks before the Open. DiMarco is a class act and always the fighter, so seeing him get his first major win so soon after the loss of his mom would do a grieving family good.

 

-- Garcia finally wins his first major. Okay, so a European hasn't won the PGA in more than seven decades. But it could happen. And it would be a double breakthrough if Sergio could accomplish the feat.

-- A random PGA club pro finishes in the top 10. Asking for a victory and a possible Ryder Cup berth would be too much. So we'll take a high finish for some guy you've never heard of (and never will again) and be done with it.

-- An Ernie Els return to greatness. Since his surgery last year, the South African does have five top 10s in 2006, including a third place finish at the British Open in July. Can the Big Easy win his fourth major title this week? It would be a nice change of pace. And just think, the Grand Slam of Golf at the end of the year would feature Els, Tiger, Mickelson and Geoff Ogilvy. Not a bad foursome.

 

-- Let’s see Medinah bite back. Who wants to see a major won with a final score of 20 under? There were 81 players at par or better after Thursday’s first round. Hopefully the folks who set up the course will take a look at the scores and decide to toughen it up a little bit. Dare to dream.

 

Written by kevinmaguire1 Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 5 comments: Show Recent | Add your own