World’s best (Tiger Woods) in hot pursuit of PGA Championship
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 08/12/2009
It’s not every day you can say that you have a winner in town, that the best and most recognizable athlete in the world is in your city. The Twin Cities can start boasting, because Tiger Woods is here all week.
And, he’s here because he’s on a business trip. He’s after a Big Ten sweep and playing at the top of his game. He’s won back-to-back weeks on the PGA tour. Two weeks ago it was the Buick Invitational in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Then, Sunday, he rallied from three shots back to beat Padraig Harrington with a final round of 65 at Firestone in Akron, Ohio.
Now he’s hungry to win in Minnesota this week, something he’s never done.
If he does win, he’ll grab his 15th career Major Championship and fifth PGA title. Woods became the first player in PGA Tour history to win seven times on the same golf course. It was also the 70th victory of his illustrious PGA Tour career, a remarkable, unbelievable achievement for a man just 33 years old.
Woods is three wins behind Jack Nicklaus and in third place for most wins all-time; Sam Snead with 82 holds the record. It was also Woods’ 16th victory in the World Golf Championship series, which has three tournaments each year (the CA Championship, the World Match Play Championship, and the Bridgestone Invitational).
Only the best players worldwide qualify to play in each event. There have been only 30 WGC tournaments, and Woods has won more than half of them.
The 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National provides that opportunity. Golf’s final Major is what the strongest field of players in professional golf, the top 100, is competing for. They are all here this week: Phil Mickelson, V.J. Singh, defending PGA Champion Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Sergio Garcia, and the rest, the biggest names in professional golf.
They will be faced with the toughest challenge the PGA has to offer. Hazeltine is hosting a Men’s Major Championship for the fourth time. It will be the longest Major Championship venue in history at 7,685 yards.
The 1970 United States Open was won by Tony Jacklin, the 1991 U.S Open was won by Payne Stewart, and the 2002 PGA Championship was won by Rich Beem. Beem beat Woods by one shot even though Woods birdied the last four holes on Sunday.
The PGA Championship will be Woods’ 50th career Major Championship tournament, and he has won 14 of 49. He’s the heavy favorite this week, as he is every week. He’s won five times this year.
However, Woods, like all superstars, is measured by how he does in the big ones, the Major Championships. The closer he gets to Nicklaus’s record 18 — and with 14, Woods is closer than any player ever — the Majors are the hardest titles to get.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .
