Dale Dhillon, The Jakarta Post, Atlanta, Georgia | Fri, 08/14/2009 12:14 PM
Deep concentration: Mike Weir (left) of Canada putts on the practice green as his caddie Brennan Little (center) and sports psychologist Bob Rotella look on during a practice day for the 2009 PGA Championship gold tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, on Wednesday. Reuters/Eric Miller
The PGA Championship, golf’s fourth and final major for 2009 will be held Thursday (Friday, Jakarta time) through Aug. 16 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
This is the 91st edition of the event which began in 1916 with the match play (individual elimination) event won by one Jim Barnes.
As a 1916 article in the NY Times framed it: “All that Barnes needs to win a golf tournament is a golf course, a putter, and a liberal supply of the clover leaves [tobacco] that he carries in the corner of his mouth.” Hosting a major for only the fourth time, Hazeltine is one of the many jewels of golf created by the legendary (and late) course architect Robert Trent Jones.
It certainly was not a jewel easily possessed when at the 1970 US Open, Jack Nicklaus lamented: “On 11 of the 18 holes, you can’t even see the area where the drives land”.
Dave Hill, a leading player of the time, however, spared no mercy when he said: “What this place needs is 88 acres of corn and a few cows. Somebody ruined a good farm”. Over the years however, Hazeltine has undergone significant modifications, most recently after the 2002 PGA Championship fashioned by none other than Robert Trent’s son, Rees Jones.
At a “mere” 7,017 meters (7,674 yards) par 72, it presents a sturdy test of length in major championship conditions or for that matter, in any condition.
Two of the four par 5 holes are over 575 meters long. The ever increasing length of these major championship venues is an incredible phenomenon when you consider that the 1994 PGA Championship was played at Southern Hills, a course only 6,249 meters long.
If history has its way, the PGA Championship will yield a first time major winner. Bill Fields of Golf World pointed out recently that since 1934 a total of 29 golfers have made the PGA Championship their only major victory followed by 22 in the British Open.
So how significant is winning that first and perhaps only major? When Doug Sanders was asked in 2000 about missing a 2 foot putt to win the British Open 30 years earlier he said: “It doesn’t hurt much any more. These days I can go a full five minutes without thinking about it.”
Bring up Sergio Garcia (Spain), Colin Montgomerie (Scotland), Lee Westwood (England), Adam Scott (Australia) or even Kenny Perry (US) and I wonder which body part each man would be willing to sacrifice to the golf gods for a major win.
For the fortunate souls in the field for 2009 another quest for golf immortality will begin.
Let’s handicap the Asian entrants first. And a handicap it is as the Asian entry list is rather light for this major championship. In total there are only 10 Asians entered in a field of 156 players. K.J. Choi (Korea) once again is the clear standout along with the possibility of Japan’s Ryuji Imada putting in a strong showing.
The Japanese veteran Katayama tied for 4th at the Masters earlier this year but will he hold up to the torturous length of Hazeltine?
The odd makers Ladbrokes of London have Tiger Woods as a 7 to 4 favorite as of this writing. Last week he captured the Buick Open in Michigan and won his record 7th trophy at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
If he can bring his best putting to Hazeltine, he could very well leave with his first major of the year and 15th overall. The eloquent Tommy Armour winner of the 1930 PGA Championship once articulated: “Love and putting are mysteries for the philosopher to solve. Both subjects are beyond golfers”.
The other Americans that could make a mark at Hazeltine are the consistent Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk or possibly Sean O’Hair. Others in the hunt could very well be Brian Gay and the seemingly ever present Phil Mickleson.
My long shot American picks are Chad Campbell and Justin Leonard who have both finished 2nd in this event before. Geoff Ogilvy of Australia is certainly due for another major victory, he is stealth under pressure and can be formidable with a hot putter in hand.
The Europeans have a remarkably noteworthy contingent. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) who’s the defending champion could make Hazeltine the venue for his 4th major championship in 3 years with a little bit of Irish luck. Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Lee Westwood (England), Ross Fisher (England), Brian Davis (England) and Martin Kaymer (Germany) could all be possible contenders going into the weekend.
Alas, who will have the steely nerves to conquer Hazeltine and claim the year’s final major? It reminds of a quote by Mike Reid at the 1989 PGA: “You always have butterflies in your stomach, but these butterflies are playing hockey”.
The writer can be reached at dhillond@bellsouth.net
