Defending champ, Tiger meet the press
It was another beautiful day at Hazeltine National Tuesday as the 91st PGA Championship grew near. For the second straight day, fans showed up by the thousands to watch Tiger Woods play his second practice round. They were lined up eight to 10 deep along the fairways, which to me wouldn’t be too much fun being a part of because you couldn’t see anything anyway.
Shortly after his practice rounds, Woods, looking to become only the second five-time PGA Champion (joining the immortal Walter Hagen), met the media. Once again, a substantial throng was on hand in the interview room, much bigger than it would be for some other players. Woods touched on a number of different subjects, including what distinguishes the PGA Championship from the game’s other three majors.
“Well, as far as what distinguishes it, it’s the best field that we play against. It’s the deepest field that we get, and usually there’s 98 or 99 (there are 99 this year) of the top-100 players in the world here. It’s been very deep. You know if you win this championship, you’ve beaten the best field in all of golf.”
There has been a lot written lately by some prominent journalists that’s been sharply critical of swearing the club slamming on the golf course by Woods during majors and other tournaments. Here’s what he had to say about that:
“It is what it is. Unfortunately I do make mistakes, and I hit bad shots and I say bad things at times. I don’t mean to; it just comes out. It’s not something that I try and do. It just happens. Have I been trying to get better at that? Yeah, my entire life. But it happens from time to time, and I’m not the only person that does it.”
And finally, if he does indeed win the PGA, what letter grade would Tiger give his 2009 season. If he doesn’t win, what letter grade would he give his season?
“Well, it’s been a great year either way. For me to come back and play as well as I’ve done and actually win golf events. To say at the very beginning of the year, when I was feeling the way I was, to be honest with you, I don’t think any of us would have thought I could have won this many events this year.”
For the record, Sunday’s win at the Bridgestone Invitational was his fifth this season and 70th for his career.
Harrington, who won both the PGA Championship (At Oakland Hills) and British Open last year (his second Open title in a row), still decided to tweak the swing that brought him three major championships.
“I’m not happy unless I’m changing, I’m working on something. I wouldn’t be motivated to get out there and practice unless I thought I was getting better. I’m always trying to get better. For motivation and for the adrenaline and the excitement and all of that, you’ve got to be trying to get better.”
Harrington had a one shot lead with three holes to go before making triple bogey on the par-5 16th at Bridgestone. Woods made a birdie for a four-shot swing and went on to win the tournament by four strokes. The twosome was “put on the clock” by PGA Tour officials on the 16th, which resulted in Tiger offering a stern opinion (there was no fine as was reported earlier) about the situation and Harrington hurrying a bit, which may have led to the disasterous 8.
“You know, we were having a great battle. I was enjoying it and I believe he was enjoying it. I reacted poorly to the situation and that’s my own fault. It’s part of the rules that these things are going to happen. It would have probably been better if it happened earlier in the round.”
By the way, Harrington, Woods and Rich Beem, who won the PGA Championship here in 2002, are paired for the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.
I followed Iowa’s pride and joy Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink, the recently crowned British Open champion, for parts of nine holes on Tuesday. Then, while watching Johnson hit on the range, I told him that Sioux City, Iowa, wishes him good luck.
He said thanks and took particular interest in the fact that I mentioned Denny Wiltgen’s name. Zach and Denny, of course, are longtime friends.
Two days and counting until the real games begin.
