Tuesday, June 18,
2002
Woods
pleases the purists
By JIM MCCABE
c.2002 The Boston Globe
In March 2001, the
buzz in the golf world concerned — surprise, surprise —
Tiger Woods. He had won the final three majors of 2000 —
the US Open, British Open, and PGA Championship — and so
the debate raged: If he won the Masters in 2001, would that be
a Grand Slam?
Purists were adamant
in the negative. The Grand Slam, they argued, had to be in a calendar
year, not spread out over two. Woods disagreed and didn't seem
happy with the purists. Mark Calcavecchia was asked his opinion
and he shook his head.
“All this talk
is just going to get him mad,” said Calcavecchia. “So
he just might have to go and do it to shut everyone up.”
Well, consider Woods
mad. After again displaying his iron-clad resolve to win his second
US Open title Sunday, he's halfway to a Grand Slam that even the
purists couldn't find fault with.
When he travels to
Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland, in four weeks for the British
Open, Woods will be accompanied by the knowledge that only one
other player — Ben Hogan in 1953 — has won these first
three legs of the Grand Slam. And if he were to win there, he'd
travel to the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn.,
in August, embraced by the opportunity to do something that will
be compared to Bobby Jones's 1930 Grand Slam but really is even
more remarkable.
What he won't be
traveling with is the kind of challengers that a few years ago
seemed so glamorous. That's because, one by one, Woods has seemingly
vanquished world-class player after world-class player, leaving
them shell-shocked, frustrated, and resigned to their inability
to win.
Consider this latest
run of success by Woods: seven wins in the last 11 major championships,
dating back to the 1999 PGA. Here is what arguably the five biggest
challengers have done in the majors since Augusta of 1999 (with
their world ranking):
No. 8 Vijay Singh
— There was his second major, the 2000 Masters, but that's
his only top-five effort in that stretch. Singh has been outside
the top 10 in seven of those 11 tournaments. Like Ernie Els, he
melted away down the stretch at Augusta this year, making a 9
at the par-5 15th to fumble away any hopes.
No. 7 David Duval
— He's gone from back woes to shoulder pain, and off-course
problems have affected him, too. He cracked through to win last
summer's British Open and there were good chances to win the Masters
in 2000 and 2001, but he'd be the first to admit he hasn't been
a steady factor in these majors. He once knocked Woods from the
top spot in the world rankings, but he's got a ways to go before
he can even consider doing that again. “He's awesome,”
said Duval. “He's on top of his game. I hope to be there
again someday, too.”
No. 4 Sergio Garcia
— A media darling when he finished second to Woods at the
1999 PGA, he was somewhat of an annoyance and got badly outplayed
over the weekend at the US Open. He has finished top-five just
twice in the last 11 majors and there are serious swing flaws
that are accentuated under pressure (he comes over the top frequently).
Those ludicrous charges about the USGA giving Woods preferential
treatment with tee times perhaps prove that he more than anyone
has let the world's No. 1 player dictate how he plays. At 22,
he's got a lot of talent, but also a lot of maturing to do.
No. 3 Ernie Els —
No wins and just one serious run, at the 2000 Masters when he
finished second. There were a few hollow runner-ups in 2000 when
he finished light-years behind Woods in the US Open and British
Open, but there's never been any doubt that he has trouble competing
when Woods is the prime threat. “Well, it happened to me
again this year at the Masters,” said Els, referring to the
triple-bogey at the 13th as he tried to chase Woods.
No. 2 Phil Mickelson
— He may be the ultimate trick-or-treat of all the marquee
names (birdie, birdie, bogey, birdie, double-bogey), but give
him this much: Unlike the others, he's resilient and fearless.
He's been top-five four times and because he's hugely popular
with the fans, there's no lack of public support for his quest.
Great players, all
of them, but except for Mickelson, hardly great competition for
Woods. Still, Woods will speak glowingly of them as worthy challengers.
“I don't think
people actually understand how difficult this sport is,”
he said. “It's very fickle. I've played well and not won;
the other guy hasn't played well and beaten me.”
Just don't hold your
breath waiting for examples.
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