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By Jordan Lauterbach  August 17, 2009, at 1:12 am  It always seams to be that the unlikeliest of accomplishments in sports are done by the unlikeliest of competitors. If someone told you on Wednesday that Tiger Woods would be leading the fourth and final major of the year through 56 holes, only to be upset down the stretch, who would you assume the foe would be. Phil Mickelson? Padraig Harrington? Lee Westward? Steve Stricker?
How about Y.E Yang?
Before you broke out in laughter, you would probably ask one question. Who is Y.E Yang?
He’s only the 110th ranked player in the world. A guy who missed the cut at The Masters and didn’t even give it a go at the U.S or British Opens. After winning The Honda Classic in March, Yang didn’t see the top ten again until three weeks ago at the RBC Canadian Open.
Even on Thursday and Friday, Yang didn’t seam like anything more than an afterthought. It was only after a Saturday round of 67 did he appear to have a shot at the title. But even then, could you really see Y.E Yang doing something that no one has ever done before? Could you really see Y.E Yang knocking Tiger Woods out of the lead on Sunday of a major championship?
The shock on the front nine on Sunday wasn’t that Yang was playing so well, it was that he was hanging in with Tiger Woods. So many times, we have seen golfers succumb to the pressure of playing with Woods on Sunday. It is unbelievable intimidating to be standing next to one of the games greatest players, knowing that his goal over the next four hours is to beat you.
But it didn’t bother Yang. He matched Woods par for par, even creeping up on him with a birdie at four. A bogey at five was followed by eight consecutive pars. Often times for players of Yang’s stature, mistakes on a major Sunday can have a domino effect. One can lead to another and before you know it, you’re out of contention.
Not Yang. Unfazed by the one mistake, he kept chugging along.
Much like his round on Saturday, Woods stood even for most of the day. He bogeyed two holes on the front nine and pared the rest. But round number four for Woods had a definite feel of frustration. He was missing birdie putts left and right and mercifully leaving to door open to come catch him.
On Saturday, the round for Tiger had more of a ho-hum feeling. Fifteen pars felt like an invitation for someone to come out and play with him on Sunday. But when Woods wanted to stop playing games, his putter couldn’t close the door. A few made birdie putts and Woods could have made the turn comfortably, instead the round was spent waiting for the other shoe to drop.
On fourteen, Y.E Yang’s destiny began to sprint towards the door that Woods had left open. It was there where Yang hit the shot of the tournament when he chipped a shot for eagle. Suddenly Y.E Yang was leading the PGA Championship with four holes to play.
This looked to have awoken a Tiger who had been asleep all day. Woods’ birdie on 14 was only his second of the round and fourth of the weekend. But, surprisingly so, that was it for Tiger. Two pars and a last chance boggy on 17 made his final bogey on 18 a mere footnote. Yang had already won to tournament with a final hole birdie.
In many ways, Yang was fortunate. Fortunate that Woods didn’t take advantage of a boggy on 17, instead matching it. Fortunate that Tigers’ putter convinced itself that the tournament was in the bag no matter what. Fortunate that the others pursuing the top never really made a serious bid.
But with all Yang’s good fortune, immense credit is due. He showed that shooting the ball all over the course is not a prerequisite to playing with Tiger on a major Sunday. He showed that even the most unlikely of contenders can, every once in a while, shock any player on tour.
Even Tiger Woods.
Next Week: The Wyndham Classic- Not much of a field in this one as the tour revs up for the FedEx Cup playoffs in two weeks. U.S Open champion Lucas Glover headlines the group. Glover was in contention at the PGA before bogeying five of the final thirteen holes.
By Jordan Lauterbach August 15, 2009, at 10:42 pm Winning a major is never an easy task, no matter how great you are. They are tournaments that bring out the absolute best in the absolute best. So maybe the talk of Tiger Woods running away with the 2009 PGA Championship with 36 holes left to play was a little premature. Maybe it was a case of the awestruck media (me included) looking for any reason at all to crown Woods king. The odds of Woods reigning on Sunday night are still high, but maybe not quite as high as they were when the day started on Saturday.
It wasn’t a case of Tiger playing poorly on Saturday, but rather, playing unspectacularly. He finished the day at one under par for the round and eight under par for the tournament. As if to keep himself amused on Sunday, Tiger pared the course for most of the day. He bogeyed only one hole and birdied two.
Sure, there was a bit of the usual drama from Woods. He made birdie at the 14th by chipping the ball in from the very edge of the green. A signature Tiger fist pump accentuated the moment, as if to say “come catch me”. His rounds ended with four straight pars.
Like any long and tedious hunt, the group pursuing Tiger has thinned out. But they were rewarded for their perseverance by an admittedly conservative leader. Surprise Y.E Yang and familiar foe Padraig Harrington both sit two shots back of the lead going into the final major’s final day.
Yang, who will play with Woods on Sunday, had the biggest move of the day. Not even thought of as a serious contender after 36 holes, he shot an impressive 5 under, 67 to bypass the falling contenders. After a bogey on 13, Yang birdied three of his final five holes. Six total birdies and only the one bogey made him one of the most unlikely contenders of the year.
But the unlikely nature of his contention comes from where he put himself after two days of golf, not because of a lack of success. Yang has had a surprisingly consistent year. The winner of this year’s Honda Classic, has three top ten finishes on his resume and has only missed four cuts in 19 starts.
Yang will be charged with trying to catch Tiger while playing right beside him and match an incredible Saturday round. It’s worth noting that Yang missed the cut in the two most important tournaments of his season, The Masters and The Players. This doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. I wouldn’t expect Yang to cause any sort of threat to Woods.
Tiger’s main competitor on Sunday will be Padraig Harrington.
What a surprise.
Harrington rebounded from a even par 72 on Friday with an impressive -3,69 on Saturday. Until a bogey on 18, Padraig was playing with a bogey-free round. Four birdies allowed him to creep into the second place tie with Yang.
After Tiger bested him last weekend, Harrington told Tiger that the two would meet again. While they may not be playing together tomorrow, it will still be a battle. Once Y.E Yang gets out of the way, it’ll be all Tiger V. Paddy. They tee off nine minutes apart, providing for what should be great major championship theater.
Of the group of Tiger hunters on Satuday, Vijay Singh had the biggest fall. Singh shot an unwatchable +3, 75 to drop all the way into an 18th place tie. Any trouble for Vijay looked to be avoidable after a fantastic chip in for eagle on seven erased a bogey on six.
But the back nine was unrelenting for Singh. He bogeyed three holes, double bogeyed another, and birdied only one of the disastrous back stretch. His problems were almost exclusively confined to the green. His putter completely gave out on him. By the end of the round, it looked to be mental more than anything else. Now, Singh’s first top three finish of the year and fourth top ten looks to be in major jeopardy.
Lucas Glover and Henrick Stenson are theoretically still in striking the distance. Glover and Stenson sit four shots off Woods’ lead entering Sunday. Stenson started the day off with a bogey and never looked back. He birdied his next two and ended the round with five total birds. The PLAYERS championship winner will have to have an even better round on Sunday if he wants to think about competing.
Like Singh, Glover’s putter was his biggest foe on Saturday. But he put himself in good position off the tee that his putting didn’t need to be great. Despite the occasional putting trouble, Glover birdied three holes and boggyed only two. While he missed a few opportunities, the U.S Open champ didn’t let it kill him like Vijay did. While he’ll probably need a miracle to contend on Sunday, a more confident putting stroke could inch him up towards the top.
But don’t kid yourself; Sunday will be about Padraig V Tiger. Woods V Harrington. Forget about Mickelson V Woods, this has quickly become the most exciting rivalry in golf. Last week, Harrington made too many pars and let Tiger pass him on the board. Then, he climbed back in it before collapsing late.
Now it’s Harrington’s turn to creep up on Tiger. If Woods doesn’t make a significant move early in the round, Harrington will catch up. I think Woods wins, but it comes down to the final three holes.
Sure, the fact that Woods has never lost a lead going into the final round has to be a daunting one for Harrington. But he can’t think like that. Knowing him, he won’t. After all, there’s always a first time.
And we thought the PGA was over…..
By Jordan Lauterbach August 14, 2009, at 2:14 am Making rash predictions after one day of a major golf tournament can be dangerous. So much can happen in the last three days that often the board after day one looks like an absolute joke by Sunday night. However, I prey to the golf gods that this one stay the same. I prey to the golf gods that the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine is about one battle and one battle only.
Tiger Woods Vs. Padraig Harrington
Here we go again. Second consecutive week, second consecutive battle between two competitors that have a budding rivalry that is only equal to the amount of respect that one has for the other. Sure, it could go down in flames. Paddy could light up today and by the time Saturday roles around he could be a forgotten competitor. Although significantly less likely, Tiger could fall down the board after the second 18 and we’re looking at another weekend comeback trail.
But let’s live in the moment. Lets hope that the one shot that separates Tiger and Harrington at the top of the leaderboard at the start of play today remains the story. As we stand, Woods leads the pack at -5.
Tiger’s 67 yesterday was his best opening round at a major this year. He was as sharp as sharp can be. Showing only the effects of two weeks worth of momentum, Tiger went bogey free through his first 18, racking up five birdies.
At the risk of sounding over-analytical, I think this was a round that Tiger needed. After his failures at majors this year, it was crucial for him to not start off the week on a down note. His first round at The British was hard to watch. His rain-interrupted round at Bethpage Black wasn’t much easier. But yesterday’s round was an absolute joy to behold. A clinic, if you will.
Obviously, what’s most impressive about the round is his lack of bogeys. Hazeltine is a dangerously long course. You thought Bethpage was long? Well, Hazeltine is longer. Although this benefits Tiger because of his excellent driving skills, I grew concerned about his play off the tee after the debacle at Turnbury and a so-so first round at the Buick. But he appears to be past all that. Maybe it’s the magic of Hank Haney. Maybe it’s a testament that even the best have a bad few weeks here and there.
Even though, I prefaced this column saying that rash predictions after round one often backfire, I don’t see how you can make a strong argument that Tiger won’t win this major. He’s got that look that we’ve all come to recognize. He’s got that swagger that is almost unparalleled in the game of golf. What aspect of yesterdays round worried you if you’re Tiger Woods. I didn’t see any. Yes, pin placement might become more of an issue as we get closer to Sunday, but isn’t that when Tiger thrives?
Maybe the only player that can hang with Tiger this week is Harrington. At -4, the Irishman is only one shot off the lead. If you were wondering whether last week’s performance at The Bridgestone was a fluke or Harrington turning the corner, choose the latter.
Paddy failed to bogey on the front nine and only had one on the back. He birdied five holes and looked as strong as ever doing so. The day had a sense of unfinished business for Harrington. Last weekend looks like it was only the start.
After the round ended last Sunday, Harrington walked up to Woods and said “We’ll do battle again soon.” At the time, it appeared to be just a sign of two men who respect each other a great deal. Who knew that by “soon” Harrington meant “next week.”
Maybe its pessimism, or maybe realism, but Harrington is the only player at the top who I can see going nose to nose with Tiger. Hunter Mahan, Vijay Singh, and David Toms are a few of the names that rest two shots back, but I question if anyone of that group has enough to go round for round with Woods. Or Harrington, for that matter.
For what it’s worth, my pick (Steve Stricker) is sitting in a tie for 69th at +2. Phil Mickelson also resides in that +2 group. Kenny Perry didn’t play much better.
So maybe the storylines will be few and far between this weekend. But as we saw with Tom Watson at The British, a major doesn’t need multiple captivating storylines.
One will do just fine.
By Jordan Lauterbach July 17, 2009, at 1:11 am I feel like a weather man. Maybe Al Roker or Mr. G. It seems like every time we have a major championship, I’m writing about the weather. But, unlike the U.S Open, today I write about how good weather can affect a golf championship.
What kind of effect can good weather have on a golf championship?, you may ask. The answer lies in the course.
One of the main features of links golf is that it is played in areas that are often rainy and windy. A major staple of the British Open has always been watching players struggle through some of the strangest conditions this side of winter. For goodness sakes, last year’s British featured sideways rain!
More than every other type of course, links courses are based on the assumption that the weather will be generally bad and unpredictable. The courses themselves aren’t necessarily all that challenging. The game often surrounds itself around navigating the course in sub-par conditions. Because the courses exist is places like Scotland, Ireland, and Britain, it is a safe bet that the weather will generally give way to challenging links golf.
But if you took that bet on day one of the British, you would have lost. The weather at Turnbury was quite calm. Watching the coverage on TNT, I saw little traces of rain or wind that would make any difference. This made a course that would be difficult in bad weather quite “assaultable”.
And assaulted it was. Although not leading at the end of the day,Tom Watson stole the show early. Watson used the calm course to his advantage a fired an unreal five-under, 65. The most impressive statistic from Watson’s day? No bogeys.
The 59 year old is known for his many triumphs at The British in the past, but was largely thought of as a ceremonial player who would finish light years below the cut line. Watson, himself, was supposed to help out on ABC’s weekend coverage. But don’t worry, ABC. He’ll still be helping you out. He may be your lead story. Yes, the prospect of Watson being in serious contention this weekend is an unlikely one. But stranger things have happened. One has to only look to last year when 53 year old Greg Norman found himself in the top three going into Sunday.
But here’s why I don’t think Watson is a serious contender come Saturday night- The weather yesterday allowed the course to become manageable. Their was no wind. No rain. No obstacle to overcome, besides the general trials of a professional golfer. I wouldn’t bet on the weather staying that way. I question whether Watson can compete in weather that is less than glorious. From what I understand, a glorious day is quite rare. I don’t think the equation of late round golf + Scottish weather + a few charging young guns on your tail would be one that Watson could solve successfully. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re talking about Watson’s prospects differently after today’s round. He tees off at 8:06am.
Getting “Watson-blocked” in all of this is the actual leader, Miguel Angel Jimenez. Jimenez, also no spring chicken, shot a 6 under, 64 to grab sole possession of the lead. As was with Watson, Jimenez did not bogey a hole. His round was capped by a fantastic birdy putt at 18 to grab sole possession of the lead. The forty five year old had his most success in the early 2000’s. He had his best major finish ever when he tied for second at the 2000 U.S Open. A year later, he had his best ever British finish- tieing for third.
While I think he has a beater chance to stay in the tournament, I still question how much of the leaderboard was aided by the great condition. That being said, while tougher condition don’t help the leaders, it doesn’t do the chasers any favors either.
Other day one musings….
- Another poor day one showing for Tiger at a Major. He shot a +1, 71. It looked like he struggled off the tee for the majority of his round. One of the more disturbing things I noticed from Woods today was his general demeanor. Tiger is not known as a hot head, but he’s never exactly stoic on the course when he’s frustrated. If Tiger is not playing well, you will know it from his body language. This is nothing new.
But I thought his body language today was particularly poor. I noticed it more on the back nine. It wasn’t just yelling and pouting. It was letting the golf club go in the middle of his back swing in frustration. If seen Tiger mad, but never so much that he’d consistently go short on his mechanics.
I have a theory about why Tiger was so mad at himself, and it goes back to the weather. In his Tuesday press conference, Tiger talked so much about the challenges of a links course and the importance to taking advantage of it when you can…Today was a perfect day to pepper a course like Turnbury and Tiger couldn’t do it. Theren lies the frustration.
But this I know- round two is a make or break round for Tiger. He’s tied for 68th and cannot afford to wait for the weekend to make his move. By that time, it may be too late…even for Tiger.
The fact of the matter is that Woods may have wasted a huge opportunity on Thursday. If theres no charge, I wonder how this will affect the way his year is viewed. To be fair, its not a bad knock on the guy if you make it.
- Two major disappointments today…
-My pick, Hunter Mahan, is tied for 98th after a +2, 72. He never got comfortable after putting up bogey’s on his first two holes. He made only three birds all day (all on the back nine) and double bogeyed 15. He knows how to come from beind, but 8 shots may be a rough climb in a major.
- Anthony Kim was terrible. Part of it could have been the neck injury that he suffered early in his round. I know what those feel like and I can’t imagine playing golf with one. Kim dug his grave and buried himself with a gigantic 9 spot on the
2nd hole…9??
I don’t even shoot nine’s.
By Jordan Lauterbach June 29, 2009, at 3:00 am Its been a fun year to watch Kenny Perry play golf. Seven top ten finishes, a victory at the FBR Open, and nearly his first major championship at Augusta in April. But perhaps his most impressive showing came yesterday when he finished up a brilliant week of golf with a win at the Travelers Championship.
Coming into the day one shot back of Paul Goydos, Perry put together a confident seven under, 63 to win by three. The win shot Perry into first place on the FedEx cup leader board and a piece of Travelers Championship history. His winning week number, 258, was the lowest any player has ever shot in the history of the tournament.
Despite the fact that the Sunday sun did not rise with Perry leading, by the time CBS’s TV coverage began at 3pm it wasn’t difficult to see that Perry would be hard to beat. As it turned out, besting the 48 year old proved a nearly impossible task. He sank almost every putt he attempted, long and short, and birdied seven holes. Perry’s round was a perfect example of how to win a tournament like this. Putt well, make par, and let the field crumble around you.
No one really crumbled today. In fact, this is a rare week where I will not give out a choke of the week. A few players played good enough to win. But Perry was unreal. David Toms crept up the leader board and tied for second. He, like Perry, failed to bogey a hole. But he parred to many holes to make that final leap towards first, especially with Perry playing as well as he was. Tom birdied four of the final nine holes, but only one before the turn…not quite enough.
Paul Goydos had to play perfect to hold of Perry. He shot himself in the foot with a bogey on 8 and 10. An eagle of 15 moved him from ninth place into a tie for second, but catching Perry was pie in the sky by that point.
A lot of times in golf, the story is about who lost it, rather than who won. And why not? Generally, it’s easier to criticize then to praise. Theirs only so Manny “atta-boy’s” you can throw out, but seeming an unlimited amount of hypothetical scenarios for the losers. But the story today is no doubt Keny Perry’s day. Was it a Brian Gay-eske crushing? No. But was it a relative certainty that Perry was going to win for most of the day? Yes. He didn’t need a lot of help. He didn’t need anyone to wilt under pressure to win this tournament. Often times, you won’t get a big time collapse in a tournament like The Travelers in Hartford Connecticut. After all, it’s not the Masters.
But it might as well been for Kenny Perry.
Next stop on Tour: AT&T National- The defending champ in this one is Anthony Kim. He returns to defend his crown. Kim’s best finish this year came at the Mercedes-Benz championship when he tied for second. Other big names include U.S Open champion Lucas Glover, Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Jum Furyk, Roco Mediate, Paul Goydos… and the biggest draw in all the land, Tiger Wood.
It’s a Tiger week! Should be fun as we get set for the British 2 weeks from now.
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The Host is a Greedy One
All week during pre-tournament preparation, Tiger Woods talked about his desire to be a “greedy host”. Yes, he is the man who’s name is on the tournament. Yes, he has had a much busier week then other players. And yes, after all that- Tiger leads his own tourney headed into the weekend.
Coming into yesterday tied for second place, Tiger shot up the leaderboard after a four under, 66 yesterday. Ironically, the round was two shots worse then Thursdays’, but I think Tiger will take the dividends. He sits a shot up on Rod Pampling and two shots up on defending champion Anthony Kim.
Kim, who set the course on fire on Thursday, shot a mediocre even par 70. Thanks to his record smashing day on Thursday, Kim still sits in good position to win the tournament. I would say great, but I never think looking up at the best player on the planet ever puts someone in great position for anything.
If your looking for a good non-Tiger story line for Saturday, I think Kim is where you go. Here’s a guy who hasn’t won in exactly a year and is looking to get back on the right track. Their is no doubt that Kim has all the potential in the world. One TV commentator on Thursday came short of guaranteeing that he would win “multiple majors” before he hits the Champions tour. This may be true, but whether Kim realizes that potential is yet to be seen. One thing going for him is youth. At 24 years old, he is well aware the the typical golfer does not hit his prime until his early thirties. Since one of Kim’s main weaknesses is his apparent love for nightlife and parties, the theory that his slump is purely a case of being young and immature does carry a lot of weight.
Today’s round will be a huge one for Kim. Does he forget his definitively average round from yesterday and play Congressional like he’s shown he can play Congressional? Or does the demons of the slump rise up and bite Kim, sending him back on the leader board? I think he can stay in this tournament. He was a shot off on almost every hole yesterday. The holes he bogeyed, he pared yesterday. The holes he pared, he birdied yesterday. Their wasn’t that big double bogey blow up hole for Kim that might suggest a meltdown. A few more birdies and one less bogey and we’re looking at Kim in serious contention on Sunday morning.
Other notables- Jim Furyk shot a -3, 67 on Friday to sit in fourth at seven under. U.S Open champ Lucas Glover is tied for eighth at 5 under. This is the third consecutive tournament for Glover. It’s a bit odd for a major champion not to take a week off, but Glover seams to be handling it well.
Trunk Slammers (missed the cut): Robert Allenby, who was in contention at the St. Jude, missed his fourth cut of the year after two straight rounds of 72. WCWP fav John Merrick is going home despite playing at even par on Friday. His six over 76 on Thursday sunk him. K. J Choi was one of similar fate. His 69 was good for a respectable -1 on Friday, but it could not erase a disastrous +7 Thursday….
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