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Woods' "new" swing, Baltusrol rough look to make for a great major finaleWith the last major of the year this week, there are still the big questions concerning the biggest player in golf. With the PGA Championship starting Thursday at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey, will we see a re-coronation of King Tiger Woods, or will we discover that he has devolved into simply another great player with whom the rest of the field has caught up? Woods skyrocketed to super-stardom in 2000 when he won three majors, toying with the rest of the field in the process. If he wins at Baltusrol, it will be his third major this year, after having won the Masters in a playoff and the British Open by five strokes. Great sagas have been written about Woods' swing reconstruction, and perhaps a bit of sagging in his confidence. El Tigre has been reconstructing his swing over the last 17 months with Hank Haney, the long-time swing guru of Tiger's best bud, Mark O'Meara. Woods himself, not surprisingly, says he's even better than the old, seemingly invincible version before his troubles started. "I certainly have more shots, there's no doubt about that, and five more years experience," Woods told the media at the Buick Open. "My game has gotten a lot better, a lot more sound over the past year or so working with Hank. Positive things are starting to come." It doesn't look like there are too many people around who can stop him, other than Vijay Singh, still stubbornly staying within reach of Woods in the world rankings. Ernie Els is out with injuries, and both Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen have gone south in the majors this year. Goosen, however, is coming off a tough, well-earned win at The International, the last of the "Big Five" to notch a win this year. Baltusrol awaits this drama, a big, bruising 7,392 yarder. Ordinarily that would suit the long-hitting Woods but the thick, five-inch rough could make it interesting; Woods likes to whack it long and let the devil care whether or not it lands in the fairway, as long as it's close to the green. "It'll be penal to the point where it may be difficult to even advance it," Baltusrol greenskeeper Mark Kuhns told BBC Sport. "It could be costly to venture out there half a shot to a shot. It'll be a major factor." How's this for an early pairing: Woods, U.S. Open winner Michel Campbell and two-time British Open champion Greg Norman. No doubt, we'll all be tuning in. As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.
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Palm Springs Triple Play Golf Challenge |
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TPC
at Heron Bay:
Let the wind blow and let her rip
Mark McCumber must have been steamed that he had to build the TPC at Heron Bay this far from the beach - so he brought it with him. There are huge bunkers everywhere. Even so, given the unpredictable South Florida winds, your score will depend more on nature's whim, than on the architect's. If the wind isn't blowing, this golf course is a challenge. But when it does blow, it can be well, a female dog, writes Tim McDonald.