Inspired by Carnoustie, now onto PGA St Louis
The 100th PGA Championship is in full swing at Bellerive Country Club, St Louis in Missouri (9-12 August). It’s the final Major of the season and promises to be another thrilling tournament featuring the best golfers from around the world. Yet before we say farewell to golf’s only Major on this side of the pond, let’s reflect for just a moment on Tiger Woods and his impressive performance in The Open at Carnoustie. Inspiration possibly for this year’s extra special centenary edition of the PGA Championship? We think so. Tiger is back in the Major hunt.
Many a golf fan tuning-in to The Open at Carnoustie for the first time on the final day must have had quite a shock to see Tiger Woods as championship leader after ten holes. The 14-times Major champion was 7-under par at this point, just one ahead of his playing partner from Italy, Francesco Molinari, who eventually went on to win the tournament in Scotland, his first Major victory.
Tiger leads The Open
The former Number One was enjoying his long-awaited comeback, his return to glory. The notion of him ever being in contention again in a Major is regarded as fool-hardy by some, while others predict that it is just a question of time. In July, that moment, seemed to be upon us. Tiger Woods was leading The Open.
Dressed in his traditional Sunday red ‘victory’ shirt and highly-polished black golf shoes, Tiger looked to be in control and heading for victory. Until disaster struck at the 11th hole. Tiger made his first double bogey of the week here which cost him dearly. He fell back to 5-under. Victory now looked to be mission impossible for the 42-year old American whose dream remains to beat Jack Nicklaus’, the Golden Bear’s, legendary tournament record. The last player, by the way, to win The Open with a double bogey in the final round was Irishman Padraig Harrington. So there was still hope for Tiger.
Courageous challenge
Scenes of Tiger slashing his way out of the long and wispy rough at Carnoustie’s 12th hole, however, were grim reminders of other thwarted attempts in the past to win his fourth Open Championship title. It looked as if Tiger was about to lose his cool and get rattled. Could he hold it together and still make a courageous challenge down the final straight? It was now a matchplay duel ‘a la Ryder Cup’ in order to regain the lead from Molinari: America v Europe.
Meanwhile Rory McIlroy had other ideas. He made a magnificent eagle to join the leading pack on 6-under. Another dramatic Carnoustie play-off looked to be on the cards.
The Tiger of old then miraculously regained his focus and made a feisty birdie at the 14th after sailing through the green for two; putting up short on the double green and then holing a sensational putt to put the pressure on Molinari. But the Italian, who had made thirteen straight pars on Sunday, was not to be phased. Instead he was inspired. He replied with his own birdie, rattling in the putt at 14 to take the outright lead again on 7-under.
McIlroy, playing up ahead, made a noble challenge for a share of that lead but his putt for birdie on the final green stayed above ground leaving the player from Northern Ireland in a tie for the clubhouse lead on 6-under with Englishman Justin Rose.
Meanwhile, the 54-hole joint leader Xander Schaufelle was keen to show that he was not prepared to be overshadowed by his fellow Americans. He had worked his way back to the top of the leaderboard and was now co-leader with Molinari on 7-under par.
Molinari’s matchplay mentality
Molinari and Woods continued their battle down the last where the Italian played an exquisite approach-shot to the green squeezing his ball inside of Tiger’s well-applauded second shot to the pin. The crowds were ecstatic. Advantage Europe. Woods was first to putt. However, he missed the birdie and so closed with a level-par round of 71 to finish at 5-under for the championship and so take a share of 6th place. Molinari’s Ryder Cup-groomed matchplay mentality then saw him calmly hole-out for birdie to take the outright lead again at 8-under. After a nail-biting few minutes watching the last two pairings play down the last, Francesco Molinari was crowned Open Champion of the Year. The rest is history.
This week in America, Tiger has his last chance this season to add another Major title to his collection. A win in St Louis would be his fifth PGA Championship title. The Wanamaker Trophy in his hands again would seal a very satisfying comeback for Tiger.
Enjoy all the action at Bellerive!
Wendy Hoad
PICTURED: Tiger Woods in The Open at Carnoustie.