Ask Jack Nicklaus. Ask Uncle Norm who plays the local muni course. Golf is hard.
Achieving golf history? It’s even tougher.
It’s downright exhausting. It’s also exhilarating.
Thus the reaction of Tiger Woods on Sunday–a combination of relief and joy–when he became the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 and second ever to win three major championships in one year. Woods outlasted upstart Bob May by one shot in a three-hole playoff at Valhalla Golf Club to win the 82nd PGA Championship in a battle for the ages.
And afterward, the man of fist-pumps looked like someone who needed a warm hug, a quiet room and a long vacation.
No matter that Woods and May’s 72-hole totals of 18-under-par 270 bettered the PGA Championship record by one stroke, giving Woods the lowest scores in history at all four majors. No matter that Woods became the first golfer since Denny Shute in 1937 to defend successfully his PGA Championship title and take home the Wanamaker Trophy again.
Exactly like last year, when Woods used every ounce of energy to outduel Sergio Garcia at Medinah Country Club, the world’s best player used every bit of his considerable skill and shot-making ability to beat someone who has never won a PGA Tour event.
Woods did so by losing the one-stroke lead he owned to begin the day and coming from behind, birdieing the final two holes and seven of the final 12. He did so by draining a 6-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole in a do-or-die situation after May’s improbable birdie from the fringe of the green.
Woods did so by making birdie on the first playoff hole with an 18-foot putt and playing the next two holes in even par, taking 12 strokes to May’s 13 in the PGA’s new aggregate playoff format.
Most important for Woods, he did so by blocking out all the pressure and turning in a steely performance that proved his guts are as solid as his game.
“This is one of the greatest duels I’ve had in my life,” Woods said. “We never backed off from one another. Birdie for birdie, shot for shot, we were going right at each other. That’s as good as it gets right there.”
Anyone wondering how May would respond to playing in the final pairing of his first PGA Championship got an answer early when the 31-year-old journeyman birdied two of the first four holes to take a two-stroke lead.
Long gone, by now, were Woods’ smiles and the joyful aura of his first two rounds, brought on not only by his stellar play but also by his pairing with Nicklaus. This was pursed-lips serious. This was Tiger-testing time.
“I think I have a big heart,” said May, who had to go back to qualifying school in 1999 to earn his PGA Tour card. “I think people weren’t expecting me to do what I did.”
Few could have expected such a classic back-nine duel as both players made five birdies and no bogeys. Tied at the turn, Woods and May matched each other shot for shot in a gripping exhibition of can-you-top-this?
May birdied Nos. 10, 11 and 12. Woods matched him on 10 and 12. Both birdied No. 14, a 217-yard par-3, with May using the entire hole to roll in a 20-footer and Woods stroking home a 12-footer.
They took turns saving miraculous pars, with Woods draining a 15-foot putt on No. 15 and May getting up and down from the rough on No. 16.
“I had to make that putt at 15,” Woods said. “If I missed that putt and he made his 4-footer (for birdie, which May missed), he’s three up with three holes to go.”
May’s driver deserted him on the 422-yard par-4 17th, sending him into the rough again. Woods split the fairway with a 325-yard bomb, spun a sand wedge from 97 yards to within 3 feet and stroked home the tying birdie.
And then came the 72nd hole, a 542-yard par-5. Both players reached the green in two. May hit his first putt from 70 feet too hard and sent it onto the fringe, 15 feet behind the hole. Woods rolled his first putt over a swale to within 6 feet.
Playing first, May miraculously steered his putt through two breaks and to the bottom of the cup. Woods stepped up. “I just stayed focused and in the moment and trusted my stroke,” he said.
His putt dropped, forcing the playoff. As both players walked off the green, there were handshakes, smiles, backslaps. The mutual respect was growing.
In the playoff, Woods hit a 2-iron off the tee at the 444-yard par-4 16th and a 7-iron to within 16 feet. May found the rough on two straight shots but blasted to within a foot to save par. No matter. Woods stroked home the 16-footer, running after the ball and pointing at it as it fell.
The players hacked their way through the final two holes, with May’s final chance on No. 18 from 30 feet rolling over a swale and missing by 2 inches.
The victory netted Woods $900,000, pushing his career earnings past $18 million–uncharted territory. It also made Woods the first golfer to win the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in the same year and gave him five career majors at age 24, two years younger than Nicklaus was when he accomplished the feat.
“Winning three majors in one year is obviously very special,” Woods said. “To have your game peak at the right time is what you work for, what you want to have happen.”
Thanks to a formidable opponent, not to mention superlative skill, it happened for Woods on Sunday–again.
FINAL SCORES
At Louisville; 7,167-yard, par-72 Valhalla GC (x-won three-hole playoff):
%% 270 (-18), $900,000
x-Tiger Woods 66-67-70-67
270 (-18), $540,000
Bob May 72-66-66-66
275 (-13), $340,000
Thomas Bjorn 72-68-67-68
276 (-12), $198,667
Jose Maria Olazabal 76-68-63-69
Stuart Appleby 70-69-68-69
Greg Chalmers 71-69-66-70
277 (-11), $157,000
Franklin Langham 72-71-65-69
278 (-10), $145,000
Notah Begay III 72-66-70-70
279 (-9), $112,500
Scott Dunlap 66-68-70-75
Darren Clarke 68-72-72-67
Davis Love III 68-69-72-70
Phil Mickelson 70-70-69-70
Tom Watson 76-70-65-68
Fred Funk 69-68-74-68
280 (-8), $77,500
Michael Clark II 73-70-67-70
Chris DiMarco 73-70-69-68
Lee Westwood 72-72-69-67
Stewart Cink 72-71-70-67
281 (-7), $56,200
Tom Kite 70-72-69-70
Robert Allenby 73-71-68-69
Angel Cabrera 72-71-71-67
J.P. Hayes 69-68-68-76
Lee Janzen 76-70-70-65
282 (-6), $41,000
Paul Azinger 72-71-66-73
Jarmo Sandelin 74-72-68-68
Steve Jones 72-71-70-69
283 (-5), $34,167
Skip Kendall 72-72-69-70
Tom Pernice Jr. 74-69-70-70
Brad Faxon 71-74-70-68
284 (-4), $28,875
Kenny Perry 78-68-70-68
Jean Van de Velde 70-74-69-71
Mike Weir 76-69-68-71
Stephen Ames 69-71-71-73
285 (-3), $24,000
Blaine McCallister 73-71-70-71
Ernie Els 74-68-72-71
Chris Perry 72-74-70-69
Mark Calcavecchia 73-74-71-67
Sergio Garcia 74-69-73-69
286 (-2), $20,500
Toshimitsui Izawa 73-73-71-69
Colin Montgomerie 74-72-70-70
287 (-1), $17,000
Justin Leonard 73-73-71-70
Steve Pate 75-70-74-68
Paul Stankowski 75-72-68-72
David Toms 72-68-72-75
Jeff Sluman 73-69-72-73
288 (even), $12,650
Mark O’Meara 71-72-70-75
Brian Henninger 70-74-71-73
Bernhard Langer 75-69-73-71
Shigeki Maruyama 77-69-71-71
Duffy Waldorf 75-70-71-72
289 (+1), $10,964
Jesper Parnevik 72-74-70-73
Glen Day 76-71-71-71
Andrew Coltart 74-71-73-71
Jonathan Kaye 69-74-71-75
Brian Watts 72-74-73-70
Steve Lowery 73-74-73-69
Nick Faldo 79-68-69-73
290 (+2), $10,250
Padraig Harrington 75-72-69-74
Dennis Paulson 72-75-70-73
Loren Roberts 74-72-71-73
Carlos Franco 72-74-74-70
Curtis Strange 72-70-76-72
Joe Ogilvie 73-74-71-72
291 (+3), $9,700
Jay Haas 73-74-68-76
Wayne Grady 71-74-68-78
Craig Stadler 74-69-71-77
Bill Glasson 73-74-71-73
Miguel Angel Jimenez 70-77-74-70
292 (+4), $9,425
Greg Kraft 71-73-75-73
Kirk Triplett 76-71-73-72
293 (+5), $9,350
John Huston 75-72-74-72
294 (+6), $9,275
Jim Furyk 74-71-74-75
Paul Lawrie 75-71-73-75
297 (+9), $9,150
Scott Hoch 73-70-75-79
Robert Damron 72-74-81-70
Billy Mayfair 74-73-76-74
299 (+11), $9,050
Rory Sabbatini 74-71-76-78
300 (+12), $9,000
Jumbo Ozaki 74-71-76-79
301 (+13), $8,950
Hidemichi Tanaka 72-73-77-79
313 (+25), $8,900
Frank Dobbs 75-72-88-78
%%
PGA CHAMPIONS
1916: James M. Barnes
1917-18: World War I
1919: James M. Barnes
1920: Jock Hutchison
1921: Walter Hagen
1922: Gene Sarazen
1923: Gene Sarazen
1924: Walter Hagen
1925: Walter Hagen
1926: Walter Hagen
1927: Walter Hagen
1928: Leo Diegel
1929: Leo Diegel
1930: Tommy Armour
1931: Tom Creavy
1932: Olin Dutra
1933: Gene Sarazen
1934: Paul Runyan
1935: Johnny Revolta
1936: Denny Shute
1937: Denny Shute
1938: Paul Runyan
1939: Henry Picard
1940: Byron Nelson
1941: Vic Ghezzi
1942: Sam Snead
1943: World War II
1944: Bob Hamilton
1945: Byron Nelson
1946: Ben Hogan
1947: Jim Ferrier
1948: Ben Hogan
1949: Sam Snead
1950: Chandler Harper
1951: Sam Snead
1952: Jim Turnesa
1953: Walter Burkemo
1954: Chick Harbert
1955: Doug Ford
1956: Jack Burke
1957: Lionel Hebert
1958: Dow Finsterwald
1959: Bob Rosburg
1960: Jay Hebert
1961: Jerry Barber
1962: Gary Player
1963: Jack Nicklaus
1964: Bobby Nichols
1965: Dave Marr
1966: Al Geiberger
1967: Don January
1968: Julius Boros
1969: Ray Floyd
1970: Dave Stockton
1971: Jack Nicklaus
1972: Gary Player
1973: Jack Nicklaus
1974: Lee Trevino
1975: Jack Nicklaus
1976: Dave Stockton
1977: Lanny Wadkins
1978: John Mahaffey
1979: David Graham
1980: Jack Nicklaus
1981: Larry Nelson
1982: Raymond Floyd
1983: Hal Sutton
1984: Lee Trevino
1985: Hubert Green
1986: Bob Tway
1987: Larry Nelson
1988: Jeff Sluman
1989: Payne Stewart
1990: Wayne Grady
1991: John Daly
1992: Nick Price
1993: Paul Azinger
1994: Nick Price
1995: Steve Elkington
1996: Mark Brooks
1997: Davis Love III
1998: Vijay Singh
1999: Tiger Woods
2000: Tiger Woods
PGA RECORD BOOK
Major championships
Jack Nicklaus18
Walter Hagen11
Ben Hogan9
Gary Player9
Tom Watson8
Bobby Jones7
Arnold Palmer7
Gene Sarazen7
Sam Snead7
Harry Vardon7
Nick Faldo6
Lee Trevino6
Tiger Woods5
Seve Ballesteros5
James Braid5
Byron Nelson5
J.H. Taylor5
Peter Thomson5
Raymond Floyd4
Bobby Locke4
Tom Morris Jr.4
Tom Morris Sr.4
Jim Barnes4
Willie Park Sr. 4
Best 72-hole scores
-18: Tiger Woods, 2000
-18: Bob May, 2000
-17: SElkington, ’95
-17: CMontgomerie, ’95
-15: Ernie Els, ’95
-15: Jeff Maggert, ’95
-13: Brad Faxon, ’95
-12: Greg Norman, ’93
-12: Paul Azinger, ’93
-12: Jeff Sluman, ’88
-11: Davis Love, ’97
-11: Nick Price, ’94
-9: Vijay Singh, ’98
-9: Bobby Nichols, ’64
-8: Raymond Floyd, ’82
Wire-to-wire winners:
Tiger Woods 2000
Hal Sutton 1983
Raymond Floyd 1982
Jack Nicklaus 1971
Raymond Floyd 1969
Bobby Nichols 1964
Mulitple PGA winners
5: Jack Nicklaus
5: Walter Hagen
3: Gene Sarazen
3: Sam Snead
2: Tiger Woods
2: Lee Trevino
2: Dave Stockton
2: Denny Shute
2: Paul Runyan
2: Nick Price
2: Gary Player
2: Larry Nelson
2: Byron Nelson
2: Ben Hogan
2: Raymond Floyd
2: Leo Diegel
2: James Barnes
Most appearances
37: Jack Nicklaus
37: Arnold Palmer
31: Raymond Floyd
28: Tom Watson
27: Tom Kite
Winners by country
69: United States
4: South Africa
4: Australia
2: Scotland
2: England
1: Fiji
