When Tiger Woods pulled up to Baltusrol at dawn Monday, he looked for the parking spot designated for past PGA champions. When he found it, a rusty silver Honda already was there.
As officials scurried to have the car towed, Woods located another spot–the one belonging to Jack Nicklaus.
The move dripped with symbolism, given that he’s trying to slide into Nicklaus’ space in the history books.
Woods has the opportunity to trump Nicklaus again at the PGA Championship, which begins Thursday. He is looking to become the first player to win three major titles in the same season twice.
Nicklaus never won more than two majors in a year. The only other player to bag the hat trick was Ben Hogan in 1953.
Woods matched Hogan in 2000, when he won the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. He subsequently won the 2001 Masters, giving him the “Tiger Slam.”
The hype and anticipation before the 2000 PGA at Valhalla in Louisville was massive. It peaked when Woods outlasted no-name Bob May to win a thrilling playoff.
Woods’ latest run at history has been much quieter. Despite winning the Masters and British Open, there is a been-there-done-that feel to his 2005 quest.
“I think the atmosphere is nowhere near what it was in 2000,” Woods said, “because I’ve won three majors in one year. Some of the people I’ve talked to in the media [say] the novelty factor is not there anymore. I’ve already done it. Hopefully, I can do it again.”
Despite the lack of buzz, it still would be quite an achievement. Already, the comparisons are beginning.
Woods says he probably is a superior iron player now but was a better driver then. “My driving probably is not as good because I’m hitting it 20 to 30 yards farther now,” Woods said. “If I had added 30 yards, I would have missed more than half the fairways I hit [in 2000].”
Woods thinks his short game has improved. His putting, erratic at times this year, remains his biggest strength. As for his confidence level . . . is there any doubt?
“I feel just as good, yeah,” Woods said.
The big difference is that in 2000 Woods didn’t merely win majors, he ran away with them, taking the U.S. Open by 15 shots and the British Open by eight.
His opponents seemed to wilt on Sundays. If Woods got off to a fast start, it was over.
Since then, the rest of the field has stepped up its game and Woods has only recently emerged from a two-year downturn (for him, at least) when swing changes dented his veneer of invincibility.
“[In 2000], there definitely was a perception if he was in the field, he was going to win,” two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen said. “The perception now is that he still is the guy to beat, but I don’t think it’s a given that he is going to win.”
Still, Janzen acknowledges Woods retains the mental edge.
“He just thinks differently than the rest of us do,” Janzen said. “You could see that when he first started playing, and I think everybody just kind of said, `Well, we never saw that coming.’ We’ve been playing catch-up ever since.”
Woods obviously is the big favorite this week. Again, the Nicklaus comparisons are unavoidable.
Woods typically has done well on courses where Nicklaus shone, winning six of his 10 majors at Augusta National and St. Andrews. And Nicklaus also won two U.S. Opens at Baltusrol, so that could be a bit of an omen.
Nobody, however, is conceding. Phil Mickelson took a pass when asked what it would mean if Woods won his third major of the year this week.
“Let’s answer that one a little later,” Mickelson said.
Woods isn’t getting ahead of himself.
A balky putter at Pinehurst is all that prevented him from winning the U.S. Open. Woods felt good merely to have hung in there, losing by two shots to Michael Campbell. He isn’t dwelling on what might have been.
“For me it was disappointing because the one facet of my game that’s usually pretty good wasn’t there,” Woods said.
If Woods had won at Pinehurst, he would be going for the calendar year Grand Slam this week. That’s probably the only quest that would create another big buzz. Clearly, the prospect of him winning three majors in a year has gotten to be old hat.
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Woods a major PGA player
How Tiger Woods has fared in his eight PGA Championships:
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YEAR COURSE FIN. SCORES PAR EARNINGS
2004 Whistling Straits GC 24th 75-69-69-73–286 -2 46,714
2003 Oak Hill CC 39th 74-72-73-73–292 +12 22,000
2002 Hazeltine National GC 2nd 71-69-72-67–279 -9 594,000
2001 Atlanta Athletic Club 29th 73-67-69-70–279 -1 29,437
2000 Valhalla GC 1st 66-67-70-67–270 -18 900,000
1999 Medinah CC 1st 70-67-68-72–277 -11 630,000
1998 Sahalee CC 10th 66-72-70-71–279 -1 69,000
1997 Winged Foot GC 29th 70-70-71-75–286 +6 13,625
Source: PGA Tour
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esherman@tribune.com %%
