Woods methodically steamrolls the field by five strokes for his 12th career major.
By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
Published August 21, 2006
MEDINAH, Ill.- He does this quite well, draining drama from major championships. He steps on necks without remorse, causing others to pay homage and play for second. And he gets closer to where he once was and where he ultimately wants to go.
The scary thing about Tiger Woods' stroll to victory Sunday at the PGA Championship was the relative ease with which he did it, and how reminiscent it was of a past we figured never to see again.
He might not be driving the ball with the same precision, but Woods is playing much like the Woods of 1999 to 2002, when he won seven of his 11 major championships. And he doesn't deny it.
"Add the experience (of the last several years) and understanding of how to get myself around a golf course and how to control things, all the different shots I've learned since then ... yeah, I feel like things are pretty darn good right now," said Woods, 30.
Yep, pretty darn good.
How's this for good: two majors in a row, four of the last eight and 12 overall.
With his five-shot victory over Shaun Micheel at Medinah Country Club, Woods is two-thirds of the way to Jack Nicklaus' major championship record of 18.
After missing the cut at the U.S. Open in June, Woods has gone 2-1-1-1, playing those four tournaments in 71 under par.
Good thing for everyone else the Masters is not next week.
"No matter how he finishes his career, so far to this point it's been pretty incredible," said Jim Furyk, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 2003 U.S. Open. "Pretty impressive. A lot of people predicted he would give Nicklaus' record a run, but probably would not have predicted he would get to 12 this soon."
Woods did it in his typical workmanlike fashion. Tied with England's Luke Donald at the start of the final round, he birdied the first hole and never looked back. Woods shot 4-under 68 to finish at 270, 18 under par, matching the tournament record in relation to par he set in 2000.
Micheel, who won the 2003 PGA for his only victory, shot 69 but was never a factor. Donald fell back into a tie for third with Adam Scott (67) and Sergio Garcia (70) after shooting 74.
"He has great mental belief in himself," Donald said of Woods. "He's obviously got a good game. But he just ... he kind of wills it in the hole. Any time he gets into trouble, he has a great short game. He's able to hit great shots. You know, he could have made four or five bogeys out there, but he only made one in the end."
Woods said he felt like he was having one of those "magical" days on the greens and that "if I got the ball anywhere on the green, I could make it."
Last month, Woods wore out his 2-iron on the way to a British Open victory at Royal Liverpool. This tournament, he didn't even have it in the bag, using a 5-wood instead, whether it was off the tee or from the fairways.
Woods led the field in greens in regulation, always an important stat in major championships.
It is just the 14th time a player has won consecutive majors, the first PGA-British Open sweep since Woods did it in 2000. Woods has accomplished the feat three times, having won four straight majors starting with the 2000 U.S. Open, then winning the Masters and U.S. Open in 2002.
Phil Mickelson was the last player to do so before Woods when he won the Masters this year after the 2005 PGA.
But it is amazing how much things changed since Lefty found a tent and a tree on his way to infamy at Winged Foot two months ago.
Mickelson was on the verge of history, a second straight major this year and third in a row overall. Then he botched the 72nd hole at the U.S. Open, Geoff Ogilvy sneaked away with the title, and the sport is back to where it used to be, with Woods the talk of golf.
"I think when he won the (2000) U.S. Open, lapping the field there (by 15 shots), I was pretty impressed," said David Toms, winner of 12 PGA titles, including the 2001 PGA Championship. "Obviously, the way he's played as of late, you have an argument for being just as good now as he was then.
"I think the guy has got the best mind in the game, regardless of what his swing is all about. He can beat people with that even when his swing is not that great."
Woods earned $1.224-million from the $6.8-million purse, and it was his fifth win of the year on the PGA Tour, pushing his total to 51, tying him with Billy Casper for sixth on the all-time list, one behind Byron Nelson.
But it is the majors that get Woods going, the pursuit of Nicklaus' once-believed unapproachable record.
"I just thoroughly enjoy coming down the stretch with a chance to win it," he said. "That's why I practice as hard as I do and what I live for. That to me is the ultimate rush in our sport, the back nine on Sunday with a chance to win a major championship."
Yep, pretty darn good.
-18 >>1997 Masters (won by 12)
LEADERBOARD
Tiger Woods 69-68-65-68 -18
Shaun Micheel 69-70-67-69 -13
Adam Scott 71-69-69-67 -12
Sergio Garcia 69-70-67-70 -12
Luke Donald 68-68-66-74 -12
Mike Weir 72-67-65-73 -11
Steve Stricker 72-67-70-69 -10
K.J. Choi 73-67-67-71 -10
Ryan Moore 71-72-67-69 -9
Ian Poulter 70-70-68-71 -9
Geoff Ogilvy 69-68-68-74 -9
-12 >>2000 U.S. Open (won by 15)
-19 >> 2000 British Open (won by 8)
-18 >> 2006 PGA Championship* (won by 5)
DOWN UNDER
Tiger Woods holds the record for lowest scores in relation to par in all four majors. *Shares PGA record with Bob May.
