August 8, 2013 12:15:30 am
Tiger Woods is leaving nothing to chance in his last chance this year to win a major. Fresh off a seven-shot victory at a World Golf Championship his fifth win of the season Woods showed up at Oak Hill late Monday afternoon and spent most of his time chipping and putting,trying to learn the nuances of the greens. Remember,his failure to adjust to the greens is what derailed him at the British Open two weeks ago.
The stakes are higher than usual for him at the PGA Championship. This isnt the first time Woods has gone into final major trying to make sure his season doesnt end without one. One difference from previous years is that Woods now is piling up wins just about everywhere except the majors.
The Bridgestone Invitational was his fifth win of the year. Only twice in the last 30 years has a player had at least that many PGA Tour wins in a season without a major Woods in 2009 and Woods in 2003.
Five-year itch
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For someone who has been stuck on 14 majors the last five years,Woods didnt sound like he was in panic mode.
I think winning one major championship automatically means you had a great year, he said Tuesday after playing nine holes and spending even more time in the practice area,fine-tuning a game that already is in great shape. Even if you miss the cut in every tournament you play,you win one (major),youre part of history.
This year,I think its been a great year so far for me,winning five times, he said. And you look at the quality of tournaments Ive won – The Players and two World Golf Championships in there – thats pretty good.
It used to be major or bust for Woods,but when asked if he had adjusted his standards during this five-year drought,Woods offered a simple,No. Even so,he conceded that the 15th major has been tougher to get than he would have imagined. So much has transpired since that U.S. Open playoff victory at Torrey Pines in 2008 reconstructive surgery on his left knee that wiped out the rest of the 2008 season; revelations of multiple extramarital affairs at the end of 2009 that led to divorce and cost him millions in corporate endorsements; more injuries that forced him to skip two majors in 2011.
Ive had my opportunities there on the back nine on probably half of those Sundays for the last five years,where Ive had a chance and just havent won it, Woods said. But the key is to keep giving myself chances,and eventually Ill start getting them.
No.1 by a mile
He is back to No. 1 in the world by a mile. He is the favourite at every Major,even though hes gone 17 Majors without winning. He is the centre of attention,and that only ramps up when he arrives fresh off a seven-shot win.
But its not getting any easier at the Majors. For the first time in 25 years,the Major champions were three players who were among the top 10 in the world Scott at the Masters,Justin Rose at the US Open and Phil Mickelson at the British Open.
This will be the 20th time that Woods goes into a Major having won in his previous tournament. And while he has won four of those majors the US Open in 2000,Masters in 2001 and PGA Championship in 2006 and 2007 only Mickelson (five) and Ernie Els (four) from his generation have won that many majors in a career.
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