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The US PGA Championship 2010

Whistling Straits, Wisconsin

August 12 – 15

This year the 2010 PGA Championship is being played on a links style course along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Opened in 1999, it was designed by Pete Dye with the famous British links courses in mind and he succeeded in producing the greatest imitation possible.  Wild and rugged, with over 950 bunkers – most of which are there for scenic rather than intimidating reasons – it is a true test for any modern day professional even when the wind is not howling in from the lake, which incidentally isn’t much smaller than the size of England!

Day 1     Akin to British weather, there is thick fog and play is held up for 3 hours.  By the end of play there were 78 players still unfinished so, another long day lies ahead for them...

Bubba Watson (USA) and Francesco Molinari (Italy) were both on 68’s, 4 under, having completed their rounds and there were 69’s from J Day (Australia), Howell III (USA) and Moore (USA).

Furyk (USA) was on 70 and Woods having brought with him a better game than last week was on 71.

Casey, Poulter, Donald and Horsey, the Englishmen, had 72’s as did Kaymer (Germany) and Yang (Korea) but leaving themselves a lot to do were Harrington 75, Goosen 76, Cink 77 and Garcia 78.  Perhaps the pressures of the forthcoming Ryder Cup were resting heavy on Corey Pavin’s shoulders, as he had a 79 – exactly the same as his opposite number Colin Montgomerie.

Still to finish their rounds on Friday, but looking rather ominous and up with the leaders, were Els (S Africa), Kuchar (USA), Watney (USA).

Day 2    Els finished his round this morning with a 68 alongside Seung Yul Noh, Watney took 69 and Kuchar went even better with 67 to lead after 18 holes.

The weather still plays havoc however and there are still many unfinished 2^nd rounds by the time play was halted on Friday evening

In the clubhouse on 136 at 7 under, the leader is still Matt Kuchar with a 69 today.  1 behind is Nick Watney (68) and on 139 (5 under) there are 8 players, who include Dustin (68) and Zach Johnson (70) both USA, and UK players Rory McIlroy (68) and Simon Khan (70).  Bubba Watson is also at 5 under but has played only 11 holes of his second round.

The Italian Molinari brothers are both at 3 under but haven’t completed the first 9 yet, Els fell back a little with a 72 to be on 2 under, alongside Mickelson who followed his opening 73 with a 69.  Woods is currently tied 48^th on even par after dropping a shot on the first 9, with 9 to go before completing his second round.  A long Saturday to go...

Day 3   At last all players completed their 2^nd and 3^rd rounds today and some big names missed the cut of 145.  Amongst those no longer required for day 3 were, Harrington on 146, the new Open Champion Oosthuizen (146), Kenny Perry (146), Boo Weekly (146), and on 147 Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Graham McDowell.  Further back on 148, Ben Curtis, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Justin Rose, Mike Weir and Y E Yang, last year’s winner.  Luke Donald, Ricky Barnes, Angel Cabrera, Anthony Kim and Geoff Ogilvy all carded 149.

Leading the pack on 13 under 203 by 3 shots, after a great 66 is Nick Watney.  But 67’s by both Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy leave them breathing heavily just behind and a fantastic 64 from Wenchong Lian from China, lifts him from tied 40^th to tied 4^th on 207 alongside Australian Jason Day (66) and the German Martin Kaymer (67).

Tied 7^th on 208 come Elkington, Zach Johnson, Dufner, and Furyk and on 209 is Molder, Bubba Watson and half way leader Kuchar.

Other big names have surely left it too late – Els (69) is on 211 with Cink (66), Woods took 72 for 213 and Mickelson who doesn’t seem to want to take the Number 1 spot from Woods, shot 73 for 215.

It looks as if a new name is going onto the trophy tomorrow with USA, Northern Ireland, China, Germany and Australia all hoping their man will do the business...

Day 4   What a day and the dramas kept on unfolding!

And the winner is...Martin Kaymer (70) of Germany after a 3 hole play-off with Bubba Watson (68). 

Having both finished on 11 under at 277, Kaymer’s nerves held strong and having drained a 15foot putt on the 18^th to tie, he played the 10^th, 17^th and 18^th in a level par 4, 2, 5 against Watson’s 3, 3, 6. 

The 25 year old German player became the P G A Champion of 2010 and joined his compatriot Bernhard Langer as the very proud winner of a  Major.

One shot behind was Zach Johnson (70) and Rory McIlroy (72) on 278 neither player being able to catch fire and get level on the last day.

A further shot behind on 279 at 9 under came the American Jason Dufner (71).  Alongside, Australian Steve Elkington (71) and American Dustin Johnson (73), must surely have felt that they too should have made the play-off.

Elkington bogeyed the last 2 holes to finish his chances but there was worse for Dustin Johnson. 

One shot ahead on his own on the 18^th tee, he hit his drive way right into the gallery.  Landing on a trampled patch of scruffy worn out ground it never entered his head that he was in a bunker and of course, he grounded his club.  His subsequent 5 was good enough for the play-off but the local rule, which was posted in the changing rooms and also given to each player, states quite clearly that the area where his ball lay was a bunker and so 2 penalty shots were added.  Johnson had no option but to admit he was wrong albeit unknowingly and accepted the ruling with great grace.

Nick Watney?  Well, he got a puncture in all four tyres and took an 81 to finish tied 18^th on 284, Wen-chong Lian had a 73 for 280, Matt Kuchar a72 for 281 with Jason Day and Phil Mickelson recovered somewhat with a 67 for 282.  Cink and Els had 73’s for 284, as did Woods but his total was 286.

So the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of The Year 2007, Martin Kaymer, finally came of age and became the fourth and final Major winner of 2010.

Article by: Martin Dawson

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