Articles

The 90th US PGA Championship

Oakland Hills Country Club

Bloomfield Township

Michigan

August 7th - 10th 2008

7395 yards Par 70

The Final Major of the year.
 

The South course was opened in July 1918, designed by Donald Ross and the first professional was none other than a certain Walter Hagen, who had already won the US Open.

In 1924 the club hosted the first of its 6 US Open Championships but it was Ben Hogan's Open in 1951 that earned the course the nickname of "The Monster" when only 2 sub par rounds of golf were played during the 72 hole event.

In the 1961 US Open, Gene Littler was the winner but it was so nearly won by a young amateur - a little overweight if I remember correctly - by the name of Jack Nicklaus.

This year's PGA is the third time it has been played at Oakland Hills which is consistently picked amongst the top ten greatest tests of golf in the world.

Under the guidance of course architect Rees Jones, 16 championship tees have been added that make the course 350 yards longer.  Relocated and additional fairway and greenside bunkers have been constructed and most of the fairways have been narrowed, all done in preparation for the 2008 PGA.

Over the past nine decades, the PGA Championship has developed into one of the premier sporting events in the world. More than 100,000 people line the fairways of the nation's finest golf facilities during PGA Championship week to view the strongest, all-professional international field in major championship golf.

As it was more than 80 years ago, the Wanamaker Trophy is still prized as one of the golf world's greatest treasures.

Some very famous names are inscribed on this Trophy: Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ray Floyd,  Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods have all won at least twice.  Without the defending Champion this year, I'm sure after a rather quiet year by his standards, Phil Mickelson, the last Champion before Tiger's back to back wins, will want to join them.

Enjoy the game!

Article by: Martin Dawson

www.effortless-golf-swing.com

Postscript 12th August 2008

He's done it again! Who does he think he is - Tiger Woods?

36 year old Padraig Harrington has won the last Major of 2008, having barely got over the euphoria of winning his second consecutive Open Championship the previous month.

After 2 rounds, Padraig had played 2 tidy rounds and my thoughts were that he has done himself proud, but at 5 over par, 6 behind the leader, there was no way that I was thinking he could win yet another Major.

After his third round of 66 with 4 straight birdies on the back 9, he was only 3 behind and I had a fleeting thought...but that's all it was, this wasn't Tiger Woods, this was a mere mortal - even if (and perhaps, especially as) this "mere mortal" had just won the last Major, defending his Open Championship title.

On the last round, Padraig joined Sergio Garcia on top of the leaderboard on the 13th.  After 15, Garcia was back at the top on his own, but a very costly mistake put him in the water on 16 and then there were three, Ben Curtis holding on grimly to join the two Europeans.

The mental game and putting are the two most important ingredients of golf if you want to be a winner and Padraig has shown how much of these he now has in abundance. 

Curtis bogeyed the 16th, Garcia dropped a shot on 18 and Harrington calmly holed a 12 footer on 16, an 8 footer for birdie on 17 and an 18 footer on the 18th and was home and dry with another superb 66 for a 2 shot win at 3 under par.

Job done!  A truly fantastic performance.

The first European to win consecutive Majors and the first European born winner since Tommy Armour of Scotland in 1930, Harrington has joined another elite club.  He is the 4th player to win the Open and PGA in the same year, alongside Walter Hagen (1924), Nick Price (1994) and Tiger Woods (2000 and 2006).

Poor Sergio, 2nd in a Major to Padraig yet again.  And 4 great rounds from Ben Curtis the 2003 Open Champion, who tied 2nd with Sergio, having been leading or nearabouts for all 4 rounds.  A place in the US Ryder Cup team, his reward.

Padraig had played 36 Majors before winning 3 of the last 6.  That's one hell of an achievement and I bet he wished there were more coming up each month before the next one next year!

 Fix your golf slice - improve your putting - which is the right golf ball for your game.