To them, winner's circle foreign land
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - It is a drought of massive proportions, no doubt. Seventy-eight years, to be exact. Just don't ask them to explain it, or lose any sleep over it, for that matter.
"Can't answer the reason why," said England's Ian Poulter.
"I don't know. Couldn't tell you," said Ireland's Padraig Harrington.
"It's amazing," said Lee Westwood, another Briton.
The drought that is, not the lack of an explanation why a European hasn't won the PGA Championship since 1938. That was the 13th time the championship was held, but on the eve of the 90th edition of this major, we're still waiting for the next European winner.
"Hopefully, we can change that this week," said Poulter, one of 30 Europeans set to tee it up today at Oakland Hills Country Club. But like most of his colleagues, Poulter is bored by the subject.
"It's the same old question that arises every single time," he said. "I don't know. I've got no answer for that. All I know is there are a lot of Europeans who have certainly got a big chance of putting that question [to rest]."
Harrington, who recently won his second straight British Open, has challenged at the Masters and US Open, but not at the PGA Championship. But unlike some, he's taken the time to think it out and he feels he's come up with at least a plausible explanation.
"This is [more like] the usual setup on the PGA Tour," said the Irishman, offering a suggestion that American players feel more comfortable at a PGA Championship than Europeans.
The last European to win the PGA Championship was Tommy Armour, a native of Scotland. That would seemingly bode well for Tommy Armour III, who at 48 is playing arguably the best golf of his career, but there's a catch - the grandson is not European, as he was born in the United States.
Ryder storm
Get ready for the biennial tournament within a tournament, because being a Ryder Cup year, that topic will dominate the proceedings. US captain Paul Azinger is in the field as a past champion (1993), but you can bet he's more likely to be asked about whom he'll pick rather than about how he played. "I haven't been out in a while," said Azinger, whose last appearance as a player came at The Memorial at the end of May. "It's nice to see players this week." Trying desperately to reverse a losing trend in the international competition (the US team has lost five of the last six Ryder Cups), Azinger orchestrated a restructuring of the points system so that the top eight, not 10, get automatic berths. At first, Azinger considered having four captain's picks a luxury, "but I realize that it is going to be a little more difficult than I thought." Factoring Tiger Woods out of the mix after knee surgery, the top eight are Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Boo Weekley, and Steve Stricker. The first six appear to be safe, but Weekley and Stricker are being pushed by Nos. 9-12 - Woody Austin, Hunter Mahan, D.J. Trahan, and Rocco Mediate. Mahan's name is the most intriguing, because he recently made disparaging comments about the Ryder Cup, even though he's never participated. Quoted in a magazine article as saying the PGA of America "could care less about winning," Mahan went on to suggest American players didn't like the week because it was too long and "you've got dinners every night - not little dinners, but huge, massive dinners." The fallout was swift and vocal, and Mahan, 26, got ripped pretty good. But give him credit, he didn't run and hide and do what so many do - plead the "misquoted" defense. "I deserve what I get. I take full responsibility for what I said," said Mahan, who went out of his way to meet with PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka and president Brian Whitcomb. "Hunter Mahan is young, he feels terrible about the comments," said Azinger. "He's apologized to me. He's apologized to the PGA of America. I think if he makes this team, or is on this team, after the matches Hunter will probably feel differently about it."
For the Byrd
If there was one pairing that raised eyebrows, it had to be the final of the day off the 10th tee, which included Jonathan Byrd. "I haven't had many tee times later than 2:30," said Byrd, who was surprised to see his name as the last one off. "Obviously, being a past champion doesn't count for much at this championship," said the 30-year-old Byrd, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour. This major, however, is being run by the PGA of America, which obviously has a different approach to its tee times than does the PGA Tour, which extends the more favored tee times to past winners and regular members, leaving the earliest and latest slots to sponsor's exemptions and Monday qualifiers. "It doesn't really matter, but I wouldn't think that 2:40 would be a favorable tee time," said Byrd. "I guess I'll try to sleep in and eat two or three times before I play."
First light
Bradley Dean, a club pro from Traverse City, will have the honor of hitting the first ball at 7:30 this morning. Tour pros Briny Baird and Alastair Forsyth of Scotland will accompany him. Since the first tee, ninth green, and 10th tee are in such close proximity, PGA of America officials have staggered the tee times. In other words, the first group off No. 1 will go at 7:30, the first group off No. 10 at 7:35, and so on . . . With PGA Tour regulars Brad Faxon, Billy Andrade, Brett Quigley, Patrick Sheehan, Brad Adamonis, and James Driscoll not qualified, the New England honors will be carried by a pair of club pros, Jeff Martin of Point Judith CC in Narragansett, R.I., and Eric Dugas of Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass. Martin will tee off in the second group off first tee, while Dugas has a 12:40 slot off No. 10 . . . Following tradition, officials have grouped former PGA Championship winners - Davis Love with Rich Beem and Mickelson; David Toms alongside Vijay Singh and John Daly; Steve Elkington with Mark Brooks and Bob Tway - but with an odd number, Azinger was put with Jay Haas and Michael Campbell, neither of whom can claim a PGA Championship . . . For those who prefer pairings packed with youth and international flavor, this morning's 8:25 group off the first tee is for you - Sergio Garcia, Kim, and Camilo Villegas.
Site gag
So, where are we? The dateline says Bloomfield Township and that's what the PGA of America is insisting on. Yet the PGA of America's media guide claims the 1972 and 1979 PGA Championships were held at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills. The PGA Tour's media guide? It lists Oakland Hills as being in Bloomfield Hills. At the back of the PGA Tour media guide, it lists the 1996 US Open as being held at Oakland Hills in "Bloomfield Hills," but the 1984 and 1951 US Opens at Oakland Hills are listed as being in "Birmingham." The New York Times in 1996 used a Bloomfield Hills dateline for its US Open coverage at Oakland Hills, but this year it is using Bloomfield Township. What gives? Actually, don't ask, because it has to do with town and city governments, road closings, and petty concerns. Safe to say, we're not in Kansas, Toto, but we're near Detroit . . . It is the third PGA Championship to be staged at Oakland Hills, Gary Player (1972) and David Graham (1979) having won previously. There have also been six US Opens, two US Senior Opens, and a Ryder Cup held here.
Ins and outs
When Shingo Katayama cited recurring back problems as his reason for withdrawing, it meant Michael Allen was off the alternates list and in the field. But Katayama is ranked 52d in the world, Allen 244th, so the number of top-100 players in the field is down to 93. That's still well ahead of the recent Masters (65), US Open (69), and British Open (73) fields . . . Alex Cejka had gotten in as an alternate when Luke Donald withdrew, but now he has begged out, too, citing an arm injury. Tom Pernice, ranked 150th in the world, replaces Cejka . . . Previously, Brett Wetterich and Jason Bohn had withdrawn, replaced by Charlie Wi and Nicholas Thompson.
