SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Several pros mocked Whistling Straits’ 18th hole after the 2004 PGA Championship, saying it seemed contrived and had too small a green.
Fuzzy Zoeller called the 500-yard, par-4 hole “a joke” and added, “There’s nothing good about it.”
Now it’s all good.
Architect Pete Dye expanded the fairway, allowing players to try to bomb it over the giant bunker complex on the left. Steve Stricker used the new strip of fairway as a layup area in the first round — and got up-and-down for par after a gorgeous wedge shot from 142 yards.
Dye also recontoured the clover-shaped green. That allowed Tiger Woods to attempt — and pull off — an incredible shot to close out his second round.
Seemingly stymied in a narrow bunker 212 yards from the hole, Woods cut a 5-wood and landed it on the front of the green. The shot was so impressive, Woods got a half-hug from caddie Steve Williams.
“I had no play straight,” Woods said. “I had to play a slice (because of) the stance — and pulled it off.”
Inexperience at top.
Five of the last six major champions had never won one before, the exception being Phil Mickelson this year at the Masters. To see so much inexperience at the top — not to mention youth — is not nearly as surprising in a year in which 27- year-old Louis Oosthuizen won the British Open at St. Andrews and 30-year-old Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
“I guess you could say the younger guys are starting to play a lot better,” said Dustin Johnson, 26.
A shot at history.
A victory today would make Rory McIlroy the youngest major champion since John McDermott won the 1911 U.S. Open at age 20.
“I’ll approach it the same way as I’ve approached the last three days,” McIlroy said. “I’m going to go out there and play my game.”
Major stars contending.
Former Masters champion Zach Johnson shot a 69 and was in a group at 8-under 208 that included former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk (70) and former PGA champion Steve Elkington (67).
It’s in the hole.
Tom Lehman, the 2010 Senior PGA champion, has the only ace of this major, using a 4-iron on the 217-yard 17th hole.
In the 2004 PGA at Whistling Straits, Robert Gamez (17th) and Hale Irwin (seventh) recorded holes- in-one.
