PGA recap
Sunday at Whistling Straits was the site of a train wreck. Vijay Singh shot 76, with no birdies in regulation, but ended up winning in a playoff. It was a gift, one of the highest rounds to win a major. Some afterthoughts:
1. I don’t want to say Justin Leonard choked, but he failed to “step up” when the championship was sitting in his lap. Missing 4 putts within 10 feet on the last 6 holes was devastating. Trying to hit a 5-iron on 18th from 200 plus yards into the wind was costly the first time in regulation; trying to hit the same club from about the same yardage in the playoff was idiotic.
2. Chris DiMarco played well on Sunday (-1), but hit 2 costly bogeys after badly pulled drives on 15 and 16. Leaving his birdie putt short on the 18th — that would have won the tournament — was unfortunate.
3. Chris Riley. He missed a 5-footer in the playoff with John Daly earlier this year. Then, he comes to the 18th yesterday at -8, needs a par to get into the playoff, but then proceeds to 3 putt, again missing a crucial 5 footer. All I hear about Riley is how great a putter he is. Could’ve fooled me.
4. Ernie Els. Amazingly, even though he seemed to be spraying his ball all over the course, Ernie could have made the playoff had he parred the 18th. As usual, he drove his ball into the rough, though, and could barely muscle his approach to the monster green. Like Riley, he three-putted.
5. Phil Mickelson. Would he have played the course differently had he known that he would have made the playoff had he shot even par?
6. Tiger Woods. A complete non-factor this week, and this year.
