Woods storms back into view
Even when he's at home with a dodgy knee Tiger Woods makes it on to prime time Saturday afternoon television in these parts.
The biggest criticism of American golf coverage - apart from the tiresome ad interruptions - is its obsession with the world number one.
It was almost as though the TV executives realised this event was going nowhere in Woods' absence and orchestrated the storms that battered Oakland Hills to give CBS the excuse of reminding us of what's been missing.
So they turned to the epic showdown between Woods and Bob May in 2000 at Valhalla to fill the void. It offered a reminder of the course that will host next month's Ryder Cup as well as one of the most exciting PGAs of recent times.
The atmosphere and excitement emanating from the TV screen is in stark contrast to that we have not witnessed here at Oakland Hills.
Yet I think the championship was about to come to life when the thunder struck. The PGA of America were clearly stung by the universal criticism of their course set up this week.
So for the third round rough has been trimmed around the landing areas and those portions of the fairway were watered to reduce the chances of balls bouncing into the long stuff.
Pin positions for the third round are also much more generous than in the previous two rounds. This has been reflected in the scoring with Andres Romero equalling the competitive course record here with a 65.
The irony is that the Saturday afternoon deluges that hit the course will soften it further and will make the greens more receptive. Okay wet rough won't be any fun, but it's almost that Mother Nature has stepped in after seeing the severity of the initial set up.
Having been a bore of attrition this championship may now see good golf properly rewarded.
But as I sit here in a leaky press tent with rain pounding the canvas and thunder rumbling around it's anyone's guess when that might be.
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Comment number 1.
At 10th Aug 2008, The PGA Tourist wrote:It's a shame that an attempt to make this into a tough tournament has so terribly backfired on the organisers. These storms could help to turn it around and salvage something on the last day, nice soft greens for the lads to go out and pepper some pins. It should get juicy... I say it's Sergio to surge and take his first big one.
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Comment number 2.
At 10th Aug 2008, kwiniaskagolfer wrote:A bit of a fiasco by the PGA Of America; if this weather was in any way expected, which it was, why weren't tee times set at least an hour earlier?
606poster "redrage19" is right: Given that sunrise is 6.40-ish, they could even have set off in threesomes on #1 and #10 at about seven o'clock and completed round three before the deluge. Or at least sent twosomes off at 6.45 a.m.
But good to see the set up has been moderated; the only question now will be whether the Romeros of this tournament saw the course in far easier condition than the Holmes etc who have to play 36 holes on Sunday.
Time will tell but it would be a bitter pill for Justin Rose, for instance, if he was handed a significant handicap in terms of course condition as well as the challenge of 36 holes.
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Comment number 3.
At 10th Aug 2008, The PGA Tourist wrote:Sergio is looking good to bring it home now, and what's more I called it early, four days ago on my blog in fact! He'll be looking back over his shoulder though at Harrington, terrified of a repeat of Carnoustie. If Romero get's up there too it'll be a carbon copy... spooky
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Comment number 4.
At 11th Aug 2008, The PGA Tourist wrote:And it was Carnoustie all over again in the final few holes, didn't dare believe that Harrington would come here and do what he's done. Has there ever been a better pressure putter other than Woods? His statistics today were remarkable, 11 putts on the back nine, 11 single putt greens, 26 putts total. In the last round of a Major, whilst in contention. Yes Padraig, On to Valhalla to crush the yanks again!
Sergio will have his day yet...
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