Golf: A lot on the line

By Ryan Ballengee Sports Central Columnist

It's that time of the year again in the golfing world: the majors season is quickly coming to a dramatic close. Although it is often an anticlimactic exclamation on the season, this year's PGA Championship is shaping up to have its yearly potential to have a deep impact on the remainder of the 2004 season.

Player of the Year honors may be at stake for several golfers, a chance at major championship glory for the entire field, and the final names will be determined for the Ryder Cup matches for a month from now.

So far in the majors season, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen have been the three most visible names on the leaderboard. For these three men, as well as money list leader Vijay Singh, the title of Player of the Year is on the line. A win for any of these men this week would significantly bolster any of their claims to the Tour's highest single-season honor. Singh carries four wins so far on the year, which is the highest tally for a player other than Tiger Woods since 1997.

Although Tiger Woods has done little other than successfully make the cut in the majors this year, a win for Woods would salvage what is arguably his worst season since 1998. He showed vast signs of improvement just two weeks ago at the Buick Open, where he finished in a strong tie for third.

The problem, though, is that Woods has never finished poorly at the Buick Open and that great play may be deceiving. Woods still must prove to the golfing world, his critics, and fans alike that he is actually getting closer to form. No longer can Woods sneak by with sound bites in the press claiming that he is working hard and that he can feel himself turning the corner onto Excellence Street. It is his last chance to walk the walk this season.

While I do not expect the list of favorites to change this week at Whistling Straits, the PGA Championship does have a tendency to produce surprise winners. Last year, Shaun Micheel, otherwise journeyman professional, became the darling of the Tour with his stunningly cool demeanor and beyond amazing approach to the final hole of the championship. For whatever reason, either the better scoring conditions or the less prestigious feel of the Tournament, the PGA often leads to head-scratching conclusions.

This year is a Ryder Cup year, and with the matches less than a month away, no definitive team has been announced. The PGA Championship, again, serves as the final opportunity for players to earn their way onto the American and European teams. 50-year-old Jay Haas must win the PGA Championship in order to make the team on points alone. 48-year-old Fred Funk must hold off some chargers to stay on the team. And the British Open champion Todd Hamilton, with a top-three, has an outside chance to make the squad with just one year on the PGA Tour.

More intriguing, though, is the battle to make impressions on the Ryder Cup captains, Hal Sutton and Bernhard Langer, as to which players should be selected with the Captain's Picks. Can a younger player, such as a Chris Riley, impress Captain Sutton and earn a spot to represent his country? Or, will a veteran who has flown well under the radar make enough of an impression to receive a phone call requesting their services?

There are a number of prevalent storylines for the week ahead at the PGA Championship in Wisconsin. In one of the more quiet parts of this country, the PGA Tour and its stars should provide a great deal of excitement to the galleries and also spark some energy into the final two and a half months of the 2004 season.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.