Grand Slam of Golf Preview
Tiger will watch this one on TV like the rest of us.
Every year, the PGA Tour gathers all the four major champions from the four majors, The Masters, The US Open, The British Open and the PGA Championship to play a mini-tournament to see who is the champion among champions. Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk are the contestants. Now if you’re wondering why Jim is there, it’s because Tiger Woods, the PGA Championship winner declined to go. Jim was the top alternate selected based on select criteria on his performance throughout the year.
First off, on Tiger’s absence, I don’t think it’s a big deal. Tiger had informed the PGA of his absence well in advance, in fact as soon as he won the PGA Championship in August he said he wasn’t going to attend the Grand Slam. Tiger released a statement saying, “I haven’t spent as much time at home as I would have liked.” Given that he is a new dad, has had a pretty crazy schedule including hosting the AT&T National earlier in the summer, I think we give him a mulligan here. If this was any other year, I think it would be a cop out.
As for the field, they’re all new to this event, none has won a major before this year, except alternate Jim Furyk. But even the course and location have been changed for this year. They’ve moved from Poipu Bay in Hawaii to the Mid-Ocean Club in Bermuda. I n my opinion, it’s a bad move. I mean, who the heck is going to be in Bermuda to watch this thing? At least in Hawaii, you’ll get tons more exposure. Of all four players, I think Angel Cabrera has played recently and played decently. Zach Johnson hasn’t done anything since the early summer, Padraig Harrington was a one-trick pony with the British Open and Jim Furyk hasn’t been the same since injuring his back.
PGA Tour, Grand Slam of golf, Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk
October 18th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
[...] As I had predicted, the big-hitting Angel Cabrera of Argentina beat Irishman Padraig Harrington to claim the Grand Slam of Golf played at the Mid-Ocean Club in Bermuda. With his signature booming drives, Cabrera was both in trouble and ahead of his competition often all at the same time. Cabrera had to come from behind after a triple bogey to start the round to finishi with a birdie, eagle finish to force a playoff with Harrington. They would go three holes before Cabrera pulled away for good. Harrington seemed at a loss for words in closing having led almost the entire way. The playoff was just the third such playoff to decide the winner in the event’s twenty-five year history with Tiger Woods beating Vijay Singh in 2000. [...]
December 14th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
[...] for the leader, Jim Furyk, he hasn’t played since Oct 17 at the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda, almost as long as Tiger. But he sure didn’t look rusty. Furyk was at his typical [...]