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Woods finishes like nobody else Thursday, Apr 10, 2008 By Harry King AUGUSTA, Ga. - Gawking at neighborhood trees unnoticed until their roots showed and Merle Haggard almost drowned out by the chain saws, it was time to escape from a mini-case of survivor guilt. In the friendly confines, sound bites from San Antonio grew tiresome and golf was a viable option. With slightly more than two hours left in the telecast, Johnson Wagner was headed for the final nine holes of the Houston Open with a four-shot lead. Dismissed after a front-nine 39, Chad Campbell did a nice Tiger Woods with three straight birdies and Wagner helped out with his first three-putt of the tournament on No. 14. With three holes to go, Wagner led Campbell by one. In a perfect spot to put the onus on Wagner to dry his sweaty palms one more time and make a good swing, Campbell went left of a difficult pin on the 16th and landed in a bunker. When he failed to get up and down, he was No. 11 of 15, including Bob Estes, who was a couple of holes ahead and closing on Wagner until a skanky shot from the sand. In Campbell's situation, Woods would have hit his tee shot 18 feet to the right of the pin, stepped back, and watched Wagner try to do the same. Trying to win for the first time, Wagner played safe on No. 12 and was forced to two-putt from 65 feet. Put Woods in that spot and he would have had a stress-free two-putt from 20-25 feet. At least the 28-year-old Wagner had the good sense to aim for a bunker far from the water all down the left on No. 18. Woods? He would have hit something less than driver and not risked the trap. Astutely, commentator Johnny Miller mentioned how Wagner's plight was much different than that of Andres Romero the previous week in New Orleans. The 26-year-old Argentinian finished off a final-round 68 and then waited almost three hours while one player after another failed to catch him. But, Romero's victory also underlines the struggle to finish. Making the turn, a half-dozen players in contention knew what they needed to do and not one of them could muster the whatever to pull it off. If Woods knew that 33 on the back nine would make him a winner, would anybody bet against him? He is unique in the ability to seize an opportunity with both hands and hold tight until the trophy presentation. This week, it is Woods against the field in The Masters. Golf enthusiasts keep waiting for somebody to go head to head with him on the final day of a major without caving. That role will not be filled by an individual. Phil Mickelson made a valiant effort in 2004-06, winning The Masters in '04, finishing '05 with a victory in the PGA, and starting '06 with another victory at Augusta. That mini-run whet the appetite for what could be, and Mickelson was a single par from another chapter when he double bogeyed the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open. In the six majors since, he has not finished in the top 15. The best we can hope for is somebody who makes every meaningful putt during a particular 72 holes like Mike Weir in the '03 Masters or Zach Johnson last year. Remember that Woods' most compelling major was the 2000 PGA Championship when he won a playoff with Bob May, a journeyman at best. Anybody in the hunt on Sunday at The Masters will be familiar because only the elite are invited. Geoff Ogilvy, who beat Woods in Florida a few weeks ago, could contend. Another possibility is K.J. Choi. Woods' recent seven-tournament winning streak and the favorable rotation of courses at the U.S. Open, British Open, and The PGA has prompted talk of a Grand Slam. Let's at least wait until Sunday evening. Woods can drive it in the trees and make double bogey like he did early in the final round a couple of years ago, or his putting can be mediocre like in '06. If he plays well, he will win. If he plays so-so, he still might win. He knows how to finish. ------- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
