SocraticGadfly: PGA: It's still 'Glory's Last Shot,' but who will win?

August 09, 2013

PGA: It's still 'Glory's Last Shot,' but who will win?

I don't care if Tim Finchen pushed the PGA to shit-can the title, and I don't care if it's only 15 years old.

Before the FedEx Cup, which is what Timmeh is worried about, it WAS "Glory's Last Shot," a fitting title for golf's last major tournament of the year.

That said, who's going to win it?

NOT Tiger Woods.

Yes, it was when he was between Butch Harmon and Hank Haney, but he had his worst performance ever in a major here in the 2003 PGA. (Oops, I'm sorry. It WAS his worst, until this year's U.S. Open.)

Add in that he was complaining about the greens earlier, and that he's now saying that it doesn't take a win at a major to make it a great year for him, and we can write him off.

Philly Mick? Write off his performance at Firestone; that track's never hugely favored him. He's a sentimental favorite, and being a lefty, may get a different perspective on a couple of those strong doglegs on longer par-4s. He's also using the no-driver and five-wedge bag that got him the win at Muirfield and oh-so-close at Merion.

It wouldn't surprise me, at the least.

Adam Scott? Had a solid PGA in 2011. Won this year's Master's and was in the hunt at the other two majors. Besides Phil, he's the one other golfer with a serious chance to unseat Tiger.

But, we've had a lot of first-time winners recently.

And, it's time for another "breakthrough" player, but not a fluke.

So, why not Jason Day?

I almost nailed the Open, taking a mix of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, with Westwood ending as runner-up.

So, I offer the threesome mix above, as an odds-on Cerberus to win.

===

And, Tiger looked like he was headed for glory, until he chunked a double bogey on No. 9, his last hole for the day and what's playing as second-toughest so far. He's in at +1.

Hah! He does it again. Bogey on 18 to close round 2. He's even for the round and still +1 for the tournament, with Scott at -7, Rose at -6 and Day at -2. Of course, Philly Mick is also at +1. Too bad he came in much sooner, or Tiger could challenge him by being paired with him.

So, Woodsaholics? Time to head back again to your golfing 12-step program. May be a "great" year for TW, by his own words, but it's gonna be yet another majorless one.

And, I know Tiger's got five non-majors wins this year, but ... there may be one particular reason Scott's now often playing better than him at the big time.

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