Latest News on the 2009 USPGA

Golf’s final major of the year begins on Thursday the 13th August at the Hazeltine golf club. With Tiger Woods showing ominous form again after recording back to back victories in the Buick Open and the WGC, then once again it is appearing as if Woods is the one to beat.

But despite Woods win at the World Golf Championship, he and Padraig Harrington were both enforced with slow play rules. Shortly afterwards, Harrington’s game fell apart thus gifting the win to Woods. In fact it will be interesting to see how three time major winner Harrington copes with that loss.

Many believe that Woods will make it a 5th USPGA victory this weekend although he is now only 12 PGA Tour victories behind the all time record holder with 82 which is Sam Snead…..a record that he seems certain to break.

Even six times major winner Nick Faldo was singing Woods praise this week as he said that he thought that the only player who could beat Tiger Woods was Tiger Woods. Meanwhile the defending champion Padraig Harrington is undergoing major reconstructive surgery to his swing. Harrington’s form has been mediocre this year compared to last year where he won three majors in the space of six tournaments.

Harrington does maintain though that his new swing is a full six months from being fully functional and despite coming second to Woods last week at the WGC, he may just be one to oppose this week despite his great recent history.

Meanwhile one early casualty before a ball has been struck in anger is South African Trevor Immelman. The 2008 Masters champion has been forced to pull out having failed to recover from a niggling wrist injury. Also on the doubtful list is Paul Casey, the current world ranked number three is intending to leave it until the very last minute before he decides whether or not he will compete.

The individual nature of golf means that players with injuries should generally be opposed irrespective of who they are. There have been some notable exceptions like with Tiger Woods at the US Open last year but they are exceptions to the rule and Woods mental strength is absolutely phenomenal.

These injuries are the type of things that tend to play on the mind of a player and especially at crucial moments. Casey has had an ongoing rib injury for a while and that is certain to hinder his swing as well as his mindset. He was forced to pull out of the WGC after just six holes so the omens are not good at this time for the world number three.

With Hazeltine being a massive 7,674 yards long, it will certainly not be a course for players with injuries or potential psychological barriers to overcome. Amazingly Hazeltine boasts the longest par 3, par 4 and par 5 in the entire history of the PGA Championship.

The par-3 thirteenth hole is 248 yards long, the par 4 12th hole is a massive 518 yards and the par 5 15th hole is an eye watering 642 yards long. But before you start to think that this course is designed for massive hitters, a quick glance at the last USPGA event to be held here in 2002 reveals how most of the top twenty players were not considered big hitters.

As usual, a great short game tends to win majors so don’t be too quick to stick your betting funds on the players with the longest driving averages this season.

by Carl “The Dean” Sampson