The 10 best stories in golf of 2008
Staff report
January 1, 2009
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| Tiger Woods battled through a serious knee injury to win the U.S. Open in thrilling fashion in June. (AP) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Is Tiger Woods’ win at the U.S. Open the greatest performance in golf history? In a year of significant events — Ryder Cup, Harrington’s majors — Woods’ triumph stands alone.
Tiger wins U.S. Open
1 With stress fractures and a torn ACL, Tiger Woods battles affable 45-year-old Rocco Mediate to win the U.S. Open in career-defining fashion. So many Tigerific moments — the Saturday chip-in, the 50-foot eagle bomb, the tying 14-footer on the 72nd hole, a riveting, 19-hole playoff Monday.
U.S. wins Ryder Cup
2 Cancer survivor Paul Azinger was the perfect captain for the underdog U.S. Ryder Cup team, outdoing Nick Faldo. Zinger got the most out of a Tiger-less lineup as rookies J.B. Holmes, Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan and Boo Weekley went a combined 7-1-5 in Kentucky.
Harrington’s majors
3 With Tiger Woods on the mend, Irishman Padraig Harrington won the season’s final two majors. His brilliant 5-wood to within 5 feet for an eagle paved the way at the British. His unwavering putting stroke was the difference in the PGA, where he edged Sergio Garcia. He also won PGA Player of the Year.
Financial meltdown
4 Two of the PGA Tour’s most faithful partners, Merrill Lynch and Wachovia, went under and Buick cut their ties with Tiger Woods. Payouts hit an all-time high, however, as the last qualifier for a PGA card, No. 125 on the money list, Martin Laird, earned $852,753.
Seve Ballesteros
5 The saddest news of the year was Seve Ballesteros’ brain tumor. The brilliant, artistic Spaniard, a winner of five majors, had two surgeries to remove the malignancy. Upon his release from the hospital on Dec. 10, Ballesteros, 51, thanked doctors for the “mulligan of my life.”
Annika retires?
6 The winningest player in women’s golf history stepped away from the sport at age 38 to have a family. She won three events and closed her final U.S. Women’s Open by holing out on the 72nd hole from 199 yards. But was it really her final Open? Stay tuned.
Norman’s British run
7 Business magnate Greg Norman brought his tanned, fit, 53-year-old body, and long, loose swing out of hibernation and made a shocking run up the British Open leaderboard. On his honeymoon with tennis legend Chris Evert, Norman faded on Sunday, but his indelible image soared.
My Way
8 Kenny Perry was criticized for skipping two majors in order to play less-challenging events and qualify for the Ryder Cup. But Perry had the last laugh. He won three tournaments and was a home-state hero, going 2-1-1 in the Ryder Cup in Kentucky.
Sergio thrives, struggles
9 It was another year of triumph and frustration for Sergio Garcia who surged to No. 2 in the world, winning the fifth major, the Players Championship, but finished the year characteristically, coming up short in two real majors, and uncharacteristically going winless in the Ryder Cup.
Lorena Ochoa
10 At age 26, Ochoa won seven times, including her second major, the Nabisco. But after claiming titles in five of her first seven events, her season ended with more questions than answers. Ochoa’s major-championship failures resurfaced and she even missed the cut in her final event, the ADT.
... and 5 stories we’d like to forget
Big, bad John
1 John Daly lost a coach (Butch Harmon), gained a caddie (Jeff Gruden) and slammed beers at a Hooters tent. In a related story, he played shirtless.
Insensitivity, stupidity
2 TV announcer Kelly Tilghman suggested players should “lynch” Tiger Woods. Then an editor was fired for putting a noose on the cover of Golfweek.
Insensitivity, Part II
3 LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens’ plan to force English proficiency on her sagging, South Korean-dominated tour was a public relations disaster. Duh.
FedEx foul-up
4 Here’s all you need to know about the PGA’s effort to add drama to the end of the season — Vijay Singh clinched the FedEx Cup before the final event.
Dumb and dumber
5 On the longest track in major history and in his hometown of San Diego, Phil Mickelson didn’t pack a driver for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open.
Gem on the course
Anthony Kim
Who: The 23-year-old Southern Californian emerged in 2008, winning tournaments on world-class venues Quail Hollow and Congressional, and energizing the Ryder Cup team.
Why: Because in a sea of vanilla, Kim is peanut butter chocolate chunk. While others shrink at the sight of Tiger Woods, Kim seems eager for the challenge. After all, who else on tour would have the presence to call Woods “bro”?
