So, for a third time in six years, Tiger Woods has set off in pursuit of the Grand Slam of all four major championships in the same season. And despite his remarkable dominance, it is interesting that he has yet to get beyond stage one of this fiendishly elusive prize.
Woods sets off in search for elusive Grand Slam: Even Woods seems to have acknowledged that possession of all four trophies, which he achieved this time last year, was only a step towards the ultimate goal. And in the challenges ahead, he could find himself treading the same path as Jack Nicklaus trod in pursuit of the same dream, 30 years ago.
In amassing 18 professional major titles, Nicklaus got beyond stage one of the Grand Slam only once. That was in 1972 when he had a three-stroke cushion over Australian Bruce Crampton in capturing the Masters before going on to achieve the same victory margin over the same player in the US Open at Pebble Beach, two months later.
Prior to that, Nicklaus came closest to completing the first two stages in 1966 when he retained the Masters, just as Woods has now done, only to finish third behind Billy Casper in the US Open at the Olympic Club. In 1972, however, Nicklaus could look with optimism towards emulating Ben Hogan's three successive majors, given that the British Open was at Muirfield, a course he clearly enjoyed in victory in 1966.
That was when the Bear joined Gene Sarazen, Hogan and Gary Player as a career winner of all four major titles, an achievement which, naturally, made Muirfield all the more special and led to the naming of Muirfield Village, his creation in Dublin, Ohio.
As it happens, should Woods capture the US Open at Bethage State Park, New York, on June 18th to 23rd, he will be heading to Muirfield a month later with the same objective as Nicklaus had in 1972. And he will need considerably better luck than his illustrious predecessor, if Hogan's treble of 1953 is to be equalled.
Entering the final round, Lee Trevino on 207 led by a stroke from Tony Jacklin, with Nicklaus tailed off on 213. But the Bear remained convinced that a closing 65 could be enough. Trevino, on the other hand, insisted to Jacklin on the first tee: "Jack might catch one of us, but he won't catch both of us." After Nicklaus had reached the turn in 32, his wife Barbara responded to his request for a cold lemonade. "No lime juice: it's dry enough out here without any lime juice," she was told. He figured a 3,4,4 finish, which he had in 1966, could win. Instead, he finished 4,5,4 and lost by a stroke.
Nicklaus was signing his card for a closing 66 when somebody shouted "Trevino's blown." But as the Bear emerged from the scorer's hut, his caddie, Jimmy Dickinson, yelled "He (Trevino) holed a chip for a five!" "What?", Nicklaus reacted in shock to his rival's improbable par from trouble off the back of the green at the long 17th . Then Trevino parred the last. It was all over: Supermex had won, Nicklaus was second and Jacklin was third. The dream of the Grand Slam lay in ruins.
"Hi there," the Bear said softly to his wife. He then kissed her and held her for a moment, before adding: "I was there and let it get away. I felt a 65 would do it. I had a 65 and I let it get away." The chance would never come again.
"I've choked a lot of times. But that's just part of the game, part of playing sports."
- US Masters champion Tiger Woods offering comfort to those who crumbled in his wake last Sunday.
Ratings slip
When it comes to paying-for-play with the Tiger, Limerick reigns supreme - by some distance. Indeed the latest attempt at auctioning a round with the world's number one, is nowhere near the reported $2 million which British financier Joe Lewis bid during a charity banquet thrown by JP McManus in Adare Manor in 2000.
During last weekend's US Masters, a 10-day auction on eBay in aid of the Tiger Woods foundation, attracted 13 serious bids, the highest being $425,000. "We thought of extending the bidding for an extra day but that wouldn't be fair to the people who submitted earlier bids," said Mark Steinberg, Woods's agent at IMG.
The name of the winning bidder was not released, but as with the McManus auction, the round will be at the player's home course at Isleworth Country Club, near Orlando, this autumn. A 2001 Masters flag, signed by Woods, fetched $5,100 after 33 bids.
Meanwhile, it seems that the young maestro's third Masters triumph was less compelling than his first two, judging from the television ratings. CBS coverage of the climactic stage last Sunday, attracted an 11.5 rating, down 14 per cent from the 13.3 rating for the same time period a year ago.
Still, it achieved the fifth highest rating in 46 years of TV coverage. Woods's first Masters victory in 1997 attracted a record 14.3 rating, while his 2001 victory produced the second highest rating. Victories by Jack Nicklaus in 1975 and 1972 are the third and fourth highest rated Masters, at 11.9 and 11.8 respectively.
Early albatross
After noting our recent reference here to the foursomes albatross at Portmarnock's sixth hole, Denise O'Sullivan felt she should get in touch.
As a long-serving Hermitage official, however, her primary concern was publicity for the club's annual, Mercedes-sponsored Women's Scratch Cup, which will be played on May 12th when Sinead Keane of the Curragh, will be defending.
Now, about the albatross: it transpires that Denise was about 10 years ahead of Portmarnock's Jamie Myerscough in bagging this rarest of birds. It happened on the eighth at Hermitage - a par five for women - in the Spawell Open Foursomes in which Denise, then an eight-handicapper, was partnering Milltown's Valerie Butler, who, sadly, has since died.
And here's the really fascinating bit. In time-honoured fashion, she did it with a four wood, just like Gene Sarazen at Augusta National in 1935, and Myerscough last month.
Keeping a promise
When Nancy Lopez announced recently that this would be her last full season on the LPGA Tour, we reported the kindly, supportive reaction of her elderly father, Domingo. Well, at 87, the man known to his friends as Sunday, has died in New Mexico. Owner of a local car body shop, he began teaching his daughter how to swing a club when she was eight.
As an 18-year-old, she hoped she could earn sufficient money playing golf to allow her support her father. "I kind of figure I owe him that, to make his life comfortable like he's made mine," she said at the time. While becoming one of the greatest players in the history of the game, with 48 titles to her credit, she kept that promise.
This day in golf history
On April 20th, 1958, 22-year-old Gary Player captured the Kentucky Derby Open for his first victory on the USPGA Tour. In was to be the start of a highly rewarding career on American terrain spanning 30 years and culminating in 21 tournament victories, including three Masters titles, two USPGA Championships and the 1965 US Open.
Teaser: In fourball play, A and B are partners. A hits his tee shot out of bounds and decides not to complete play of the hole. B was undecided on club selection for his second shot, so A drops a ball near B's ball and hits a shot towards the green. What penalties were incurred?
Answer: Since the side, i.e. both A and B, had not completed the play of the hole, A was practising during play of the hole and thus was in breach of Rule 7-2. Since it must be assumed that the breach assisted B, he would also be penalised (Rules 30-3f and 31-8).
