Whistling Straights Tiger proofed

The PGA tour wants to hold onto the last of Jack Nicklaus's records and the last one standing for Tiger Woods is the majors. Nicklaus has 16 to Tiger's 14. Jack won his final major at the 1986 Master's at the age of 46. Tiger is 34 and only needs three to surpass the great Nicklaus. To be the best you have to beat the best and Tiger has his work cut out for him and so does the PGA. The PGA has for years attempted to Tiger proof the course by adjusting tees spots, making the courses tougher, higher roughs, etc. Tiger has adjusted. His game set up to compete for major titles is to play par golf the first two rounds and than make a run for the leader board on Saturday and Sunday. The PGA's job is to present the toughest obstacle available.

The PGA has been torched a couple of times by Tiger. He burned them at Augusta with his record setting performance at Augusta in 1997 and in 2002 at Pebble Beach for the US Open when he was the only player under par with a record setting -15. The PGA trying to make the courses tougher has made it easier for Tiger who's game is set up for the most adverse and difficult situation. It seems the PGA has caught on. This year's majors have features record setting low scores including this year's PGA Championship with nine players at -9 or better. The last time a major was played at Whistling Straights in Sheyboygan, Wisconsin not a single player finished better than -8.

So how do you Tiger proof a course? You have to do the unpredictable and the unpredictable is to make the course easier for the field. While Tiger sticks to his game plan the field has to be more aggressive if they want to win thus playing against Tiger. the course has been made easier. Nick Watney who has been anywhere but the fairway in the first three rounds sits atop the leader board at -13. Minus 13!!!! And he is hitting barely over 50% of the fairways!

Now heading into the final round it should be expected that the hole placements will be as tough as ever which will keep the scores low but at nine strokes behind the leader with Watney still out on the course making up 9 strokes on the leader can be done but making at least 5 strokes on the 8 other players at -9 or better will be a task for the best Tiger Woods has to offer.