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First-time winners sweep of majors complete with Micheel`s PGA win
Rochester, Aug 18: World-ranked 169th, 34-year-old Shaun Micheel won the PGA Championship.
Rochester, Aug 18: World-ranked 169th, 34-year-old Shaun Micheel won the PGA Championship.
Journeyman Shaun Micheel struck a brilliant approach to two inches to birdie the last for a shock win at the US PGA Championship on Sunday as Tiger Woods completed his worst major finish as a professional. World-ranked 169th, the 34-year-old Micheel became the seventh player to clinch the tournament at the first attempt, firing a closing level-par 70 to secure his maiden PGA Tour title by two shots. American Micheel finished at four-under 276, with his compatriot and playing partner Chad Campbell alone in second at two under after carding a 72 at a sun-drenched Oak Hill Country Club. South African Tim Clark, who made a fast start with three birdies in the first four holes, faltered around the turn and had to settle for third place at one under after a 69.
Micheel's victory completed a clean sweep of first-time winners at this year's majors, following the breakthrough victories achieved by Mike Weir (US Masters), Jim Furyk (US Open) and Ben Curtis (British Open).
The four majors have not been won by first-timers in a single season since 1969, when George Archer clinched the Masters, Orville Moody the US Open, Briton Tony Jacklin the British Open and Raymond Floyd the US PGA Championship.
Micheel follows Jim Barnes (in 1916), Tom Creavy (1931), Bob Hamilton (1944), Doug Ford (1955), Bob Tway (1986) and John Daly (1991) as U.S. PGA Champions on debut.
He began the day tied for the lead with Campbell, and recovered from back-to-back bogeys on seven and eight with three birdies down the stretch. Playing ice-cool golf, he drove the green at the 323-yard 14th to set up his third birdie of the day and move three clear of the field.
But he then three-putted at the 181-yard 15th to slip back to three under, with his lead cut to one when Campbell holed a birdie putt on the same hole from 25 feet.
On 16, Micheel holed a 20-foot birdie putt to get back to four under, restoring his two-shot cushion with two to play. However he then bogeyed 17 after missing the fairway off the tee before memorably clinching the last of the year's four majors with his superb approach into 18.
After the tournament Micheel told talked to reporters about his mindset heading into and coming out of today's final round. " I had a lot of anxiety today and just a lot of anticipation. I said this just yesterday, that for any one of us, just the fear of the unknown frightens all of us and I certainly had that today. Even though I'm the PGA champion, I don't know what's out there in store. I really don't. I hope to have some guidance, I know that Rich Beem has spoken about someone giving him a manual on how to handle things and I just hope that I can represent the PGA, the PGA of America in a professional and very humble manner."
World number one Woods completed his final round half an hour before the leaders teed off, carding a three-over-par 73.
The 27-year-old American, struggling for accuracy off the tee all week, lost any chance of mounting a last-day charge with two bogeys in his first three holes, and then dropped three more shots between the 10th and 15th holes.
Although he finished strongly with birdies on 16 and at the last, lifting his meagre birdie haul for the week to six, he finished at 12-over 292, tying for 39th place in a field of 69.
Woods had been bidding this week for his ninth career major and his first since last year's US Open. He has now completed his first season without a major victory since 1998.
Although he has made every cut in the 28 majors he has played as a pro, his previous worst finish was a tie for 29th, in the U.S. PGA Championship at Winged Foot in 1997 and again at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2001.
Bureau Report
Journeyman Shaun Micheel struck a brilliant approach to two inches to birdie the last for a shock win at the US PGA Championship on Sunday as Tiger Woods completed his worst major finish as a professional. World-ranked 169th, the 34-year-old Micheel became the seventh player to clinch the tournament at the first attempt, firing a closing level-par 70 to secure his maiden PGA Tour title by two shots. American Micheel finished at four-under 276, with his compatriot and playing partner Chad Campbell alone in second at two under after carding a 72 at a sun-drenched Oak Hill Country Club. South African Tim Clark, who made a fast start with three birdies in the first four holes, faltered around the turn and had to settle for third place at one under after a 69.
Micheel's victory completed a clean sweep of first-time winners at this year's majors, following the breakthrough victories achieved by Mike Weir (US Masters), Jim Furyk (US Open) and Ben Curtis (British Open).
The four majors have not been won by first-timers in a single season since 1969, when George Archer clinched the Masters, Orville Moody the US Open, Briton Tony Jacklin the British Open and Raymond Floyd the US PGA Championship.
Micheel follows Jim Barnes (in 1916), Tom Creavy (1931), Bob Hamilton (1944), Doug Ford (1955), Bob Tway (1986) and John Daly (1991) as U.S. PGA Champions on debut.
He began the day tied for the lead with Campbell, and recovered from back-to-back bogeys on seven and eight with three birdies down the stretch. Playing ice-cool golf, he drove the green at the 323-yard 14th to set up his third birdie of the day and move three clear of the field.
But he then three-putted at the 181-yard 15th to slip back to three under, with his lead cut to one when Campbell holed a birdie putt on the same hole from 25 feet.
On 16, Micheel holed a 20-foot birdie putt to get back to four under, restoring his two-shot cushion with two to play. However he then bogeyed 17 after missing the fairway off the tee before memorably clinching the last of the year's four majors with his superb approach into 18.
After the tournament Micheel told talked to reporters about his mindset heading into and coming out of today's final round. " I had a lot of anxiety today and just a lot of anticipation. I said this just yesterday, that for any one of us, just the fear of the unknown frightens all of us and I certainly had that today. Even though I'm the PGA champion, I don't know what's out there in store. I really don't. I hope to have some guidance, I know that Rich Beem has spoken about someone giving him a manual on how to handle things and I just hope that I can represent the PGA, the PGA of America in a professional and very humble manner."
World number one Woods completed his final round half an hour before the leaders teed off, carding a three-over-par 73.
The 27-year-old American, struggling for accuracy off the tee all week, lost any chance of mounting a last-day charge with two bogeys in his first three holes, and then dropped three more shots between the 10th and 15th holes.
Although he finished strongly with birdies on 16 and at the last, lifting his meagre birdie haul for the week to six, he finished at 12-over 292, tying for 39th place in a field of 69.
Woods had been bidding this week for his ninth career major and his first since last year's US Open. He has now completed his first season without a major victory since 1998.
Although he has made every cut in the 28 majors he has played as a pro, his previous worst finish was a tie for 29th, in the U.S. PGA Championship at Winged Foot in 1997 and again at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2001.
Bureau Report