REDMOND, WASH. -- After two treks around Sahalee Country Club, two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen made a prediction about this week's 80th PGA Championship:
"If
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Lee Janzen will have to contend with tall timber at this week's 80th PGA
Championship. (Allsport)
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Not exactly comforting words, but what would you expect from the year's last major championship? Professional golf's finest have already dealt with the treacherous greens at Augusta National; the thick rough and undulating fairways at the Olympic Club; and 50-mph winds at Royal Birkdale.
This week, the major obstacles will be 100-foot fir and cedar trees, which flank every fairway. Standing on the tee, most fairways look about as wide as train tracks.
"TO BE HONEST, I THINK it was much tougher at Olympic,'' said Mark O'Meara, seeking to join Ben Hogan as the only player to win three majors in a single season.
O'Meara, who added last month's British Open to his earlier Masters title, played the front nine Monday with Florida neighbor Tiger Woods. Both said the rough was tamer and the fairways flatter than Olympic.
"It's not bad at all,'' Woods said.
Just the same, Woods might keep his driver in the bag. Although the course boasts four par-4's that measure more than 440 yards, accuracy is the key.
"We'll see,'' said Woods, who tied for fourth at the Buick Open last Sunday. "I'm hitting it pretty solid.''
Janzen won the U.S. Open two months ago at Olympic, which is also tight and tree-lined. He termed Sahalee "claustrophobic'' but agreed with O'Meara.
"It's not tougher than Olympic,'' Janzen said. "There's nothing too ridiculous. There's a handful of birdie holes, but I can see people using irons on every hole.''
MOST OF THE 150 COMPETITORS straggled in during the day, which was hot and humid by Northwest standards.
As usual, there are many interesting subplots. In addition to O'Meara, many are wondering whether 1991PGA champ John Daly will blow his top again, let alone sign his scorecard. A recovering alcoholic, Daly continues to struggle with his weight, patience and inner demons. If he hated the cramped fairways at Olympic, he'll loathe them at Sahalee.
Another player to watch is Fred Couples, who grew up in nearby Seattle and is the people's choice this week. Everywhere he went Monday, fans chanted, "Freddie! Freddie!''
Couples isn't big on attention and would rather perform on an empty course. No one questions his talent, which is awesome when his back and putter cooperate.
Many wondered whether Aussie Stuart Appleby would show up. Wonder no more. Appleby, whose wife Renay was killed the day after last month's British Open when she was hit by a car, made the rounds Monday. Sporting a new beard, Appleby is trying to put his life in order but knows it won't be easy.
"I'M JUST TRYING TO get back to normalcy,'' he said. "I lost my best friend.''
Appleby has been inundated with interview requests. At his own request, Appleby will conduct a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
"Better to do it all at once,'' said Appleby. "If I do it six or seven times, I'm just going to break up.''
Also worth watching will be the first father-son combination at a PGA Championship, Al (60) and Brent (30). Dad, who won the 1966 PGA Championship and shot the first 59 in PGA Tour tournament history in 1977, agreed to play if Brent qualified, which he did. The two have a wager this week: The one who shoots the highest score must caddie for the other in a tournament this year.
It figures to be an interesting week. Detlef Schrempf of the Seattle SuperSonics wandered around the putting green and introduced himself to Ernie Els. It was hard to tell who was more impressed.
"I love playing, but don't have the time,'' said Schrempf, a 12-handiapper.
Given Janzen's warning, many competitors might feel like hackers by the end of the week.
Mark Soltau is a senior writer in CBS SportsLine's San Francisco bureau.
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