'Monster' might be kindest word players have about Oakland Hills

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- As though the 90th PGA Championship didn't have enough inherent and inherited problems already, right?

Before it began, the season's final major had to endure the loss of two-time defending champion Tiger Woods, rendered unable to play because of knee surgery. Elsewhere, the Beijing Olympics also are ramping up, stealing some of golf's thunder in the sports section.

For whatever reason, if not those outlined above, fans seemingly have stayed away in droves and the grandstands have produced more yawning than fawning.

Then there's the ridiculous diversion regarding the city's increasingly unpopular mayor, who spent Thursday night in jail for violating the provisions of his bail. The mayor's predicament is akin to what players are experiencing this week at birdie-stingy Oakland Hills, only in reverse fashion.

Showing up in Detroit to play the Monster is like breaking into jail.

The mayor had the right idea -- he was trying to bolt town. At the rate the scores are heading north, maybe the PGA should be thankful the event has been mostly under the radar. The emphasis on other news has drowned out the whining emanating from the city's most historic track.

After 36 holes, only 26-year-old J.B. Holmes has cracked par, shooting 68 to stand at 1 under. As the howls from players have continued to escalate, you'd think the fearless leader, who brazenly bombed his way around the course with his driver in spite of the course's potential pitfalls, might offer a dissenting opinion.

But Holmes bashed away at the podium, too. By day's end, the second-round scoring average of 74.845 was the highest all year on tour relative to par.

"I think there should be some tough holes, but I don't think it should be, 'I hit a perfect shot and made double-bogey,'" said Holmes, a two-time PGA Tour winner.

"You've got long rough on every hole, is the frustrating part. When it's completely unfair on some holes, no, a major shouldn't be like that."

While top officials with the host PGA of America have insisted that this week's setup isn't a departure from the norm, an assertion that has generated great debate, players have been lining up to beef about the teeth of the venerable Monster.

It's becoming easier to consider their point, since we're fast approaching history here. This week marks the first time since Jerry Heard was 1 under at the 1972 PGA Championship that only one player has cracked par after two rounds. Gary Player eventually finished at 1 over, tying the record for the highest winning score in event history.

In the 50 years the event has been staged in a stroke-play format, only four times has the winner finished over par -- but not since Dave Stockton finished 1 over in 1976.