Grant Waite has never contended in a major championship.
It only felt that way.
The Canadian Open may be the third-oldest national championship in golf, but it is nothing more than regular PGA Tour event these days. Winning does not come with a five-year exemption on tour or to the four majors. The pressure is not nearly as suffocating.
Still, Glen Abbey Golf Club had that major championship feeling
Sunday, when Waite began the final round tied for the lead with
Tiger Woods and then matched him shot-for-shot in a brilliantly played duel.
The difference was one stroke, and one shot that was vintage Woods -- a 6-iron from 218 yards out of a bunker and over the water on the last hole that gave Woods his 27th victory worldwide (in official money events) and made Waite the 22nd different player to finish runner-up in a Woods victory.
"It was a very enjoyable experience,'' Waite said. "That's
about as tough as it's ever going to get on the PGA Tour other than
maybe a final round of a major.''
Part of that had to do with the thousands of fans who stood
four-deep down every fairway, part of the 50,000 people at Glen
Abbey, the largest gallery in Canadian golf history.
Part of that had to do with whom he was trying to beat.
The television ratings speak volumes. To no one's surprise, ESPN
reported today that its final-round coverage of the Canadian Open
drew the most viewers for a golf tournament in the cable network's
history, more than 2.7 million homes.
Players also are aware that Woods has made a huge impact where
it really counts, with money from the four-year television contract
translating into record purses that have made millionaires out of
33 players this year.
The most exciting aspect of Woods could be the spectators found pressed against
the ropes and packed into the knolls overlooking tee boxes, fairways, and greens.
It's a major every week Tiger plays - pictured here at the Open at St Andrews. Allsport
Such was the case at Glen Abbey. And at Warwick Hills Golf and
Country Club for the Buick Open, which Woods decided to play for
the first time in two years. And even last year at Disney World,
where more and more people take time away from Space Mountain to
catch a glimpse of the young star who is playing out of this world.
The size of the crowd has a marginal bearing on prize money and
even less of one on television ratings. But it is no less a benefit
to the players around him, who now have an NFL-like theater in
which to compete.
But there's also a downside.
Paul Azinger was getting ready to tee off on the third hole
Saturday, which is located in front of a path where players -- and
marshals, and security, and media -- walk to the first tee. Davis
Love III came by with a small throng, which caused Azinger to stop
his routine.
Then, he backed off again when he realized who Love's partner
was in the third round.
"Are you going to stop that big, bad Tiger?'' he jokingly asked
no one in particular.
Azinger was at the last three non-majors that Woods played and
noticed the difference in the number of those watching. He loved
the size, as do the other players.
The manners worry him.
"It's changed so much from the late '80s,'' Azinger said.
"They're much more verbal now.''
As Fulton Allem once said, etiquette is not some city in France.
But it is more and more lost on the new faces coming to the game.
They used to scream "YOU DA MAN!'' after every shot. The latest
ridiculous cry is "GET IN THE HOLE!'' It was heard at Firestone as
soon as the ball was on its way -- not a 20-foot putt, but a 6-iron
into a par 5.
Even Jack Nicklaus noticed the change when he was paired with
Woods for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship.
"He was kind of funny," Woods recalled. "Going down No. 1 on
Friday, he says, 'Is it loud out here or what? I don't know why
people yell so much. Thank God I'm done playing. You've got to deal
with this for the rest of your career.' "
And so does everyone else playing with Woods.
Love was paired with Woods for the first time since the final
round at Bay Hill, before Woods won three straight majors and his popularity soared even higher.
He couldn't help but notice the paparazzi -- outside the ropes,
usually the disposal cameras -- and the excessive movement after
Woods has hit or to get a better view as someone else is playing.
"It's just watch Tiger, and it's just a show,'' Love said.
"People are losing sight of the fact that this is our job, and
it's big for everybody, not just for one guy. The more they are out
here, the more they understand every shot for every guy means
something.''
