Preview - PGA Championship 2007

A nightmare 18th green at Southern Hills that made Retief Goosen and Stewart Cink look foolish at the end of the 2001 US Open has been revamped for this year's 89th PGA Championship.

A 72nd-hole horror show saw Cink botch an 18-inch putt that appeared to be meaningless but instead would have gotten him into a playoff after Goosen missed a short putt moments later, a comedy of blunders to mar a major drama.

Goosen recovered from missing a title-taking putt and went on to beat Mark Brooks in an 18-hole Monday playoff for the title.

"The 72nd hole was a bit of a disappointment," Goosen said. "It was hard that evening."

"It was a really strange way that everything finished. I wish it would have finished differently but it didn't," Cink said.

"The longer you play golf you end up in some strange situations. I've played a long time. I've been in some strange ones. That was, considering it was the focal point of the golf universe at the moment, definitely top of the list."

Different mowing patterns forced upon the 18th green because of its slopes led to a different green speed than other holes in 2001, causing frustration.

"We don't have that situation where the green speeds were totally different than the other greens," 2005 PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson said.

Southern Hills rebuilt the entire green in 2004 so that this year, instead of risking great shots rolling back down the elevated green into the fairway, a flat shelf collects balls for far less punishment.

"Well struck balls off the middle of the green last time we played could roll way off the green," Woods said, tweaking the 2001 debacle by noting, "the greens are all the same speed so that's nice."

Woods was 18th here in 2001, marking the end of his "Tiger Slam" win streak.

"I might have just psyched myself out last time with the green speeds being different," he said.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington recalled the scene with dismay.

"They had not cut it so it was slower than all the other greens but by the time the final groups got there everybody had walked around the hole," said the Irishman.

"All of a sudden you had a slow putt to get at the hole but it would not stop beside the hole. That's why guys three-putted. It was faster because people had worn down the grass.

"Rebuilding it seemed like a logical thing to do. We won't have an issue like that again. Then again, it made for exciting TV, didn't it?"

Not for Cink, who dismisses the idea the course owes him one.

"I really don't believe much in karma," he said. "Besides, they dug up the green that did that to me. It doesn't exist anymore."

Cink said his first trip to the revamped 18 brought memories but no pain.

"I wouldn't call them flashbacks. I wouldn't fight them," Cink said. "It's not like I've shut anything out of my memory. The first thing I was noticing was the green and seeing how it changed, to see if it's different and it is.

"Other than that I just prepare for it like any other hole because you've got to play them all."

Goosen never spoke to Cink about their shared moment of misery.

"I'm sure he was trying to forget about it. I was trying to forget about it," Goosen said. "I'm sure it was very disappointing for him but he has got another chance to make up for it this week."

Cink had no way of knowing Goosen would fail to deliver the killing blow as he prepared his tap-in.

"It was a tiny tap-in and I just missed it. They expect us to roll those in our sleep," Cink said. "My miss was sort of a bizarre little twist no one really through much about until Retief did what he did.

"I don't think it taught me a lesson. If anything, I got out of that that I have what it takes to contend in a major. When the time comes and I get close again on Sunday, I'll know I did it once before and I can get to the 72nd hole.

"All I need to do now is just finish it off."