Letterman's Top 10 List: Why Tiger Woods didn't win the PGA

David Letterman offers up Tiger's top 10 excuses for losing the PGA Championship to Y.E. Yang.

Alan Shipnuck's Golf Mailbag: PGA Championship wrap-up

I’m writing this at the San Francisco airport on Monday evening, en route home after staying up all night writing my game story for SI about an epochal PGA Championship. Maybe it’s just my general loopiness, but the events of Sunday still seem surreal. I can’t quite believe Tiger coughed up his lead, and that the dude who finally took him down was Y.E. Yang, obviously a skilled golfer and a smart, funny guy to boot…but still. If you had Yang in your office pool, you get a lifetime subscription to Golf.com.

So, to the questions. I’m gratified to see all of these probing queries, because last week in the Hazeltine parking lot Jim MacKay, Phil’s caddie, buttonholed me to express his disappointment about the demise of the Hot List. I took that as a critique of my faithful readers, as if perhaps we can’t have a sharp enough dialogue to engage his interest. So let’s show Bones what we got.

“I noticed Tiger seemed to be between clubs on 17. He stopped his pre-shot routine to toss some grass, took a second to chat with Stevie (I assume regarding club selection), then promptly flew the green into the deep stuff, from which he made bogey. In that sort of situation, how much of the blame would Tiger throw on Stevie and how much of it does he put on himself?”

I was kneeling directly behind the tee for that whole sequence. TV doesn’t do justice to how uphill that shot is, and gauging the wind was confusing because the trees near the tee seemed to be bending the opposite direction as the flag, which accounts for Tiger’s indecision. In fact, Woods had peeked in Yang’s bag to figure out what club he was swinging, something I’d never seen Tiger do before with any opponent.

But once Woods pulls his club, he takes full responsibility for the outcome, as every player should. He absolutely flushed the shot and was obviously surprised it went about five yards too long, leading to a crippling bogey. Afterward I pounced on Williams while he was packing up Tiger’s travel bag. He was surprisingly mellow and philosophical about the outcome, in part because of what happened at 17. “Best shot all week,” Williams said. “Got the wrong gust.” Maybe sometimes it’s that simple.

By the way, the one moment from the whole round that most surprised me was Woods missing the ensuing par putt. It was a tough downhill roll and Yang was likely to three-putt, which he did. That was Tiger’s golden opportunity to draw even. I’m still stunned he didn’t will that one into the cup.

“What is the general consensus among the press about the Tiger and Haney relationship? I just don't think Haney is a good fit for Tiger. The Tiger of old would have taken a 4-shot lead after 36 holes and turned that into a victory margin of 10 shots. That just doesn't happen anymore. He seems to always be struggling with one aspect of his game. I think Tiger needs to switch coaches, but I don't know who could be better for him than Butch was.”

Definitely a lot of chatter on this topic in the wake of a missed cut at Turnberry and now Tiger’s stunning weekend demise. Friday night I texted Haney. I was hoping to do an interview for what I assumed would be a piece celebrating Tiger’s triumph. Even in the best of times Haney can be a touch defensive. He wrote back, "This is very premature and after the tournament we can talk. By the way, I haven’t been fired yet, Tiger Woods has won 22 of his last 40 tournaments on the  PGA Tour.” I buzzed him again Sunday night, asking to do an interview in an attempt to make sense of it all. Hank’s reply? “He lost. 22 of last 41.” Sensing that, at best, texting was the only way I’d get any information, I wrote back: "What did you see in his putting today?” “He missed.” End of correspondence.

After the final round Woods laid all the blame on his putting, which isn’t really Haney’s department. It will be interesting to see what happens with them. Tiger turned to Haney after getting skunked in the majors in 2003. Going oh-fer-’09 will certainly lead to another period of self-examination. Bottom line is Tiger has won the Masters with three different swings. He can be dominant without a swing coach, but he’s a tinkerer who needs to be working on something to stay engaged. If he’s not getting what he needs from Haney then he’ll move on, just as he did in dumping Butch.  The name I keep hearing as a would-be successor is Dale Lynch, the low-key Aussie who has worked with Geoff Ogilvy, among many others. But that's just press room conjecture, so take it for what it's worth, which isn't much.

“Is it just me or did Tiger employ a little bit of gamesmanship in an effort to intimidate Yang? On one hole he was standing in Yang's field of vision while Yang was putting instead of standing behind him. On another occasion Yang missed a putt and was walking up to tap in when Woods walked into his space as if to try to force Yang to mark. I can imagine Tiger's reaction if a playing partner in the last round of a major encroached on his space.”

Good spots, and to that list you can add a couple of times when it seemed like Woods was crowding Yang on the tee box. The most egregious thing I saw came on 17. As soon as Yang’s par putt peeled by the hole Woods stomped off toward the 18th tee. It’s bad form not watch your partner putt out, especially if you’re Tiger, because as soon as he bolted thousands of fans and innumerable jabronis inside the ropes started moving with him even as Yang still faced his bogey try. It was only a short putt, but I thought Tiger’s early departure was pretty bush.

“Should Tiger have putted out on the final hole? That way giving Yang the spotlight?”

Nah, it wasn’t the right situation. If Yang was leading by three or four strokes it would have been appropriate, but the tournament was still up for grabs, as Yang could have charged his putt past the hole.  I’m sure it pained Woods to have to watch Yang’s lusty celebration while he was lining up his par putt, but once Y.E. calmed down Tiger caught his eye and said, "Good job, man.” I thought that was pretty cool.

“What's your take on Paddy's second straight Sunday meltdown? That quintuple bogey on #8 was horrific. Will he be able to shake it off or will there be lasting damage?”

I was willing to excuse the 8 at Firestone because of the slow-play distraction and the fact that Woods was in with a birdie and Paddy was trying to make a heroic par to keep pace. What happened at Hazeltine was completely unforced and much more damaging. I love Harrington’s fighting spirit, and listening to him talk last week I truly believed he was enjoying doing battle with Woods and that he was maybe the only guy in golf with the spine to stand up to the great man. Now you have to wonder how much scar tissue Harrington has. Guys have gotten the chip-yips for far more prosaic failings.

The only upside for Harrington—and everybody else—is that Woods’s intimidating aura of invincibility also took a major hit last week. Harrington and Woods are both fighters, and they’ll both be keynote players next year. But there’s no doubt both will be under more scrutiny in crunch time because of their failings at the PGA.

“I saw Geoff Ogilvy's criticism of the setup at Hazeltine — while I think there's some validity to it, I can't help but think his comments are more indicative of a salty attitude for someone who seemed poised for a career year early on but fizzled significantly in the majors. Is there still reason to believe Ogilvy can win multiple majors, or does his win at Winged Foot look more flukish now than ever before?”

I think Ogilvy is too smart for his own good. I appreciate his love of golf course architecture and enjoy his critiques, but he needs to shut up and just play the course that is presented. Nicklaus used to say he liked to hear guys complaining about a course setup because he knew they were already beat. I love Ogilvy’s game, but he’s shown a distressing inability to get it done in the majors. Winged Foot was not a fluke—he’s backed it up with some big victories and stellar showings in the Match Play—but he need to change his mental approach to the majors. I think he’ll figure it out.

“Do you think Tiger will win a major next year?”

Will the sun rise in the East? Will Rory McIlroy have a hot girlfriend? The Opens go to Pebble and St. Andrews, where Tiger was unstoppable in 2000 and 2005. It would be a major upset if he didn’t win at least one of two. Also, Woods has won only one of the last seven Masters. The evolution of Augusta National into a tighter, more penal test has diminished Tiger’s advantage, but he’s been in the hunt virtually every year and you’d have to says he’s overdue for a fifth green jacket. Whistling Straits is a venue that doesn’t really favor anyone so, for the time being, I’m picking Y.E. Yang to repeat.

Photos: Robert Beck/SI (Haney and Woods); Fred Vuich/SI (Harrington)

Alan Shipnuck's Golf Mailbag: Emergency PGA Championship edition

After Y.E. Yang shocked Tiger Woods and the world on Sunday, I figured it was time to solicit a fresh, Monday morning batch of mailbag questions. So, let's hear it people. What do you want to know about one of the greatest upsets in the history of the game? Leave a question or comment below and check back tomorrow for my answers.

Frustrated Ogilvy critical of PGA of America's course setup

CHASKA, Minn. — Sunday marked the end of a frustrating season for Australia's Geoff Ogilvy. A winner at the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, he was never a threat in the majors.

Asked to grade his year, he said, "I'd give myself a D, for Do Better."

However, before flying home to Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sunday afternoon with his family and Phil Mickelson's caddie, Jim Mackay, he took a few parting shots at the PGA of America and Hazeltine National.

"In 2010 we're going to be playing on real golf courses, so..."

The host sites for next season's majors are Augusta National (Masters), Pebble Beach (U.S. Open), St. Andrews (British Open) and Whistling Straits (PGA Championship).

Ogilvy said that the 2004 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits was the most enjoyable PGA Championship he's ever played.

"It's probably the least likely place where we play where they could ruin the setup," he said. "There are some very long tees we didn't play last time, but as far as propagating and harvesting absurd rough, which they seem to have done the last two years in the PGA, I just don't think Whistling Straits is a place where they are going to do that. I really enjoyed that PGA, but the others ones have been harder to enjoy because if you miss the green by a foot, you can have nothing."

In an era of extreme this, and high-octane that, Ogilvy is an old-school purist when it comes to golf course design and setup. A traditionalist in a time when more and bigger are almost always considered better.

"The difficulty of your shot should be the position the ball is in, not the lie that the ball is in. Some shots that bounce next to the green, yet don't get into a bunker, are in this," he said, holding his hands six inches apart to show the depth of the rough.

His argument is that a slight miss is often more penalizing than a shot that flies farther away from the intended target.

"I think you should have hard shots from good lies, not easy shots from bad lies," he explained. "So if your greens are not good enough to defend themselves without six inches of rough, then the greens aren't good enough. You don't need six-inch rough at Augusta, or at Oakmont, although they grow it. You don't need it at Pinehurst, or Royal Melbourne, or Shinnecock Hills. And if you don't have greens like that, then just let the guys make birdies."

The Aussie feels that the PGA of America would do well to follow the new philosophies of the USGA when it comes to preparing a course to host a major. "The U.S. Open seems to be going in the right direction; the PGA Championship seems to be going in the other direction," he said.  "Last year at Oakland Hills the story was all about the rough. I'm sure everyone is not as pissed about the rough this week, but it's not very nice. It's odd that the PGA hasn't changed but the U.S. Open has."

Just before going wheels up, Ogilvy wrote on his Twitter page, "I am thinking we should all pool together and buy the PGA a lawn mower for Christmas."

I wonder what the PGA of America will be buying him?

Live PGA Championship Coverage: Final Round

Michael Walker Jr., Golf Magazine senior editor, live blogged the final round of the PGA Championship.

Scores and Tee Times | Photos | Twitter Updates

In a week when golf moved close to becoming an Olympic sport, the game's final major pitted an American icon, an Irish champion and a Korean journeyman against each other in a gritty contest marked more by workmanlike pars than glittering birdies and eagles. When it was all over, Korea's Y.E. Yang was left standing over the more celebrated Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington following one of the all-time clutch shots in golf history: Yang's 206-yard approach shot to 10 feet to beat Woods, who had never lost a major when he had the lead going into Sunday.

Vijay Singh looking for putting help at Hazeltine

CHASKA, Minn. -- After needing 33 putts to complete his third round, scribes in the media tent at Hazeltine National were taking bets on whether Vijay Singh would emerge from the clubhouse Sunday with his traditional-length putter or switch back to the belly putter he has used at various times this season.

Around 10:30 this morning, Singh strolled to the practice green with the same putter he used in the first three rounds of the 2009 PGA Championship, a standard-length Never Compromise Milled Series 1.

"I'm think I'm just dodging the problem," he told TNT's Jim Huber. "If I can just face it and deal with it, it will make me a better putter, and that's why I'm sticking with the short putter."

Singh said that he had a few good ideas that he hoped would fix his putting woes. He didn't elaborate on TV, but he did putt for about 15 minutes this morning while looking at the hole instead of looking at the ball at address.

At one point, Singh holed a 50-foot putt across the practice green without having looked at the ball during his swing. It brought a few cheers from the crowd, and Singh looked at his caddie with a smirk as if to say, "Do you believe this?"

In 2005, GOLF Magazine, Top 100 Teacher Eric Alpenfels of Pinehurst Golf Advantage, and Dr. Bob Christina, dean emeritus of the School of Health and Human Performance at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, studied the effects of looking at the hole instead of the ball during the stroke.

That study found that golfers who practiced with this method and looked at the hole while putting ended up 24% closer on putts from 28-43 feet than golfers who looked at the ball. (You can read the whole article here.)

Boldly, Singh put the unorthodox putting style into play on Sunday. A gutsy move considering it was the fourth round of a major championship. But after missing numerous short putts on Saturday and falling from contention, what did he have to lose?

(Photo by David Dusek)

Richard Sterne withdraws from PGA Championship

CHASKA, Minn. -- Richard Sterne of South Africa withdrew from the 91st PGA Championship with a left hand injury Saturday.

Sterne had toured the front nine in 2-under-par 34, but seemed to hurt himself somewhere early in the back nine, going 6-6-6-4-4 before stopping on the 15th hole.

John Daly withdrew with a back injury Thursday and J.B. Holmes withdrew with a wrist injury Friday.

Live PGA Championship Coverage: Third Round

 Connell Barrett, Golf Magazine editor at large and author of the new Flyers blog, covered Saturday's third round.

Scores and Tee Times | Photos | Twitter Updates

Live PGA Championship Coverage: Second Round

  Michael Walker Jr. from Golf Magazine live-blogged Tiger Woods's dominant second round at the 2009 PGA Championship. Charlie Hanger and Cameron Morfit covered the early action.

Scores and Tee Times | Photos | Twitter Updates

The Duck escapes at Hazeltine

CHASKA, MINN. -- Masters champ Angel Cabrera glowered and smoldered while shooting 76 this afternoon, but he hit the coolest shot of the first round. Stuck in the rough and trees to the left of the fairway on the 405-yard sixth hole, the Duck manufactured a belt-high hook that boomeranged out of the shade and skipped along the edge of a guarding pond before running up the green and stopping a few paces short of a back-left pin. The crowd at the sixth green, which included patio and deck spectators from adjoining houses, gave Cabrera a well-deserved ovation as he walked onto the green.

Two-time PGA champ Vijay Singh submitted his own candidate for Shot of the Day. Singh's approach shot on the lakeside 16th hole cleared a tree, landed behind the flagstick and then spun back five or six feet before settling on the edge of the hole. A few minutes later, tour veteran Bob Estes topped Singh by holing out from afar for an eagle 2 on the 6th hole (his 15th).

But Cabrera's shot gets bonus points for degree of difficulty and disregard of consequences. The burly Argentine was in no mood for an English-language chat after his round, so we don't know what club he used for his brilliant escape. But Singh, who vaulted into a tie for third at three under on the strength of his blow-in birdie, provided reporters the essential data: "Nine-iron."

Actually, Singh was not as reticent as usual. "I hit a 5-wood off the tee," he said, "and with the first cut I didn't know if I was going to get a jumper or not. But it came out perfect. Told my caddie, ‘Wow, that's good,' and it landed absolutely perfect and the crowd just went crazy."

Estes, the 1989 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and a three-time T-6 PGA Championship finisher in the '90s, was still on the course when we shut down the Shot-of-the-Afternoon Interview Stage.