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Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Friday, August 18, 2000

GOLF WATCH

Grand Slam could
have two alternates

SINCE the PGA of America first invited the winners of golf's four majors to its end-of-the-year Grand Slam tournament in 1991, it never had to make room for two alternates.

It's because no one has ever won three majors in one year.

Well, Tiger Woods is sending PGA of America officials scrambling to the point chart to see who Alternate No. 2 will be this year.

If Woods wins the PGA Championship this weekend at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., he will be golf's first Triple Crown winner since Ben Hogan in 1953 -- long before there was a PGA Grand Slam of Golf event.

That would mean there would be an unprecedented two alternates for the 2000 PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Kauai's Poipu Bay Resort on Nov. 21-22.

The first alternate is definitely in, since Woods won both the U.S. Open and British Open, joining Masters winner Vijay Singh.

That most likely will be Ernie Els, who has finished second in all three majors so far this year. He has 292 points.

In the running for the second alternate spot are Tom Lehman and Fred Couples with 205.5 and 191.5 points, respectively. Both are in trouble after the first round at Valhalla and might not survive today's cut.

Greg Norman was the first alternate to compete in the PGA Grand Slam in 1994, when Nick Price won both the British Open and the PGA Championship.

The "Great White Shark" won as the alternate and thanked Price for the opportunity to successfully defend his Grand Slam title.

In 1998, Mark O'Meara won two majors -- the Masters and British Open -- enabling his friend Woods to compete as the first alternate.

That was all Tiger needed. He won the PGA Grand Slam by beating Singh, 2-up, when the event converted from stroke to match play for the first time.

Woods won again last year and will be trying for a three-peat in November.

This will be Woods' fourth straight appearance at Poipu Bay. In 1997, he finished second to Els. For once.

MOTHER OF ALL GOLF BOOKS:

In November, golf fans should make room on their coffee tables for the mother of all golf books.

Artisan will publish a 6-1/2-pound, 448-page book by George Peper and the editors of Golf Magazine entitled, "The 500 World's Greatest Golf Holes."

With more than 800 full-color photographs, it is the definite guide to the world's greatest holes. Considering 500 are chosen, it is a bit much. But Hawaii is well represented, even though none from here made the Ultimate 18.

Not surprisingly, the most heralded hole in Hawaii is Mauna Kea's par-3 third hole -- the most photographed locally.

It was listed as one of the best in the Americas and ranked as well in three other categories -- most heroic, best ocean and best you can play.

The par-3 12th hole at Lanai's Challenge at Manele also made the 500 list, besides best ocean and best designed since 1970.

Other holes cited were Mauna Lani South's par-3 15th, Prince's par-5 15th, Kapalua Plantation's par-5 fifth and Mauna Kea's 344-yard sixth, which also made the list as one of the world's best short par-4s.

GOLF FANATICS:

If you don't think the Japanese are fanatic about golf, check out Golf Digest's recent global survey.

Asked if they'd rather be very intelligent and a bad golfer or not very intelligent and a very good golfer, 77 percent of the golfers from Japan chose the latter.