Wednesday, April 22.1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
PGA players on par for shot at world's best pro golfer title
The Associated Press
Not that long ago, there was concern that golf needed a dominant golfer. Since Tom Watson took that title from Jack Nicklaus a generation ago, there had been no such animal.
Then came Tiger Woods. The King had arrived. Long live the King.
But a year after Tigermania's peak, no dominant golfer has emerged. And that could not be better news. The battle for the crown of best player the next several years should be a joy to watch.
Consider these numbers:
There have been 14 tournaments on the PGA Tour this year with 14 different winners — none named Woods. The tour hasn't gone this long without a multiple winner since Nick Price won the Colonial in May 1994.
The last 14 majors — the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship — were won by 14 different people. The last repeat winner was Price, who won the British Open and the PGA in 1994.
During the last 52 weeks, the 44 PGA Tour events were won by 30 different people, and 91 players managed top-three finishes.
For nearly a year, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els have been tied for No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings.
And during the last year, names like Justin Leonard, David Duval and Davis Love III have been creeping up those rankings, pushing aside such stalwarts as Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Jumbo Ozaki.
A sporting world that loves a good old-fashioned rivalry wants that rivalry to be Woods against Somebody. But it's a lot more complicated than that — and a lot more interesting.
"I don't think there is a r i v a l r y between Ernie and I, because you just can't forget Phil, you can't forget David, you can't forget
Woods; his challengers have given golf back its edge.
Justin or Davis," Woods said. "There are a lot of good players now, and they keep coming up."
There are many ways to determine who is best — and the fun is that there is no conclusive way to arrive at an answer.
Based on top three finishes last year, Duval, Woods and Leonard are first with six while Norman and Love had five. Els, Mickelson and Jeff Maggert had four each.
For performance in important events the last year, Leonard comes out on top, winning the British Open and finishing second in the PGA Championship last year and winning the Players Championship last month.
Based on victories, Duval has been the best the last 52 weeks, winning four times. Leonard, Love and Els won three times, while Woods, Norman, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Mark Calcavecchia had two victories.
Players could be ranked according to top three finishes the last 52 weeks, with five points for a firstplace finish, three for a second and one for a third and with triple
points for the four majors and double points for the Players Championship and the Tour Championship.
This system has Leonard first with 43 points, followed by Duval with 37, Els and Love with 28 and Woods and Mark O'Meara tied for fifth with 18 points.
Norman, with 17 points, and Mickelson, Jesper Parvinek and Fred Couples with 14 points round out the top 10.
One of the most fascinating players in this mix is Mickelson. Not yet 28 and already with 12 victories, he nevertheless became almost an afterthought by the end of last year when people discussed the best young players.
Hanging over him is the bugaboo of getting a major championship — a fate Woods, Els and Leonard have escaped.
"This is going to be a big proving ground for me," Mickelson said about 1998. "I've set a lot of high goals. I need somehow to take my game to a higher level."
So many players have taken their games to a higher level that it seems that golf might have to settle for a collective ruler rather than a king.
"It took me years to learn where I am," said Duval, who won his last three starts of 1997 and his fifth tournament this year — four wins in eight tries.
It's amusing that a guy, only 28, would talk about taking years to learn something, but it says a lot about the state of the game today. Not only are these guys good, but they have a steep learning curve.
"I can't tell you what you learn," Duval said. "You just learn it. You know it."
48 Students share:
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5:30-7:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 25
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Applications can be picked up in the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Applications are due Friday, April 24 by 3 p.m.
is now hiring reporters for the summer semester. Any major is welcome but students must be enrolled in summer classes.