Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Thursday 14 June 2018

Column: A battle among the best with only 1 major

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP later."
Golf Writer Identifying the best player
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) without a major has been a
— Jordan Spieth considers topic for the better part of
himself lucky. 30 years. Given the depth
As hard as he made it look, of talent, it might be time
winning the U.S. Open three for a different question.
years ago felt easy. He was The best with only one ma-
two months removed from jor.
his victory at Augusta Na- It's a long list, from as young
tional. No matter what hap- as Thomas (24) to Henrik
pened at Chambers Bay, Stenson (42).
he was the Masters cham- All it takes is one week, one
pion for the rest of the year, more major — perhaps this
and a major champion for week at Shinnecock Hills —
life. for such a player to enter a
"House money," he de- different conversation.
scribed that week. Dustin Johnson might lead
And then he won another that list.
major with a birdie-double He finally broke through for
bogey-birdie finish, helped his first major at Oakmont
by Dustin Johnson three- in the 2016 U.S. Open, and
putting from 12 feet to lose given his 18 victories on
by one. Spieth was 22 when the PGA Tour, he probably
he became the first player should have more. If not for
in 74 years — Craig Wood getting in his own way, he
in 1941 — to win his first ma- might have more by now. Brooks Koepka walks up to the 9th green during a practice round for the U.S. Open Golf
jor and then add a second There was the 82 at Peb- Championship, Monday, June 11, 2018, in Southampton, N.Y.
major in his next try. ble Beach when he had a Associated Press
It didn't come that quickly three-shot lead in the 2010
for Tiger Woods, even after U.S. Open. He hit an errant working very well. You've away from adding Augusta asked, 'How is it going to
a 12-shot victory at the 1997 drive into a patch of sand got to play really good all National to that list. feel to get your second
Masters in his first major as that he didn't know was a four rounds. ... I'd love to But he's still stuck on one. major?' You're constantly
a pro. Woods played 10 bunker at Whistling Straits get that second one. But it's So is Adam Scott and Ser- reminded of that."
more majors, half of them that same year in the PGA one of those things where, gio Garcia, Brooks Koepka The top players when
while overhauling his swing, Championship. The bogey like I said, everything has and Webb Simpson. Woods was in his prime
before he won his next one. dropped him into a three- got to work well for four Add to that list Louis Oost- years were Phil Mickelson,
Winning one major is great. man playoff. Grounding days." huizen, who has been Ernie Els and Vijay Singh.
Winning multiple majors his club in the sand for a Jason Day has 12 victo- runner-up in all four majors Woods rarely fails to men-
commands a new level of two-shot penalty dropped ries on the PGA Tour, and since his 2010 victory in the tion Retief Goosen on that
respect. him out of it. And then at only the 2015 PGA Cham- British Open at St. Andrews. list, mainly because when
"You could make an ar- Chambers Bay, he was 12 pionship among majors. "I mean absolutely zero, Woods was at his best,
gument that it could be feet away for eagle and He spent 47 consecutive no disrespect to guys that Goosen was the only other
harder to get the second the U.S. Open until it took weeks at No. 1 the year have won one — obviously, player with multiple ma-
one than it is the first," PGA three putts and a par for a after winning his major, myself included," Thomas jors. He won his second U.S.
champion Justin Thomas runner-up finish. and had only one good said. "But it's a lot easier to Open at Shinnecock Hills in
said Tuesday. "You could He is No. 1 in the world, and chance. Justin Rose won get hot one week than it is 2004.
make an argument that wants to get major No. 2. the 2013 U.S. Open at Mer- to do it again and win an- Seventeen players at Shin-
every major is the hardest. "It's hard to get No. 2 right ion for his first major. Rose other major. Because when necock Hills this week have
But I just think that to be now, but it was hard to get has won at least some- you're a major champion, only one major and would
known as a multiple major No. 1," Johnson said with a where in the world every you have more asked of love to add another.
champion as opposed to, smile. "I think it's hard to get year since 2010, and he has you. You have more expec- If they don't? It's still better
'He won the PGA,' it has any of them. It's just a tough won on prestigious courses tations on yourself, more than being on that other
a little better ring to it. So task. There's only four ma- — Muirfield Village, Con- expectations from other list occupied by the likes of
I hope to have that to my jors, and to win a major you gressional, Aronimink, Doral people to where if you do Rickie Fowler, Hideki Mat-
name, sooner rather than have to have everything — and he was one putt get in the hunt, then you're suyama and Jon Rahm.q