Associated Press
Monday, July 24

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Tiger Woods begins his crack at a second career Grand Slam next month on a course he has never played.

And that might be reason alone for some shred of hope for everyone else in the field.

The PGA Championship was held at Valhalla in 1996 but Woods missed that tournament. He turned professional less than a month later.

There was talk that he played a practice round at Valhalla two weeks ago in ultra secrecy. But Keith Reese, the head professional at Valhalla Golf Club, says that was not the case.

Woods won the British Open by eight strokes on Sunday, becoming at 24 the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.

He played 72 holes at St. Andrews in 19 under par, a record for a major. Now, the only major for which he does not hold the 72-hole scoring record in relation to par is the PGA Championship.

His lack of familiarity could be the course's strongest -- and only -- defense against Woods when play begins Aug. 17.

"That is one big advantage the guys who played here in '96 will definitely have over him," Reese said. "He doesn't know the course, especially under major championship conditions. And he may not be quite as prepared for this one as he has been for some of the others."

In 1996, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course east of Louisville ceded the fourth lowest average score (72.67) and the second most sub-par rounds (167) in PGA Championship history.

Mark Brooks beat Kenny Perry in a playoff for the title after both shot 11-under through the four rounds. Brooks birdied the 72nd hole to force the playoff, then birdied the first extra hole to win.

Woods was the only player to break par at this year's U.S. Open, which he won by 15 strokes. Only 20 players finished under par during the PGA at Medinah last year, where Woods captured his second major title.

In 1996 at Valhalla, 46 players finished under par and the course yielded 72 sub-par scores over the final two rounds alone.

"There's no telling how low he might go," Reese said of Woods. "When he's on his game, there's not a course in the world that's going to keep him under 15 or even 20 under for four days."

The PGA has made some changes to the course, which played to 7,144 yards in 1996. The first two holes have been lengthened by more than 25 yards each and a bunker has been added to the ninth fairway.

Reese said the changes made the course slightly tougher. But that still might not be enough to slow Woods, who has won his four majors by an average of nine strokes.

"The changes weren't made with Tiger Woods specifically in mind," Reese said. "I don't think there's any way to Tiger-proof any golf course these days, short of pulling out the flagsticks."