Grand Slam will likely go on without Tiger Woods
| • | Micheel another major surprise |
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Shaun Micheel's victory in yesterday's PGA Championship all but assured that the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, Dec. 5-6 at Kaua'i's Po'ipu Bay Resort, will be without Tiger Woods for the first time since 1996.
Associated Press
Woods has qualified for the $1 million reunion of major champions every year since, and won it the last five years. But without a major victory this year, Woods won't be invited unless the PGA of America gets turned down by a few people first.
Tiger Woods had to bite hard after finishing with a 12-over-par 292 to finish in a tie for 39th at the PGA Championship.
Micheel, Masters winner Mike Weir, U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk and British Open winner Ben Curtis have already been invited. Woods' performance in this year's majors was not good enough to earn him even first-alternate status.
Clearly, it wouldn't be the same without him.
"I'm not saying those other guys are not good golfers. Certainly Mike Weir is playing very well this year," said Kailua's Tom Metcalf, who has gone to every Grand Slam since 1997. "But without Tiger, it just doesn't have that appeal."
Metcalf goes to the Slam to see Woods' wondrous game. "When he's on, he plays at another level," he said. Even Woods' "aloofness" adds to the intrigue.
It's people like Metcalf whom Kaua'i is worried about.
Po'ipu Bay head pro Michael Castillo is confident those on the island will still attend. "This is the biggest event on Kaua'i," Castillo says. "Nothing is even close the rest of the year."
But many who go to Po'ipu specifically for the Slam are like Metcalf, who goes specifically to watch Woods. Last year Metcalf brought his three sons and a friend from Australia, who arranged his trip to see Tiger.
Castillo hopes the date change will help. The tournament used to be Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. This year it is Saturday and Sunday during a much less hectic travel time. More people can come on the weekend, including kids, who get in free.
Castillo is even anticipating golfers coming over to play Friday and Saturday before becoming spectators, then wanting to get on Po'ipu Sunday while the conditions are identical to the Slam.
"Tiger is obviously good for a 25- to 30-percent increase in the gate at any event," Castillo says. "We're no different. On the other hand, this is the first time we've gone Friday-Saturday so we're anticipating a higher gate just because of the date change.
"I don't think it will have a huge impact. But it would be a huge gain if he does play. The previous years have been pretty flat."
Woods pulled out of January's Mercedes Championships because of knee surgery. Attendance at Kapalua was down 40 percent, in part because of a date change, organizers said.
Castillo says the Slam averaged 5,000 to 6,000 daily in the years Tiger won. When he made his first appearance in 1997, coming in second to Ernie Els, Woods attracted nearly 9,000 each day.
That was also the year of the last price increase. Tickets remain $40 for a three-day pass and $20 for each of the tournament days, with Thursday's Pro-Am $10. Children 17-and-under are free with a ticket-bearing adult.
Tickets can be purchased by calling (800) PGA-TCKT, or via the internet (PGA.com). All 36 holes will be televised on TNT.
That's where Tom "Tiger" Metcalf will probably watch the Grand Slam this year. His nickname has nothing to do with his passion for watching Woods play. It goes back nearly 50 years to his JPO classmates at Punahou, who called him "Tiger Tom."
"I was Tiger before Tiger was born," Metcalf says.
