ESPN.com - Golf Online - PGA Championship 2000

By Karl Ravech
Special to ESPN.com
Friday, August 18

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There was rain overnight to follow the tears of the players that poured out following Thursday's slow-play, slow-death march. Valhalla lost a tree during a Thursday evening storm, but it felt the wrath of the players long before that.


	Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and others have had plenty of time to kill this week.

Thursday night was a gripe session unparalleled this season. The guys experienced what you and I and every other hacker out there is used to: a good six-hour round, where you get off one tee only to find four groups backed up on the next.

How bad was it? Brent Geiberger hit his first tee shot at 2 p.m.; he hit second tee shot 50 minutes later.

While he didn't attribute the slow play to his poor performance, when asked about his memories of Valhalla, he didn't offer up a raving review.

Things improved Friday, but the edge was still apparent on the players. John Huston, who did the speaking for many of his fellow players Thursday night, said he received as much congratulations as he did good-natured ribbing.

Mark Calcavecchia politely declined an interview Thursday night, saying: "You don't want to hear what I have to say." Translated, that means: "I don't want to pay a fine for what I have to say."

Friday he played in five hours and 15 minutes. His play was spotty, but his opinions hadn't changed. He says there were a variety of factors contributing to the slow play but also didn't disagree with the premise raised by one reporter that there are probably "15 guys on tour who can singlehandedly slow down the entire field."

Of course, he didn't mention any names. He did say, however, that it was riduculous of the PGA to send 150 players off the first tee. He noted that Valhalla is a course that begs for the players to start on both the first and 10th tees in the first two rounds.

Heard on the range

How about the play of Tom Kite? Another cut made in a PGA Tour event, making him six for six this year. It is not something he speaks about nor is it at the forefront of his thoughts, but you have to be impressed with his ability to stick with the flat bellies of the world.

He said after his round that he's scraping it around the course and admitted that luck played a role in his 2-under 142. He did not drive it particularly well but was able to get the ball on the greens from the rough.

One other thing about Kite: He's now played in seven majors this year -- four on the Senior Tour and all but The Masters on the PGA Tour. Guess how many cuts he's made? All of them.

Is anyone surprised that the conditions Friday afternoon were ideal relative to Thursdays? Tiger Woods has had the golf gods smiling down on him all year when it comes to the weather, at least at the majors. He got the best of it at Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, and it's happened here, too.

And while it is only a coincidence, it does cause one to wonder. As a result of the change in weather, the par-5s became much more difficult. All of them were reachable in two shots Thursday, but only the long hitters could take a chance Friday.

Guess who has the advantage there?

ESPN's Karl Ravech will share his thoughts daily throughout the PGA Championship.