PGA Tournament Has Many Subplots

The 71st PGA National Championship has more subplots than a soap opera. The tournament that starts on Thursday is more than the year’s final event of golf’s Grand Slam.

It’s the last appearance in a major tournament for Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino before they pass into the Seniors category. It’s also 39-year-old Tom Watson’s chance to become only the fifth man to complete a career sweep of all four major titles.

It’s yet another chance for Greg Norman to try to bounce back from yet another major-title near miss. And it’s yet another round in the American vs. foreign player fight for golf domination.

It’s the end of a two-year scramble for positions on the American Ryder Cup team that will face Europe’s best in England next month. And it could mean an early end to the Player of the Year race.

That latter category could come about only if Masters champ Nick Faldo of England, U.S. Open title-holder Curtis Strange or British Open winner Mark Calcavecchia could annex the PGA crown.

Of the three, Calcavecchia would appear to have the best chance. A notorious streak player, he has not competed since his playoff victory in the British Open.

Two major titles in a single season -- something that hasn’t occurred since Watson won the 1982 U.S. and British Opens -- almost certainly would provide a player an insurmountable lead in the point standings.

But it is another point list, the Ryder Cup list, that will gain a major portion of the attention. It is from that list that 10 of the 12 men on the American team will be chosen.

Points were awarded for top 10 finishes beginning with the first tournament of 1988. The list closes with the PGA, which also awards bonus points.

The top seven players -- Calcavecchia, Strange, Chip Beck, Tom Kite, Paul Azinger and Payne Stewart -- are virtually assured of places on the team.

Eight others are in a battle for the remaining three spots on the point list. They are Ken Green, Mark O’Meara, Mark McCumber, Steve Pate, Joey Sindelar, Bruce Lietzke, Ben Crenshaw, Scott Hoch and Lanny Wadkins.

In addition, Captain Ray Floyd is allowed to pick one player. The 12th spot is reserved for the PGA champion, if he is eligible. If he is not, or if he is among the top-10 point winners, Floyd can pick two players.

Although he has been in an extended slump, Watson’s strong performance in the British Open makes him a major contender as one of Floyd’s possible selections.

“For the first time in a long, long time I feel like I’m in control of my game again,” Watson said after he finished fourth, two shots out of the British Open playoff.

That solid showing by the man who once dominated golf also added to the possibility he could join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Nicklaus and Gary Player as the only men to make career sweeps of the Masters, U.S. and British Opens and the PGA.

Watson has won five British Opens, two Masters and the 1982 U.S. Open. He lacks only the PGA.

“That’s my No. l career goal in golf,” said Watson, who has had more than enough of the “us vs. them” talk concerning rivalry between American and foreign players.

“I’m tired of talking about it. I’m tired of being asked about it. We don’t think of it in those terms,” Watson said.

And one of the leading European players will be missing from the 150-man line-up. Sandy Lyle, former Masters and British Open champion, declined to compete.

Other major foreign players include Faldo, Ian Woosnam of Wales, Bernhard Langer of West Germany, Seve Ballesteros and Jose-Maria Olazabal of Spain, David Frost of South Africa. And Greg Norman of Australia.

Norman -- who lost the 1984 U.S.Open in a playoff, was the victim of Bob Tway’s 1987 sand shot in the PGA and Larry Mize’s playoff pitch-in in the 1988 Masters -- again lost a major-tournament title when he came from seven shots back to tie in the last round of the British Open, then was beaten by Calcavecchia in a playoff.

“He’s tough. He’ll be back,” Calcavecchia said.

Some other major contenders include defending champion Jeff Sluman, Stewart, Strange, Azinger, Couples, McCumber and Kite, who has won twice and leads the American money-winners this season.

The total purse ($1 million last year) and the winner’s share will be announced Tuesday.

ESPN will provide live television coverage 10 a.m. to Noon and 1-4 p.m. (PDT) Thursday and Friday and ABC will have live coverage of the final two rounds Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (PDT).