Under-30s Eye Sweep of Majors

When Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile, he knocked down a barrier and others followed. Seems Tiger Woods has done the same. Suddenly, players in their 20s can win major championships.

Woods’ shockingly easy victory at the Masters set off a year in which players under 30 have won all three Grand Slam events. They could add a fourth at the PGA Championship--a sweep never accomplished since the Masters was created in 1934.

“It’s time for a changing of the guard, so to speak,” Woods said as he readied his game at the Buick Open last week. “Guys like Tom Kite and Tom Watson were great players, but they’re on their way out.”

While that might sound like the arrogance of youth, the numbers back him up.

In the 40 major championships in the 10 years before 1997, the average age of the winner was 33.1.

This year, the oldest winner of a major was 27-year-old Ernie Els in the U.S. Open. With Woods, 21, and Justin Leonard, 25, winning the British Open, the average age in 1997 is 24.3.

And when the 79th PGA starts at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., on Thursday, the chances of another under-30 winner will be boosted by their talent, their numbers and the decline of several perennial contenders in Grand Slam events.

Woods, Els and Leonard are joined by Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, David Duval, Paul Stankowski and Stewart Cink as players under 30 capable of winning the PGA. Those eight players have 12 victories and 20 top-three finishes among them this year.

“There’s definitely an influx of new, young players,” Woods said. “It’s good for the game.”

At the same time, the final-round leader-board in the major championships this year has lacked some familiar names.

Nick Faldo and Nick Price, both 40, and 42-year-old Greg Norman have won 11 major championships among them but have not contended in any of the three this year.

Watson (47) hasn’t won a major since 1983. Corey Pavin (37) has virtually disappeared. And Mark O’Meara (40) hasn’t finished better than 30th in a major this year.

Throw in Tom Lehman (38) Fred Couples (37) Davis Love III (33) and Lee Janzen (32) and those 10 players--eight of whom have won major championships--have collectively missed almost as many cuts in majors this year (6) as they have top-10 finishes (7).

“I’m not sure what the reason is,” Leonard said about the changing of the guard. “I think in my case, I see guys like Tiger and Ernie, and see Phil Mickelson win his 11th tournament last week. Seeing that maybe raises my expectations a little bit.”

Expectations also were increased because the young players came to the PGA Tour battle tested in a better level of college golf, through tougher competition on the amateur circuit and--most of all--by tournament experience on the Nike Tour.

“People don’t realize how good the Nike Tour has been for golf,” Cink said about the 8-year-old minor-league circuit where he was the leading money winner last year. “It seems like we’re seeing the results of it. We’re more ready to win than probably any other era in golf.”

One young guy who seems ready for a breakthrough victory in a major is Furyk. The 27-year-old with the distinctive looping swing finished in the top-10 in eight consecutive events going into last week’s Buick Open, including fifth at the U.S. Open and fourth at the British Open.

He’s fourth on the tour in hitting fairways and eighth in putting, a combination that will play well at Winged Foot, where the fairways are lined with tall trees and the small, contoured greens are protected by deep bunkers.

“If I stood here and told you I couldn’t win the PGA, I probably shouldn’t be playing,” Furyk said. “I’ve been working real hard and practicing real hard and things are coming around at the right time.

“And growing up in Pennsylvania, Winged Foot is the kind of course I’m comfortable with,” he added. “I’m comfortable with that style.”

If a fourth major is going to be won by a fourth different guy in his 20s this year, Furyk is a sensible pick.

If one of the more veteran players is going to walk off with the title, it could be an outsider like 41-year-old Scott Hoch, who hits fairways and greens, makes putts and is a good bunker player.

Lehman, who leads the tour in greens hit at 72.8%, can contend if he can improve even marginally on his 170th-place ranking on the tour in putting.

And a war of attrition with the winning score around even par--as is likely--could let in the pure ball strikers like Faldo, Watson and Colin Montgomerie.

But don’t be surprised if Winged Foot is the final stamp on the year the youngsters grabbed hold of the game.

“It’s our generation,” Woods said. “Our generation is a little more flamboyant. Our generation isn’t afraid to take risks.”

The next risk starts Thursday at Winged Foot.

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79th PGA at a Glance

* WHAT: The 79th PGA Championship.

* WHEN: Thursday through Sunday.

* WHERE: The West Course of Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y., a 6,987-yard, par-70 A.W. Tillinghast design opened in 1923. Slope 140. Rating 75.2. Low 18-hole tournament score: 66 by Fuzzy Zoeller in second round of 1984 U.S. Open. Low 72-hole tournament score: four-under-par 276 by Zoeller and Greg Norman in 1984 U.S. Open. Zoeller won playoff.

* PRIZE MONEY: To be announced. At least equal to last year’s purse of $2.4 million of which $430,000 went to the winner.

* DEFENDING CHAMPION: Mark Brooks in a one-hole playoff with Kenny Perry.

* MOST PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus (5); Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead (3); 12 players tied with two.

* LOWEST SCORE: 267 (17 under par) by Steve Elkington and Colin Montgomerie in 1995 at Riviera Country Club. Elkington won playoff.

* TELEVISION: Thursday and Friday, TBS 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, TBS 8-10 a.m.; CBS 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

20something

The age of major championship winners for the last decade:

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Year Winners in 20s Avg. Age 1997 3 24.3 1996 0 37.3 1995 1 34.5 1994 2 31.5 1993 1 33.5 1992 0 35.7 1991 1 30.5 1990 0 35.2 1989 1 31.5 1988 0 31.0 1987 2 31.7 Avg. 87-96 33.1

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