Woods Weathers El Nino

Rivalry? You want a real rivalry, like Nicklaus-Palmer, Yankees-Dodgers, Lakers-Celtics, Dempsey-Tunney?

Well, a brand new one may have dropped in our laps on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Medinah Country Club, where 23-year-old Tiger Woods held off 19-year-old Sergio Garcia to win the PGA Championship and the only difference was one shot . . . and four years.

For Woods, it was his second major title, matching his triumph at the 1997 Masters. But while Woods won that one in a breeze, he all but staggered across the finish line this time, losing nearly every bit of the five-shot lead he held with only seven holes to play.

When it was over, after he was able to steer a difficult, eight-foot par putt into the hole at the 17th, then managed to tap in a short par putt at the 18th, Woods appeared more exhausted than happy.

“It was a tough day,” Woods said.

But it was a great day for a rivalry to be born. It has been an uncomplicated rush to the top of the professional golf world for Woods, who has gone about his way to become the world’s best known player without much of a challenge from any of his peers. Until now, that is.

Woods’ fourth-round 72 and 11-under total of 277 was a shot better than Garcia, who finished with a 71.

This rivalry isn’t created by agents, television or reporters, it was the natural progression of a head-to-head, down-the-stretch showdown on the back nine of a major championship featuring the two brightest stars the sport has to offer.

What more could you ask for?

Try this: Garcia made an 18-foot downhill putt to birdie No. 13 to close within three shots, then turned and raised his fist to get Woods’ attention as he stood on the 13th tee.

That gesture was no accident. It was no nice little wave to ask how the day is going. It was a challenge, Garcia said.

“I wanted him to know that I was still there,” Garcia said. “But it wasn’t kind of a bad thing. I did it with good feelings. I was kind of telling him, ‘If you want to win, you’ve got to play well.’ ”

Coincidentally, Woods really wasn’t doing that. He had just three-putted No. 12 for a bogey and followed Garcia’s salute by making a double bogey at the par-three 13th. He accomplished this by missing the green long, chopping out of the back rough and into the front rough, chipping out and then two-putting from eight feet.

His lead was now one. It had been five. Woods left the smiling to Garcia, mainly because he was too busy grinding it out to do anything else.

“Even though I lost four shots on two holes, I still had the lead,” Woods said. “He had more momentum, but I still had the lead. He was still chasing me.”

This was true and Garcia chose to follow an unusual path. At No. 16, two shots behind Woods because of a bogey at the 15th, Garcia found his golf ball against a tree along the right side, 189 yards from the pin.

Instead of hacking the ball out sideways to the fairway, Garcia closed his eyes and sliced a six-iron, the ball somehow landing safely on the left side of the green.

Garcia followed the flight of the ball by running up the fairway and leaping for a better view, then patting his heart to show his relief.

What he managed was a par, in the swashbuckling and unorthodox fashion of his Spanish countryman and mentor, Seve Ballesteros.

As it turned out, there were no birdies left in Garcia’s repertoire of the unexpected. He had a 14-footer for birdie at No. 17 and missed it left by a foot. His last chance to catch Woods was a 15-footer below the hole at No. 18, but it rolled three feet past on the right side.

Garcia tapped in for his par. He smiled and clapped for the crowd, holding his cap with his teeth. Television cameras followed him into the scorer’s trailer and when Garcia saw them, he turned and smiled and said “Almost.”

Garcia, who has earned the nickname El Nino, would hug Woods’ mother, Kultida and receive congratulations from Woods’ coach, Butch Harmon. He did not sound or act like someone who lost.

“You know, I’m a little unhappy I didn’t win,” Garcia said. “But inside of me, I feel like I won. I don’t know, with 19 years old, three months since I turned pro, you can’t ask for any more.”

Woods can, of course. In this rivalry, he is the hunted, the elder, the one with all the expectations. Maybe that’s why he was bothered by comments from the gallery during his problems on the back nine.

“ ‘Hope you don’t slice it in the water,’ ” Woods quoted one fan who heckled him, adding, “They were saying some pretty tough things. You just had to block it out.”

Woods also decided the right thing to do was block out any hint of a rivalry with Garcia. After all, said Woods, there are so many good young players in their 20s.

True, but Garcia is still in his teens. He was the low amateur at the Masters, won his first European Tour event as a pro, came back from a miserable British Open to clinch a spot on the Ryder Cup European team by nearly winning his first major title.

Maybe that’s why Garcia was hardly crushed afterward.

Maybe that’s why Woods sounded so relieved it was over.

Maybe that’s what rivalries are made of.

As it turned out, everyone else was playing for third place.

Nick Price was five under for the round when he birdied the 11th to climb within three shots of Woods, but he fell back with a 71 and finished fifth.

Jay Haas came back with a 70 to claim a share of third place at eight-under 280 along with Stewart Cink, who could do no better than 73. Bob Estes needed to finish no worse than a two-way tie for fifth to earn an automatic place on the Ryder Cup team, but bogeyed two of the last three holes to end with a 69 and tie for sixth place with Colin Montgomerie.

Steve Pate’s 69 earned a tie for eighth with Jim Furyk, who faltered with a 74.

When Woods caught his breath, which was right after he kissed the Wanamaker Trophy and accepted the $630,000 winner’s check, he was asked once again about Garcia.

“He was emotional, yes, fiery,” Woods said. “He was trying, he never dogged it and it was wonderful to see.”

And golf has been waiting awhile to see it.

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THE FINISH LINE

THE TOP 5

277 (-11)--$630,000

Tiger Woods70-67-68-72

278 (-10)--$378,000

Sergio Garcia66-73-68-71

280 (-8)--$203,000

Stewart Cink69-70-68-73

Jay Haas68-67-75-70

281 (-7)--$129,000

Nick Price70-71-69-71

*

OTHERS

285 (-3)--$72,167

David Duval70-71-72-72

Corey Pavin69-74-71-71

289 (+1)--$24,000

Fred Couples73-69-75-72

J. Van de Velde74-70-75-70

292 (+4)--$11,250

Hale Irwin70-69-78-75

293 (+5)--$8,180

Vijay Singh74-70-77-72

Davis Love III71-72-75-75

295 (+7)--$7,175

Phil Mickelson72-72-74-77

Payne Stewart75-71-75-74

Mark O’Meara72-74-73-76

1999 MAJOR WINNERS

MASTERS

Jose Maria Olazabal

U.S. OPEN

Payne Stewart

BRITISH OPEN

Paul Lawrie

PGA

Tiger Woods

COMPARING TIGER

Youngest to win two majors:

* Seve Ballesteros

(1979 British Open, 1980 Masters)

Four days shy of 23rd birthday

* Jack Nicklaus

(1962 U.S. Open, 1963 Masters)

23 years, 2 months, 17 days

* Tiger Woods

(1997 Masters, 1999 PGA)

23 years, 8 months, 16 days

*

RYDER CUP: Bob Estes just missed qualifying for one of the 10 automatic berths on the United States’ team, but captain Ben Crenshaw is expected to fill the last two spots today with veterans Tom Lehman and Fred Couples. Page 8