May Nearly Had Valhalla Fame

Even though every player paired with Tiger Woods in the final round of a major failed to win, Bob May came as close as anyone.

In the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., May shot his third consecutive 66 and Woods closed with a 67, tying Woods after 72 holes, but lost by one shot in a dramatic three-hole playoff.

May’s 72-66-66-66 at Valhalla was 18 under par and gave him a share with Woods of the PGA Championship scoring record in relation to par.

Woods equaled the 18-under total again Sunday at Medinah as he won his third PGA Championship.

May, who turns 38 in October and lives in Las Vegas, has been hampered by a back injury that kept him from playing a PGA Tour event between May 2003 and this year’s Pebble Beach event, where he tied for 56th.

Playing on what is called a major medical extension exemption carryover from 2003 when he was injured, May has regained his full playing privileges this year by earning $501,172 in 12 tournaments, the bulk of it last month at the B.C. Open, where he was second and made $324,000.

He shot a one-over 73 Thursday in the first round of the Reno-Tahoe Open.

The Woods-May link has been around for some time. Born in Lynwood, May was a star in the local junior ranks before Woods, who is from Cypress.

He was the youngest to qualify for the PGA Tour event at Riviera, at 16, but Woods was several months younger when he received an invitation to play the same event.

-- Thomas Bonk