2002 tour championship

Search Golf Compendium

Golf compendium, 2002 pga championship winner and scores, what happened at the 2002 pga championship, 2002 pga championship final scores, popular posts from this blog, golfers with the most wins in major championships, 2024 masters tournament winner and final scores.

24 Famous Golfers Who Were Photographed in the Nude

2002 PGA Tour

• Edit source
• View history

The 2002 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 18 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.

• 1 Tournament results
• 2 Location of tournaments
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Tournament results [ ]

The following table shows all the official money events for the 2002 season. "Date" is the ending date of the tournament. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they had on the tour up to and including that event. Majors are shown in bold .

Source: [1]

Location of tournaments [ ]

Template:Col-start Template:Col-2 Template:Location map+ Template:Col-2 Template:Location map+ Template:Col-end

Leaders [ ]

Scoring Average leaders

Source: [2]

Money List leaders

Source: [3]

Career Money List leaders

Source: [4]

References [ ]

• ↑ 2002 Schedule . PGA Tour.
• ↑ Scoring Average – 2002 . PGA Tour.
• ↑ Money Leaders – 2002 . PGA Tour.
• ↑ Career Money Leaders – 2002 . PGA Tour.

External links [ ]

• PGA Tour official site

Template:PGA Tour Seasons

• 1 Rory McIlroy
• 2 Holly Sonders/Gallery

Rich Beem: True Grit Story Of The 2002 PGA Championship

Rich Beem endured some challenging years in his early career, but he came through and was rewarded for his perseverance with a remarkable victory over Tiger Woods in the 2002 PGA Championship.

• Sign up to Golf Monthly Newsletter Newsletter

Standing on the 15th tee at Hazeltine National in the final round of the 2002 PGA Championship, Tiger Woods was five shots off Rich Beem’s lead. He turned to caddy Steve Williams and said, “OK Stevie, if we birdie in from here we win this tournament.” It was typical of Tiger ’s confidence but his logic was reasonable. He figured that if he could post a number then Beem, two holes behind, would buckle. Who was this guy anyway? He used to sell mobile phones, he’d been working in a pro shop just four years earlier, he’d struggled on the mini-tours, this was only his fourth Major. He’d surely collapse if the World Number 1 applied sufficient pressure, wouldn’t he?

The thing was: Rich Beem wasn’t intimidated by the situation, he wasn’t fazed by the threat of Tiger Woods; he’d faced more pressure than that in his life.

Beem graduated from New Mexico State University and turned pro in 1994. He took a job as an assistant professional at Sioux Falls Golf Club in South Dakota. His father, a PGA professional himself, had huge hopes for his son as a golfer and Rich felt the pressure of those expectations as he failed to make an impact on the Dakota mini tours. Beem fell out of love with the game and followed a girlfriend (who would later ditch him) to Seattle where he took a job as a mobile phone salesman.

Rich lasted less than a year in that position before golf drew him back in. He barely touched a club for eight months, but watching old rival Paul Stankowski win the 1996 BellSouth Classic on the PGA Tour inspired him to give the sport another try.

He went back to the mini tours and enjoyed a little success, so in late 1998 he decided to have a crack at PGA Tour Q-school. He made it through the first stage in 14th place, scraped through the second stage by the skin of his teeth and then gained his card in the third stage with a final round of 66. He had played 14 rounds of stress-filled golf simply to earn the chance to play on the PGA Tour – had Tiger ever felt pressure like that?

Beemer On Tour

Beemer wins Kemper Open

In his first season on the circuit, Beem came from nowhere to win the Kemper Open – it was a blessing and a curse. The victory secured his card for two seasons but it made him complacent. He was already known for taking a fairly colourful approach to his off-course lifestyle, but the extra fame (and cash) provided by the win allowed him to hit it rather hard for a while. A low point came when he was caught driving over the limit at 2.00AM while over in the UK for The Open Championship.

He missed eight cuts through the rest of 1999 and 16 cuts in 29 events through 2000. By the end of 2001 he was in danger of losing his card and he needed a top-10 finish at the Michelob Championship to keep it. He fought his way into a position where he had a chance. Battling tremendous nerves, he held on in the final round to secure gainful employment for 2002. And what if he hadn’t? Who knows, back to selling phones or golf balls perhaps? As Lee Trevino once famously said, “real pressure is playing a match for $5 when you only have $2 in your pocket.”

Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.

Beem at the International

Buoyed by the resilience he displayed in late 2001, Beem knuckled down and enjoyed some good results in the first part of 2002 – a fourth and a second place being the best of them. In The International tournament, played to a modified Stableford format, Beem looked set to record his second PGA Tour victory – eight points ahead through 16 holes of the final round.

But Steve Lowery holed his second to the 15th for an eagle to reduce Rich’s advantage to three points. Beem heard the roar and struck back by holing a long putt for an eagle of his own on the 17th. That would surely be that. Not quite. Lowery then proceeded to hole his second for an albatross two on the 17th and cut Beem’s lead to just one. As Rich stood beside the 18th green he was visibly agitated as Lowery came up the home hole. There was a distinct possibility a victory he had earned with a closing 63 might be snatched from him by a freak finish. A birdie would give Lowery the win; a par and Beem would take the title. When Lowery’s birdie effort narrowly missed, Beem broke down. He could hardly speak to the on-course interviewer afterwards, his face drenched with sweat and tears. He’d come out on top after one of the tensest finishes in PGA Tour history. If any further proof was needed, this was it: Beem could stand up to pressure.

On to Hazeltine

Tiger was favourite for Hazeltine

Thanks to the remarkable win at The International, Rich Beem wasn’t a complete non-story coming into the USPGA Championship two weeks later. Still, he was just 73rd on the World Rankings, having started the year at 284th. The top five at that time were Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson , Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Sergio Garcia . These men, with Tiger way out in front, were the favourites at Hazeltine.

Tiger had won The Masters and the U.S. Open earlier in the year, he also won the Buick Open the week before the USPGA. He’d won the year’s fourth Major twice before and most felt he would win it again.

After two rounds at Hazeltine Tiger was lurking in perfect position, just two shots off the pace following rounds of 71 and 69. The lead was held by five players: Former Major champions Justin Leonard, Mark Calcavecchia and Retief Goosen, experienced campaigner Fred Funk and partially reformed party animal Rich Beem. After opening with a steady 72, Beem posted a superb second round of 66 – a score made possible by some simply incredible putting.

Beem had been one of the better ball-strikers on the PGA Tour since he began playing on the circuit, but he struggled on the greens. In 2001 he was ranked 137th in putting. But for 2002 he had turned to a different putter – an STX Sync Tour. Used by a number of players, including Seve and Jesper Parnevik, it was centre shafted with a bulbous weight behind the blade. It wasn’t a particularly attractive weapon, but it worked for Beem and he found he could roll the ball beautifully with it.

Despite his notable display on Hazeltine’s tricky greens, and his tournament victory just two weeks earlier, most of the media viewed Beem’s role in the tournament as a temporary side story. He was a character certainly, but a serious contender to win a Major? No, no, it would surely be one of those proven winners in the mix after two rounds who would go on to loft the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday afternoon.

Something for The Weekend

Beemer stayed in contention

But, after a very difficult third round in which the winds gusted to 40mph, making many of the already difficult pin positions look nigh on impossible, Beem was still there. His fighting 72 represented one of the rounds of the day, with only a handful of players managing better. One of those was Justin Leonard, who played outstandingly to score 69.

Beem went into the final round of the year’s final Major in solo second place, three behind Leonard with Fred Funk in third and Woods in a tie for fourth: five shots off Leonard and two behind Beem. These were uncharted waters for Beem and many believed the nerves would get to him.

Early on Sunday Beem displayed that if he was feeling the nerves he was channelling them into his performance. He birdied the 3rd and 4th holes then picked up another at the par-5 7th, where he hit a superb 3-wood to the front of the green.

With that birdie, Rich moved into a tie for the lead and Leonard began to suffer from the pressure far more obviously than his playing partner. The Texan double bogeyed the 8th and dropped three further shots to shoot a final round of 77, falling back into a tie for fourth place with Fred Funk.

It was Tiger Woods who would emerge to push Beem through a thrilling back nine.

Rich struck the first blow with an eagle on the 11th. It gave him a three-shot lead, and he extended it further when Woods dropped strokes at the 13th and 14th holes.

Beem was in command, but Woods wasn’t finished. As he’d promised Stevie Williams, he birdied the final four holes to ask the question of the inexperienced leader.

Beem’s answer was emphatic. As if to say “You won’t bully me out of this one Tiger,” Beem played two fine shots to the treacherous par-4 16th then holed a hard-breaking 40-foot putt for a birdie three. It earned him a two-shot cushion with two to play. He parred the par-3 17th and could afford the luxury of making a three-putt bogey on the home hole. He still took the title by a shot.

He tapped in, lofted his arms and danced a celebratory jig. He had withstood the pressure again, faced up to the best player in the world and beaten him down the stretch to secure his place in golfing history. It completed quite a turnaround for a guy who had given up on golf completely just seven years earlier. Here was a man who had endured his struggles and bounced back from adversity to re-find his self-belief. Beem had been toughened by life; he had taken the knocks and rolled with the punches. He’d learned there was no reason to be intimidated by reputation; he had dealt with scarier things than a rampant Tiger. At the 2002 PGA Rich Beem displayed true grit and deservedly came out on top.

2002 PGA Championship final scores

Rich Beem with the Wanamaker Trophy

1       Rich Beem (USA)                   72     66     72     68     278

2       Tiger Woods (USA)                71     69     72     67     279

3       Chris Riley (USA)                   71     70     72     70     283

T4     Fred Funk (USA)                    68     70     73     73     284

T4     Justin Leonard (USA)             72     66     69     77     284

6       Rocco Mediate (USA)              72     73     70     70     285

7       Mark Calcavecchia (USA)       70     68     74     74     286

8       Vijay Singh (Fij)                     71     74     74     68     287

Rich Beem vs Tiger Woods by the numbers in 2002

Beem and Tiger

                                                            Beem                    Tiger

 Age at 2002 USPGA                        31                        26

World Ranking                                 73rd                     1st

PGA Tour Money list (2001)            109th                   1st

PGA Tour titles                                    2                         30

Previous top 10s on PGA Tour         6                         76

PGA Tour earnings (to end 2001)    $1,321,000          $26,191,000

Major starts                                         3                         28

Best Major finish                              70th (’99 USPGA)  1st (8 times)

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

The PGA of America chief discussed why LIV Golf wasn't granted world ranking points ahead of the second men's Major of 2024

By Andrew Wright Published 15 May 24

Seth Waugh says "diluting the game is not healthy" and hopes for a quick resolution in men's pro golf as talks between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF over a potential merger continue

By Jonny Leighfield Published 15 May 24

At Augusta National in 1967, 54-year-old Ben Hogan rolled back the years with an incredible back nine of 30 in the third round of his final Masters

By Fergus Bisset Published 31 March 24

In 2000, Tiger Woods played golf that seemed, and was at times, out of this world. Was it the best anyone has ever played? How would it compare to the best of today?

By Fergus Bisset Published 23 February 24

Both men were inspirational, and both played a key role in the development of the professional game during the second half of the 20th century.

By Fergus Bisset Published 19 January 24

Hale Irwin came through a play-off to become the oldest ever US Open winner in an unlikely and highly memorable contest at Medinah

By Fergus Bisset Published 12 January 24

We take a look at the careers of two legends from the last 35 years of golf and compare some of the numbers behind their success.

By Fergus Bisset Published 21 December 23

One was the greatest swinger of a golf club, the other the greatest amateur and both of them achieved an enormous amount through their careers…

By Fergus Bisset Published 24 November 23

Who is the greatest – Tiger or Jack? It’s a question that is often posed and it must be answered with a degree of subjectivity, but we looked at the data to try and find an answer...

By Fergus Bisset Published 17 November 23

From Old Tom to Tiger, Fergus Bisset takes a look at some pivotal moments in our game that changed the course of golfing history.

By Fergus Bisset Published 9 November 23

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Accessibility statement
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Celebrating 20 years at East Lake Golf Club

Part IV, Winners

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This year, the TOUR Championship will be celebrating the 20th playing of the event at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, GA. To commemorate this milestone, we’ll be diving back into the archives for some of the greatest moments, records, winners and statistics.

Only two past champions hold the lowest finishes by a winner at East Lake Golf Club. Both Retief Goosen (2004) and Rory McIlroy (2016) shot a final-round 6-under 64 to capture their victories at the TOUR Championship.

Goosen entered the final round of the 2004 event four-strokes behind leaders Jay Haas and Tiger Woods. Goosen collected six birdies en route to his 6-under 64 to win by four strokes over Tiger Woods. The victory marked his second TOUR win of the season.

Entering the final round of the 2016 event two-strokes behind leaders Kevin Chappell and Dustin Johnson, McIlroy carded one eagle (No. 16) and five birdies to force a three-way playoff and ultimately win his first career TOUR Championship and FedExCup title in dramatic fashion.

From Start to Finish

In 2013, Henrik Stenson became the first wire-to-wire winner (no ties) at East Lake Golf Club. Stenson’s rounds of 64-66-69-68 kept him ahead of the other 29 players in the field from start to finish. Stenson held off a brief challenge by 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and closed with a 2-under 68 to win the TOUR Championship and FedExCup title by three shots over Spieth and Steve Stricker.

“I’m speechless. It was a tough day out there,” said Stenson. “To hang in there the way I did, I’m really satisfied… It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I had to fight hard mentally to keep all this aside, and I managed to do that.”

The Swede finished at 13-under 267 to become the first European to win the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup. The victory marked his second win in three tournaments of the 2013 FedExCup Playoffs.

It's Not Over Until the Final Putt Drops

A remarkable year for Camilo Villegas: 2008. The Colombian clinched his second successive PGA TOUR victory by beating Sergio Garcia in a playoff for the season-ending TOUR Championship title. The biggest “woah factor” of it all was Villegas came from five-strokes behind Garcia to capture the victory, marking the best come-from-behind win in East Lake history.

Villegas entered the final round in 2008 at 3-under 70, five strokes behind Garcia’s 8-under 70 lead. Villegas overcame 2 bogeys and one double bogey with eight birdies in the final round to force a playoff with Garcia, who struggled to a one-over 71 before making bogey on the first playoff hole.

So nice, they've won twice at East Lake...

The list for multiple winners at East Lake Golf Club is short, but mighty as only three – yes, three – players have won more than once in Atlanta.

Only Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy have won the TOUR Championship twice at East Lake Golf Club. Mickelson was the first to win twice at East Lake with his first win coming in 2000 and his second in 2009, both of which were victories over Tiger Woods.

Woods secured victories at East Lake in 2007 and 2018, with the latter marking his 80th career PGA TOUR victory. In 2007, Woods captured his first TOUR Championship and FedExCup title by eight strokes over Mark Calcavecchia. Wood’s 2018 win marked his first career win in more than five years. The emotional victory inched him closer to all-time TOUR victories leader Sam Snead (82) and completed one of the biggest comebacks in sports.

McIlroy’s two victories at East Lake Golf Club happened just a mere three years apart (2016, 2019) as he became the only player besides Tiger Woods to win two career FedExCup titles. The Northern Irishman’s 2016 win came in dramatic fashion after he forced a three-way playoff to capture the victory over Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore. In 2019, McIlroy outlasted Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas to claim his second FedExCup title at East Lake.

Wait, he was how old?!

In 2015, Jordan Spieth became the youngest player to win the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup title at East Lake Golf Club. Spieth closed with a 1-under 69 for a four-shot victory over Danny Lee, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson to become a TOUR Championship and FedExCup winner at just 22 years old. The victory, his fifth of the year, capped off a dream season for Spieth.

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School

Football Pick'em

College Pick'em

Fantasy baseball, fantasy football, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• PGA Championship
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

With the First Pick

NFL Draft recap

• Podcasts Home
• The First Cut Golf
• Beyond the Arc
• We Need to Talk Now
• Eye On College Basketball
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

2022 Tour Championship leaderboard breakdown: Scottie Scheffler goes low to increase lead in Round 1

Scheffler posted one of the lowest rounds of the day to push further ahead at east lake.

For the most part, Day 1 of The Tour Championship at East Lake went the way of the entire PGA Tour season. Scottie Scheffler entered with a lead and left with an even bigger lead, and now he goes into the next three days trying to win the richest prize -- $18 million for first -- in PGA Tour history.

Scheffler dominated the day like he dominated the season and added a 5-under 65 to his total of 10 under -- earned by coming in at No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings -- to begin his week. His total of 15 under is five better than second and seven better than all but two players in this 29-golfer field. 

The Masters champ does have some heat around him, though, mostly from Xander Schauffele, one of the best players in East Lake history. That was Scheffler's primary competition on Thursday as he tried to create space between him and the rest of the leaderboard. 

Let's take a look at what he did on Day 1 and what's in store for the rest of the week.

1. Scottie Scheffler (-15): Scheffler was was quietly great on Thursday. Following an early 3-under start through six holes, he looked like he was going to run away from the field even earlier than some (including myself) predicted. However, he uncharacteristically struggled from tee to green in the middle of his round before closing with three straight birdies to touch off a 65 that included just one bogey. It didn't even feel like he played that well, but when the day ended he was five up on the world staring down the $18 million first prize. This is a little bit of who Scheffler is; it doesn't always look perfect, but he's been one of the best scorers of the year and will try to become the first golfer since Justin Thomas in 2017 to lead the PGA Tour with five wins in a season. A victory on Sunday would also more than double his season-long earnings of just over $14M.

Other contenders

2. Xander Schauffele (-10) 3. Matthew Fitzpatrick (-9) T4. Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Cantlay (-8) T6. Rory McIlroy, Sungjae Im, Cameron Smith (-7)

Schauffele's East Lake numbers are nearly comical. In 20 rounds, he's averaging 3.5 strokes gained on some of the most talented fields in golf. The next closest of the players in this field is McIlroy at 2.7 in 32 rounds, which is where Justin Thomas is as well. To further contextualize this, Tiger Woods has gained 3.29 strokes on fields at the Tour Championship in 28 rounds there, and Schauffele is living beyond that. Throw in the fact that he's been playing some terrific golf toward the latter part of the summer, and it's clear that Schauffele is the most fearsome of all the contenders Scheffler will try and hold off over the next 54 holes.

Rory's psycho scorecard

We got a gem from McIlroy on the first nine today. After opening with a triple at the first, he shot a 1-over 36 on that side of the course while carding just one par. It wasn't quite as wacky on the back nine, but any day in which you only make four pars and somehow still shoot in the 60s is a day worth celebrating your psycho scorecard. More importantly for McIlroy, he somehow is only eight back of the lead on a day when he finished second to last in driving in the field.

Purse strings

To try and bring into focus just what's on the table this week, consider the following: this week at the Tour Championship, the total prize money is $58 million. That is $8 million more than the entire PGA Tour season prize money this time 30 years ago.

Aaron Wise's opportunity

The best round early in the day belonged to Aaron Wise, who played by himself and offered a fake handshake to an invisible partner after his round. Oh yeah, and he dropped a 5-under 67 to move from last to inside the top 10. There are implications for Wise other than just the $58 million at stake. He's vying for what would be his first Presidents Cup team, and with the absence of Will Zalatoris, the door is open for Wise to play his way on that team. Wise currently sits 21st, which is way back of where you would think a player would be chosen as a captain's pick. However, Wise is young, talented and has been one of the hotter players down the stretch this year.

2022 Tour Championship updated odds and picks

• Scottie Scheffler: -120
• Xander Schauffele: +550
• Matt Fitzpatrick: 12-1
• Patrick Cantlay: 14-1
• Rory McIlroy: 14-1
• Cameron Smith: 25-1
• Jon Rahm: 25-1
• Joaquin Niemann: 28-1

The three guys on here that I really like are Scheffler, Schauffele and Niemann. Scheffler and Schauffele are, to me, in a two-horse race to win this week given their quality of play of late and solid history on this course. Niemann could ride a heater to catch them, especially if Scheffler collapses. His 63-63 start at Riviera earlier this season lingers in my mind, and he finished second in this field from tee to green on Thursday. I'd love to get him at 28-1 and then see another 64 from him on Friday afternoon.

Niemann off the top rope

We have a new shadow leaderboard leader in the clubhouse. Joaquin Niemann shot an 6-under 64 to climb from 2 under to 8 under on Thursday. He can get absolutely smoking at any given time and is a real threat to upend Scheffler and Schauffele at the top and become the first player to come from outside the top five in this format to win the event.

Here comes Xander

To the surprise of nobody, Xander Schauffele is playing well at East Lake. Nobody has dominated this place more over the last five year (he's averaging 3.5 strokes gained per round in his career here), and he's been solid in Round 1. He's 3 under so far and the only golfer within four of Scheffler.

Round of the day

Aaron Wise has the best round of Thursday's first round going after dropping a 5-under 65. He was in last place going into the day and played by himself but putted his way to the 67 and is currently in the top 10. There could be deeper implications for him, too, as the U.S. is looking to replace Will Zalatoris on this year's Presidents Cup team at Quail Hollow. He'd be an interesting choice, especially if he plays great this week. I personally think Kevin Kisner will probably get the spot, but Wise is somebody to keep an eye on.

Scheffler is rolling

The No. 1 player in the world came into the event -10 and is 3 under thru 7 holes. He nearly just holed out for eagle at the eighth and is staring at 14 under and what would be a six-stroke lead on Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Honestly might win by eight strokes this weekend.

Rory's insane day continues

Still no pars from Rory, although he has a triple and an eagle on the card now. Back to -3, eight back of Scheffler.

CBS Sports HQ Newsletter

We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge., thanks for signing up, keep an eye on your inbox., there was an error processing your subscription..

Scheffler unshakeable keeping focus in chaos

Scheffler shoots into PGA contention, talks arrest

Tiger misses PGA cut with two triple bogeys on Friday

Scheffler arrested, released before Round 2 at Valhalla

PGA worker identified as fatal accident victim

PGA Championship TV schedule, coverage guide

Scheffler to be without usual caddie for Round 3 at PGA

Davis Love III enthused about golf's young stars

Johnny Damon: How I started loving golf

Jim Furyk offers key advice to Ryder Cup captains

PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club

This video of Phil Mickelson cutting off Tiger Woods' first-tee introduction at the 2002 Tour Championship never gets old

Editor's note: This post first appeared in 2016. Sadly, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will play in the 2021 Tour Championship, but we'll always have this moment at East Lake between the two legends.

There have been plenty of great moments in the history of the Tour Championship, which begins on Thursday. Bill Haas' incredible watery par save in 2011. Hal Sutton's brilliant tee shot on the long par-3 18th at East Lake in a playoff against Vijay Singh in 1998. And Phil Mickelson edging Tiger Woods in 2000 just to name a few. But there's an underrated one that also involved Phil and Tiger that you almost certainly don't remember. And it happened before either of them hit a single shot one year.

RELATED: Tiger hits Phil with the biggest jab of "The Match"

In 2002, the two superstars were paired together in the event and on the first tee at East Lake on Thursday, the starter began rattling off all of Woods' accomplishments that season. After listing Woods' fifth and most recent win of the year at the American Express Championship, Mickelson, pretending(?) to be annoyed, interrupted by saying "alright, alright" and everyone—including Tiger Woods—burst into laughter. Watch this clip of it and try not to do the same:

Classic. Of course, Tiger and Phil have had more funny moments on the course together during the past few years, but that's going to be tough to top. Whether it's at the Tour Championship or just another made-for-TV match, though, let's just hope these two legends get another chance to tee it up together.

RELATED: First tee announcer makes funny fail involving Hideki Matsuyama

More from Golf Digest

Trending now.

Advertisement

2002: senior tour - irwin adds to senior supremacy, share this article.

Blaine, Minn.

Following 20 victories on the PGA Tour, Hale Irwin turned his sights to the Senior PGA Tour in 1995. So far, it has provided a pretty handsome pension plan.

Irwin added his 35th Senior Tour title Aug. 11 with a three-shot victory at the 3M Championship at the TPC of the Twin Cities. Irwin shot a bogey-free, 4-under 68 to finish at 12-under 204 and win $262,500.

Irwin said he never dreamed he would find this level of success when he joined the Senior Tour.

“I’d be lying if I told you I had an inkling this would happen,” said Irwin, who also won this event in 1997 and ’99. “But in my heart I knew I could succeed out here.”

The numbers tell the story of his success both last week and in his Senior Tour career:

• In 54 holes at the 3M, Irwin had only one bogey – No. 8 during the second round.

• The 3M was Irwin’s third victory of 2002. He has won at least three events in each of the last six seasons and has won four events at least three times.

• He has six consecutive top-three finishes at this event on two different courses (Bunker Hills GC was host site prior to 2001); has broken par in 18 of 20 rounds; and is a combined 81 under in seven appearances.

• He has 13 consecutive subpar rounds over his last five tournaments.

• In 175 starts, he has 35 victories, 32 second-place finishes and 14 third-place finishes. This year, he has 16 top 10s in 19 events.

• He has topped $2 million in earnings ($2,124,206) for the sixth consecutive year. He has won more than $16 million in his senior career.

Putting was Irwin’s key at the 3M Championship.

“Last week (at the Long Island Classic), I played well from tee to green but was putting horribly,” said Irwin, who won for the first time since March 10. “This week my putting came around. I made some nice long putts, but I made all the 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-footers that I haven’t been making.”

Hubert Green, who defeated Irwin in a seven-hole playoff at the Lightpath Long Island Classic Aug. 4, finished second at 207.

Green shot 67 Sunday.

“Hale’s not known to be kind out here and give any strokes away,” Green said. “He doesn’t have a reverse gear in his machine.”

– From staff and wire reports

Get the latest British Open leaderboard updates, news, and more.

Most Popular

Scottie scheffler facing four charges – including a felony – after being arrested at 2024 pga championship, follow tiger woods on friday at 2024 pga championship with shot-by-shot live updates from valhalla, in pictures: rory mcilroy and wife erica stoll, lynch: scottie scheffler got cuffed, but golf world's reaction was even more embarrassing, live updates from scottie scheffler's round at 2024 pga championship, 2024 pga championship second round delayed due to fatal accident near valhalla golf club friday morning, shot-by-shot analysis: tiger woods shoots 1-over 72 thursday at 2024 pga championship at valhalla.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share by Email

Rich Beem explains the PGA champions’ gift-giving tradition and other details from the champions dinner

Twenty-two years ago, Rich Beem notched the biggest win of his career, and his lone major, the 2002 PGA Championship .

One of the best perks of winning the PGA is the lifetime exemption the champions can enjoy, and in the 21 years since Beem’s victory, he’s only missed two editions of the tournament.

‘Different kind of beatdown’: What separates Tiger Woods’ dominance from Scottie Scheffler’s

Now 53 years old, Beem told Subpar hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz that he wasn’t planning on playing this year, but his family convinced him to tee it up, with a promise that they would tag along to support him.

On this week’s episode of Subpar, recorded in Bardstown Bourbon Company’s tasting room in downtown Louisville’s Whiskey Row, Beem shared his take on a lot of the game’s latest news, but he also shared an insider’s account of what it’s like to attend the annual PGA Champions Dinner.

The dinner’s format has changed over the years, Beem said. What used to be a grand affair that included a multitude of people has since been pared down to the PGA champions themselves and select representatives from the PGA of America.

When Beem hosted his dinner, the men were in one wing with the wives in another. While the men’s side was relatively buttoned-up, “The wives were gettin’ after it and having a blast,” Beem said. They were even treated to an impromptu speech by Paul Azinger.

These days, Beem says the dress code is more casual — no tie required.

“It’s a little more subdued,” he said.

Why Rich Beem disagrees with Brandel Chamblee on getting to know players

Unlike the Masters Champions Dinner , the previous year’s victor is not on the hook to pick up the tab , though they do select the menu. There is also a gift-giving tradition for the champs, for which the winners receive a stipend.

Beem said he opted for ostrich-skin boots with the PGA of America logo on them. Former champ Vijay Singh gave fishing equipment, Shaun Micheel gave a guitar, and Justin Thomas went with a “really nice” bottle of bourbon.

And last year? Beem couldn’t tell you. Even though he didn’t tee it up at Oak Hill, he did attend the PGA Champions Dinner. But he admitted that the night got away from him.

“I wasn’t playing, so I thought, I’m just gonna go in there and enjoy myself. And the wine they kept bringing out was just getting lovelier and lovelier,” Beem said. “And by the time they were telling us what you got as a gift, I was just — as they say in the U.K. — I was away with the fairies.”

For more from Beem, including his thoughts on John Daly, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler, check out the full episode of Subpar below.

Latest In News

2024 pga championship live coverage: how to watch the pga on friday, the best vibe in professional golf right now isn’t at valhalla, ‘sufficiently embarrassed': chipping yips afflict golf channel analyst live on air, pga championship at valhalla was brought to its knees thursday. here’s why.

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

• Author Twitter Account
• Author Instagram Account

Related Articles

'different kind of beatdown': what separates tiger woods' dominance from scottie scheffler's, teenage phenom miles russell breaks down his historic korn ferry tour debut, this caddie says he's protective of his rising superstar pro. here's why, why this veteran caddie decided to loop for ludvig aberg, scottie scheffler is dominating the pga tour. this rising star is chasing him, what it's like to stay in the augusta crow's nest, according to the masters low amateur, what it's like to play with tiger woods at the masters, he became an augusta national meme. here's what that was like, roger clemens and jack nicklaus shared this 1 key trait.

"I hate to say it but I think it's going to be 20 under" – Tour pro predicts the winning score for the PGA Championship at Valhalla

P GA Tour pro Johnson Wagner has predicted one of the lowest scores for the 2024 PGA Championship . The 2024 tournament will tee off in a few hours at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Johnson Wagner has had seven wins including three PGA Tour wins after turning professional in 2002. The Texas native currently works as a broadcaster and a contributor at Golf Channel. He's also the co-founder of The Wagyu Filet Show. While talking to NBC Sports, 44-year-old Johnson Wagner said:

"I talk to a lot of caddies, a lots of players, with the softness of greens right now and expecting a little bit rain over the weekend, I hate to say it but I think it's going to be 20 under."

In the last few years, the score at the PGA Championship has ranged around 10 under par. Further, Valhalla will be hosting the tournament for the fourth time after hosting it in 1996, 2000 and 2014.

In 1996, Mark Brooks won the competition with a score of 11 under 277. In 2000, Tiger Woods carded 270 with 18 under par. The last PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2014, a decade earlier, had a score of 16 under par by Rory McIlroy.

Johnson Wagner isn't the only one to believe that the 2024 PGA Championship will register a 20 under score. Golf Reporter John Wood is also expecting a similar score at Valhalla.

PGA Championship scores from 1958 to 2023

Brooks Koepka registered the lowest score at the 2018 PGA Championship. Koepka carded 264 with an overall 16 under par. He won over Tiger Woods by a margin of two strokes.

Here are the scores at the PGA Championship from 1958 to 2023:

• 2023, Brooks Koepka: 271 (-9)
• 2022, Justin Thomas: 275 (-5)
• 2021, Phil Mickelson: 282 (-6)
• 2020, Collin Morikawa: 267 (-13)
• 2019, Brooks Koepka: 272 (-8)
• 2018, Brooks Koepka: 264 (-16)
• 2017, Justin Thomas: 276 (-8)
• 2016, Jimmy Walker: 266 (-14)
• 2015, Jason Day: 268 (-20)
• 2014, Rory McIlroy: 268 (-16)
• 2013, Jason Dufner: 270 (-10)
• 2012, Rory McIlroy: 275 (-13)
• 2011, Keegan Bradley: 272 (-8)
• 2010, Martin Kaymer: 277 (-11)
• 2009, Yang Yong-eun: 280 (-8)
• 2008, Pádraig Harrington: 277 (-3)
• 2007, Tiger Woods: 272 (-8)
• 2006, Tiger Woods: 270 (-18)
• 2005, Phil Mickelson: 276 (-4)
• 2004, Vijay Singh: 280 (-8)
• 2003, Shaun Micheel: 276 (-4)
• 2002, Rich Beem: 278 (-10)
• 2001, David Toms: 265 (-15)
• 2000, Tiger Woods: 270 (-18)
• 1999, Tiger Woods: 277 (-11)
• 1998, Vijay Singh: 271 (-9)
• 1997, Davis Love III: 269 (-11)
• 1996, Mark Brooks: 277 (-11)
• 1995, Steve Elkington: 267 (-17)
• 1994, Nick Price: 269 (-11)
• 1993, Paul Azinger: 272 (-12)
• 1992, Nick Price: 278 (-6)
• 1991, John Daly: 276 (-12)
• 1990, Wayne Grady: 282 (-6)
• 1989, Payne Stewart: 276 (-12)
• 1988, Jeff Sluman: 272 (-12)
• 1987, Larry Nelson: 287 (-1)
• 1986, Bob Tway: 276 (-8)
• 1985, Hubert Green: 278 (-6)
• 1984, Lee Trevino: 273 (-15)
• 1983, Hal Sutton: 274 (-10)
• 1982, Raymond Floyd: 272 (-8)
• 1981, Larry Nelson: 273 (-7)
• 1980, Jack Nicklaus: 274 (-6)
• 1979, David Graham: 272 (-8)
• 1978, John Mahaffey: 276 (-8)
• 1977, Lanny Wadkins: 282 (-6)
• 1976, Dave Stockton: 281 (+1)
• 1975, Jack Nicklaus: 276 (-4)
• 1974, Lee Trevino: 276 (-4)
• 1973, Jack Nicklaus: 277 (-7)
• 1972, Gary Player: 281 (+1)
• 1971, Jack Nicklaus: 281 (-7)
• 1970, Dave Stockton: 279 (-1)
• 1969, Raymond Floyd: 276 (-8)
• 1968, Julius Boros: 281 (+1)
• 1967, Don January: 281 (-7)
• 1966, Al Geiberger: 280 (E)
• 1965, Dave Marr: 280 (-4)
• 1964, Bobby Nichols: 271 (-9)
• 1963, Jack Nicklaus: 279 (-5)
• 1962, Gary Player: 278 (-2)
• 1961, Jerry Barber: 277 (-3)
• 1960, Jay Hebert: 281 (+1)
• 1959, Bob Rosburg: 277 (-3)
• 1958, Dow Finsterwald: 276 (-4)

PGA Championship

Watch on espn+, schauffele & finau groups, featured holes: #13, #14 & #18, mcilroy group, koepka group, featured group #1, featured group #4, featured group #3, featured group #2, main coverage, pga champ with no laying up, latest golf videos, how scottie scheffler's whirlwind day 2 at the pga championship played out.

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Disney Ad Sales Site
• Work for ESPN
• Corrections

Scottie Scheffler shoots ‘solid’ 67 at PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays a second shot to make an eagle on the first hole during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 16, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Change Text Size

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Scottie Scheffler, No. 1 in the world and No. 1 in the FedExCup, came into the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on the strength of four victories in his last five starts. In that torrid stretch he defended his title at THE PLAYERS Championship and won the Masters Tournament for the second time in three years.

Scheffler holed out for eagle from 169 yards at Valhalla’s opening hole and some five hours later made par at the par-5 18 hole to close out an opening-round, 4-under 67. He is five back of first-round leader Xander Schauffele, whose PGA-record 62 was the best round of the day by three .

“Yeah, I mean, there's nothing I can do,” Scheffler said. “Xander went out and played a great round this morning, and I'm not really going to worry about trying to shoot 9-under. I'm just going to go out and try to hit good shots and play my own game.

“Yeah, I'd like to clean up a few of the mistakes,” he added. “I missed two putts I felt like I should have holed today, but that's going to happen when the greens get a little chewed up.”

Scheffler’s four wins in 10 starts this season give him a higher winning percentage than five Major League Baseball teams, the Elias Sports Bureau noted. Should he win this week, he would be the first to get halfway to the calendar-year Grand Slam since Jordan Spieth in 2015. The last to get to the halfway mark before that was Tiger Woods in 2002.

Scoring was unusually low at rain-softened Valhalla, with many players taking advantage.

Even after failing to birdie the par-5 10th and 18th holes, Scheffler, who is in a six-way tie for 12th place, had only 11 players ahead of him on the leaderboard.

If he closes the gap and rise to the top of the leaderboard over the next 54 holes, when more rain is expected, Scheffler would be following in the footsteps of Woods and Rory McIlroy. Each was world No. 1 when he won PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2000 and ’14, respectively.

“Yeah, I'm just going to go hit a few balls, hit a couple putts and try to get to sleep as quickly as I can tonight,” Scheffler said. “I felt like there was a couple things I can clean up going into tomorrow, but overall today was a solid round.”

Cameron Morfit is a Staff Writer for the PGA TOUR. He has covered rodeo, arm-wrestling, and snowmobile hill climb in addition to a lot of golf. Follow Cameron Morfit on Twitter .

Follow live

DI softball tournament is here

🏌️‍♀️ DI women's golf finals underway

⚾️ DII baseball regionals

🏆 Methodist wins DIII mens golf title

NCAA.com | May 12, 2024

• 2024 SEC softball: Bracket, schedule, scores, TV times for the tournament

The Florida Gators won the 2024 SEC softball conference tournament on May 11 at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama. The Gators defeated No. 5 Missouri to claim their sixth SEC tournament championship and tie Alabama for most conference tournament wins in program history.

The Gators earn an automatic bid into the 2024 NCAA tournament bracket, which will be revealed Sunday, May 12 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. We're tracking all the automatic DI softball qualifiers and conference tournaments here.  

2024 SEC conference tournament bracket

Click or tap here for a closer look at the bracket  

2024 SEC conference tournament schedule

All times listed in ET. Times are subject to change.

• Game 12 – No. 2 Florida 6, No. 5 Missouri 1
• Game 1 - No. 13 Ole Miss 7,  No. 12 Kentucky 2
• Game 2 -  No. 8 LSU 3 , No. 9 Alabama 2 (14 innings)
• Game 3  -  No. 5 Missouri 3 , No. 13 Ole Miss 1
• Game 4 – No. 7 Georgia 6 , No. 10 Auburn 5
• Game 5 – No. 11 South Carolina 8 , No. 6 Mississippi State 4
• Game 6 – No. 8 LSU 2, No. 1 Tennessee 1
• Game 7– No. 5 Missouri 3, No. 4 Arkansas 1 
• Game 8 – No. 2 Florida 9,  No. 7 Georgia 4 
• Game 9 – No. 3 Texas A&M 3,  No. 11 South Carolina 2
• Game 10 – No. 5 Missouri 2, No. 8 LSU 1 (F/8)
• Game 11 – No. 2 Florida 7, No. 3 Texas A&M 3

SEC tournament championship history

• The college softball mercy rule, explained

2024 DIII softball championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

• 2024 NCAA softball bracket: Women's College World Series scores, schedule
• Championship Info
• Game Program

DI Softball News

• Regionals to watch, POTY picks and more predictions ahead of the 2024 WCWS
• 2024 WCWS picks, before regionals
• 2024 Women's College World Series picks, before regionals
• Committee chair breaks down 2024 NCAA softball bracket
• 2024 NCAA DI softball bracket selection show
• NCAA Division I Softball Committee announces 2024 championship field
• 2024 Big 12 softball: Bracket, schedule, scores, TV times for the tournament

WCWS most outstanding players since 1982

Follow ncaa softball.

College softball's all-time home run leaders

The 11 best NCAA softball pitchers of all time

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP ’24: Capsules of 10 key players at Valhalla

FILE - From left are golfers Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods. The 106th PGA Championship is scheduled to be played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., May 16-19. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - From left are golfers Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa, Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy. The 106th PGA Championship is scheduled to be played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., May 16-19. (AP Photo/File)

• Copy Link copied

A capsule look at 10 key players going into the PGA Championship, which starts May 16 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Listed in predicted order of finish:

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

Country: United States.

World ranking: 1.

Worldwide wins: 11.

Majors: Masters (2022, 2024).

Best PGA Championship finish: Runner-up at Oak Hill in 2023.

Backspin: Scheffler has won three of his last four starts, including his second Masters. The exception was a runner-up finish in Houston. A decent putting week means he’ll be in contention. A good putting week usually means an easy win. But he comes into the PGA Championship off a three-week break for the birth of his first child.

BROOKS KOEPKA

World ranking: 37.

Worldwide wins: 16.

Majors: PGA Championship (2018, 2019, 2023), U.S. Open (2017, 2018).

Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Bellerive in 2018, Bethpage Black in 2019 and Oak Hill in 2023.

Backspin: Koepka restored his reputation as “Big Game Brooks” last year by winning his fifth major in seven years. He wasn’t a factor in his three majors since winning at Oak Hill. But he won a LIV Golf event in Singapore that was sure to boost his confidence.

RORY MCILROY

Country: Northern Ireland.

World ranking: 2.

Worldwide wins: 35.

Majors: PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).

Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Kiawah Island in 2012 and Valhalla in 2014.

Backspin: McIlroy can’t come to a major without being reminded of what he hasn’t done. His PGA Championship title at Valhalla in 2014 was the last time he won a major. The Masters was another letdown for him. At least he comes to Valhalla having won the team event in New Orleans with Shane Lowry.

LUDVIG ABERG

Country: Sweden.

World ranking: 6.

Worldwide wins: 2.

Majors: None.

Best PGA Championship finish: Making his PGA Championship debut.

Backspin: Aberg is starting to be anointed as the biggest threat to Scottie Scheffler and this is only his second major appearance. He was runner-up to Scheffler in his major debut at the Masters. He was in the mix the next week. Rough-framed fairways would seem to suit him with his length and accuracy off the tee.

JORDAN SPIETH

World ranking: 21.

Majors: Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015), British Open (2017).

Best PGA Championship finish: Runner-up at Whistling Straits in 2015.

Backspin: This will be Spieth’s eighth attempt at trying to complete the career Grand Slam and join the most exclusive group in golf. The good news for Spieth is expectations have rarely been this low. He is getting next to nothing out of his game. He has missed the cut in four of his last five tournaments that had a 36-hole cut, including the Masters.

Country: Spain.

World ranking: 5.

Worldwide wins: 20.

Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).

Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for fourth at Bellerive in 2018.

Backspin: Rahm has gone 13 months without winning, and he is 0-for-7 on LIV Golf since he defected in December to the Saudi-funded league. He was lucky to make the cut at the Masters. But an angry Rahm can also be a dangerous one in the majors.

World ranking: 10.

Worldwide wins: 7.

Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for 13th at Southern Hills in 2022.

Backspin: The last piece of the puzzle for Homa is the majors and he showed up in a big way at the Masters. He challenged all the way until a bad break on the par-3 12th at Augusta National but came away believing his game can stack up to the biggest tests.

JUSTIN THOMAS

World ranking: 29.

Worldwide wins: 15.

Majors: PGA Championship (2017, 2022).

Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Quail Hollow in 2017 and Southern Hills in 2022.

Backspin: This is a rare occasion where a player has a hometown major. Thomas has gone winless since his second PGA Championship title two years ago, though his game is never as far off as it looks. The test will be not to try too hard before a home crowd. This will be his third tournament with new caddie Matt Minister.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

World ranking: 117.

Majors: U.S Open (2020).

Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for fourth at Harding Park in 2020 and at Oak Hill in 2023.

Backspin: DeChambeau has played well enough to win twice on LIV Golf, but more telling are the majors. He opened with a 66 at the PGA Championship last year and was on the fringe of contention in the final round. He shared the 36-hole lead at the Masters last month until a slow slide. Cleaning up a few mistakes could go a long way.

TIGER WOODS

World ranking: 801.

Worldwide wins: 93.

Majors: Masters (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019), PGA Championship (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007), U.S Open (2000, 2002, 2008), British Open (2000, 2005, 2006).

Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Medinah (1999, 2006), Valhalla (2000) and Southern Hills (2007).

Backspin: Woods won at Valhalla in 2000 when he was 24 and healthy. He has not played since making the cut and then finishing in last place at the Masters, and the PGA Championship will be only his third tournament this year. A fifth PGA title would tie the record held by Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Revisiting the Yankees’ 1990 ‘Bronx Zoo,’ an MLB visiting clubhouse tour and more ‘Sliders’

Welcome to Sliders, a weekly in-season  MLB  column that focuses on both the timely and timeless elements of baseball. 

If you ever meet John Blundell at a cocktail party, know this: you’ll never be able to top him for crazy life stories. When Blundell was 18 years old, in 1990, he cleaned up cougar pee from the clubhouse carpet at Yankee Stadium. That’s a true statement begging for follow-ups.

Advertisement

“It’s not like a cat going to the bathroom — it’s more like a horse,” said Blundell, a bat boy then and MLB ’s vice president for communications now. “I remember seeing it and thinking, ‘I know whose job this is going to be.’ But the Yankees clubhouse has the best cleaning supplies in the land. I made sure I sopped it all up, sprayed it, scrubbed it, vacuumed it — good as new the next day.

“And the amazing thing was, six years later, that urine was replaced by champagne. So that carpet withstood a lot — good and bad.”

The slapstick, sobering 1990 season led, improbably, to a Yankees dynasty. The story of that year, “Bronx Zoo ’90: Crime, Chaos and Baseball” debuted Thursday on Peacock as a three-part documentary.

It is based on a New York Post series by Joel Sherman, a columnist who serves as consulting producer. Sherman, a beat writer in 1990, reexamined that team during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, deep into the Yankees’ current run of 32 consecutive winning seasons.

“If there’s one group I wish could see it, it would be Yankee fans 35 and younger, just as a reminder that there is no divine right for the team to be good,” Sherman said. “Because they don’t know; they’re complaining when the team loses in the ALCS. But I’m here to tell you, I covered them when they were the worst, just a total embarrassment on and off the field.”

The looming suspension of owner George Steinbrenner — who had paid $40,000 to a gambling addict named Howie Spira for damaging information on Dave Winfield — was the off-field backdrop for a team that would lose 95 games, most for the franchise since 1912.

When word of Steinbrenner’s ban trickled out during a game in July, the crowd in the Bronx responded with a standing ovation. That’s how reviled Steinbrenner was at the time for turning a proud franchise into a laughingstock.

Pascual Perez, his prize free agent that winter, blew out his shoulder in a punitive bullpen session after reporting late to spring training. In June, Steinbrenner fired Manager Bucky Dent in Boston, the site of Dent’s triumphant homer in 1978. In July, Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter in Chicago — but lost by the absurd score of 4-0.

There were highlights, too, like the showdown between multi-sport stars Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders and the slugging of rookie Kevin Maas. But the presence of outfielder Mel Hall — a de facto centerpiece with Winfield traded and Don Mattingly injured for much of the summer — was a disturbing symbol of how badly the Yankees had allowed their brand to be tarnished.

Hall was the one who brought the cougar cubs into the clubhouse (Blundell remembers Claudell Washington herding them into the sauna), and he was arrested after the season for keeping them as pets. The next season, Hall would torment the rookie Bernie Williams, calling him “Zero” and moving the shy, awkward Williams to tears.

But for all of that, Hall was committing far more sinister crimes in the summer of 1990, and for years later. He was sexually involved with a 15-year-old girl that season and lived with her and her family in Fairfield, Conn. The pair’s prom picture actually appeared in the Yankees’ yearbook.

Hall’s behavior was part of a pattern , and in 2009 he was finally convicted — in Texas — on three counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of indecency with a child. Now serving a 45-year sentence, he offered no apologies for the 1990 relationship in a prison interview for the documentary.

“Well, you gotta understand this, a lot of people look at it as she was much younger and I was much older, OK?” Hall says in the documentary. “But in retrospect if you look at, now, life here, and some of the stars and movie stars, the age difference is about the same. So that’s just how I look at it. Maybe we were just ahead of our time at that time.”

Hall’s girlfriend from 1990, Chaz Easterly, testified against him in the 2009 trial and speaks at length in the documentary. For all of the riveting interviews director D.J. Caruso collected — with Spira, Don Mattingly, Brian Cashman, Buck Showalter, and many more — her storyline is the most powerful.

Hall’s crimes are the true tragedy of the 1990 Yankees. The unanswered question is how the organization somehow saw fit to keep him for two more seasons, and why it took nearly two more decades to put him away.

“That was part of my healing, that he did have to pay,” Easterly says in part 3. “He will not be known as a Yankee. He’ll be known as an abuser and a pedophile. But I remember thinking, ‘It’s not enough for what he did.’ He stole innocence and childhood. And you heal, but it changed you.”

Meet the Mariners’ Mr. 1,000

It might not be the dream of every kid in Central Florida to grow up and one day become the 1,000th player in the history of the Seattle Mariners. But it happened to Kirby Snead , and he’s just fine with that.

“It’s not really anything I thought about until they told me,” Snead said the other day, by phone from Seattle. “But it’s pretty cool. Getting up here has been fun.”

Snead, 29, started the season with Triple-A Tacoma and made his Mariners debut last Wednesday in Minnesota. With it, he became the 1,000th player in the history of the franchise, which began as an expansion team in 1977.

When the Mariners returned home last Friday, Snead found an on-field celebration waiting for him. A few alumni, each with a number around his neck, joined in the festivities — and like Snead, they’re unlikely to be confused with, say, Ken Griffey Jr.

Bucky Jacobson (No. 505), Charlie Furbush (644), Danny Farquhar (677) and Kristopher Negron (823) lined up behind a table with four sheet cakes, decorated with a 1, 0, 0 and 0. They presented Snead with a special jersey and welcomed him to the not-so-exclusive club.

Pregame, the @Mariners put together a fun celebration for Kirby Snead, who became the 1,000 Mariners in history when he debuted for the team in Minnesota. He’s joined by former M’s Bucky Jacobsen, Charlie Furbush, Danny Farquhar, and Kristopher Negrón. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/jKzHPPgtQg — Circling Seattle Sports (@CirclingSports) May 11, 2024

“I know they had the four cakes for me, but I didn’t actually get a piece of it,” Snead reported. “But the jersey with ‘1000’ and my name on it, that was kind of cool. I’ll get to keep that forever.”

Snead, who has made three scoreless outings through Thursday, also has his own poster, at least online. The Mariners crafted a spoof of the movie poster for Bernie Mac’s “Mr. 3,000,” with Snead leaning on a bat beneath “Mr. 1,000” in script.

“I think my mom is trying to get it printed somewhere, so she might have one ready for me when I get home in the offseason,” said Snead, who lives in Gainesville, Fla. “It’s been kind of crazy. I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal, but it’s been awesome. I’m super appreciative of all the people here.”

Two other teams have welcomed their 1,000th player this season: the Milwaukee Brewers (reliever Jared Koenig ) and Kansas City Royals (reliever Colin Selby ). But leave it to the franchise that once brought you “ Funny Nose Glasses Night ” to make it a spectacle — the Mariners have also come up with “ Hot Dogs From Heaven ” and in-game salmon races this season, with a return of “Jay Buhner Buzz Cut Night” scheduled for June 13.

“We definitely like to do goofy stuff,” said Tyler Thompson, the Mariners’ senior manager for experiential marketing and game entertainment. “We see ourselves as a little bit different up here.”

Jesse Chavez on MLB clubhouses

Jesse Chavez seemed unlikely to ever set foot in a major-league clubhouse, let alone dozens of them. Chavez, who turns 41 in August, entered pro ball as a 42nd-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in 2002 — and he’s still here, relieving for the Atlanta Braves .

As the oldest player in the National League, Jesse Chavez had a fitting response when asked recently to name his favorite MLB clubhouse: “Any one with a nap room,” he said, laughing by his locker at Citi Field. Chavez travels with hip-high recovery boots for his legs, and when he puts them on, he figures, why not doze off?

In his waking hours, though, Chavez is a keen observer. He’s played for nine teams (including three separate tours with Atlanta) and pitched in 34 ballparks, retaining vivid memories of each clubhouse.

Some are close to the action, like in Milwaukee, where the clubhouse door opens directly to the dugout. Others are distant, like the old Metrodome in Minneapolis, with 33 stairs and a hallway separating the clubhouse and dugout. Some offer cheesesteaks (Philadelphia), others offer haircuts (Miami) — and some (like Anaheim, Chavez says) need an overhaul.

Here’s a five-stop, behind-the-scenes tour from an enduring right-hander :

Wrigley Field, Chicago : “That’s a maze. You don’t want to forget something up there. And you’ve got to watch your head, too. I got a blown save there once — it stinks that you can get a blown save when you get an out, giving up somebody else’s run — but I had one, and I was (upset). I was going up the tunnel to go get mad in the clubhouse, and boom — I stovepiped my head. Hit it pretty bad and turned right back around, like, ‘Can’t be mad no more.’”

Comerica Park, Detroit : “When I got hit on the shin last year, it was in Detroit. That was the worst — oof. I couldn’t put any pressure on my leg, and it ended up being a microfracture. They have a lot of stairs there, and the (chair lift) didn’t work, so (coach) Sal Fasano had to carry me up. I’m 180. He could carry me up there with one arm. Maybe one finger.”

Nationals Park, Washington : “In the lunchroom, they have these old photos. We actually take all the young kids on the team in there and try to guess each one. They’ve got a little lounge area, a TV room with a couch, it’s nice. They’ve got good memorabilia in there too, but they took a lot of it out when people started taking things.”

Progressive Field, Cleveland : “We play Golden Tee all the time at home, and in Cleveland they have all those games. If you want, they have a full book of Nintendo and Super Nintendo games. You can buy the consoles from (the clubhouse manager) and he’ll bring the games to you the next day.”

Oracle Park, San Francisco : “ Luis Gonzalez once put a golf ball in the chili pot, just to see if it would still be there on getaway day — and it was. And then I guess when they went back to play them again, sure enough, it was still in there. Now, on top of the chili pot, there’s a golf ball.”

Off the Grid

A historical detour from the immaculate grid, rick ferrell, hall of fame catcher.

Baseball history offers plenty of examples of mistaken identity. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected last month for something a fan said. In 1965, the owners were set to consider a former Air Force secretary, Eugene Zuckert, as commissioner — and wound up with William Eckert, an Air Force General with a similar-sounding name, instead. And who knows what hijinks the Canseco twins, Jose and Ozzie, pulled when they played together in Oakland.

Fear of mistaken identity kept me from choosing Rick Ferrell on last Sunday’s Grid, which asked for a Hall of Fame catcher. I wasn’t sure if it was Rick or his brother, Wes, who’s enshrined in Cooperstown. It’s Rick, I learned — but, as legend has it, perhaps it was meant to be Wes.

Researchers at the Hall of Fame could not confirm that a mix-up in the 1984 Veterans’ Committee vote gave Rick Ferrell a plaque — but they couldn’t deny it, either. In his meticulously sourced Hall of Fame study, “The Cooperstown Casebook,” Jay Jaffe writes that committee members were either confused about which Ferrell they elected, or “a vote-swapping scheme designed to prevent hurt feelings due to a shutout went awry”.

However it happened, Rick Ferrell made it in. He was a very good player : a strong-armed, eight-time All-Star who batted .281 for the Red Sox , Browns and Senators. But he hit just 28 homers in more than 7,000 plate appearances — while Wes hit 38 homers in just 1,345 plate appearances, with a .280 average.

And Wes, ahem, was a pitcher: a six-time 20-game winner for Cleveland and the Red Sox, he earned 190 victories from 1929 through 1938. The two pitchers with more wins in that stretch, Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell, are in the Hall, as are Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez, who rank fourth and fifth on that list.

Wes’ prime coincided with an offensive boom, and his 4.04 career ERA would be the highest in the Hall. Perhaps it’s just as well, then, that he didn’t make it — and while Rick did, few people remember him now. Of the 81,000 or so who played last Sunday’s Grid, only .3 chose Rick Ferrell as their Cooperstown catcher.

Classic clip

Lance parrish on “diff’rent strokes”.

We all know the spoils of a World Series championship: the ring, the parade, the winner’s share. Sometimes you even get a commemorative book deal, like Lance Parrish, who wrote “The Enchanted Season,” with Tom Gage, about the Detroit Tigers’ last championship in 1984. It comes out next month from Triumph Books.

For true World Series glory, though, is there any topping a guest appearance on “Diff’rent Strokes”? Hmm — maybe don’t answer that. But do enjoy this clip from 1985 of Lance helping Mr. Drummond coach youth baseball. There’s no resolution to this storyline, and that ragtag team doesn’t look too athletic.

But you’ve gotta admit: Lance is rocking a really sweet warm-up jacket.

(Top photo of George Steinbrenner facing the media after agreeing to resign in July 1990: Bettmann Archive / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Tyler Kepner is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering MLB. He previously worked for The New York Times, covering the Mets (2000-2001) and Yankees (2002-2009) and serving as national baseball columnist from 2010 to 2023. A Vanderbilt University graduate, he has covered the Angels for the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise and Mariners for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and began his career with a homemade baseball magazine in his native Philadelphia in the early 1990s. Tyler is the author of the best-selling “K: A History of Baseball In Ten Pitches” (2019) and “The Grandest Stage: A History of The World Series” (2022). Follow Tyler on Twitter @ TylerKepner