FanHouse JimFuryk

Two weeks ago, Tiger Woods was the clear favorite to win the PGA Championship. He headed to Hazeltine with back-to-back wins, his driving accuracy had gone from abysmal to passable, and his short game was impeccable.

But like the three previous majors, he couldn't put it together for four rounds, Y.E. Yang could, and in the days since we've been subjected to every variation of "It's clear that Tiger choked and his latest collapse signals the beginning of the end of his once-great reign." Or some such.

Never mind that Woods has five wins this year, or that after his Buick Open triumph in early August he told the media that his consistency this season, after taking eight months off to recover from reconstructive knee surgery, was "one of the things I'm probably most proud of."

Tiger Woods won five times in 2009, but for the fourth time in his 13-year career, he was shutout in the majors. That may not be cause for concern for Woods, but it gives fans and the media something to talk about. It also makes the "How would you rank the major championships?" question a lot more interesting.

With only one tournament left on the PGA Tour calender, now seems like as good a time as any to make my case. Obviously, this will be a scientifically rigorous endeavor, and I hope that you would treat the results accordingly. Or don't. Whatever, let's get to it.

In reverse order, the most exciting majors of 2009:

Tiger Woods struggled with his putting at Bethpage Black two weeks ago, and he cited that as the primary reason he only managed a T6 at the U.S. Open. After two rounds at the AT&T National, the tournament Tiger is hosting at Congressional Country Club, he's 10-under par, one shot clear of Rod Pampling.

Following a Thursday 64 that included a four-birdie, no-bogey front nine, Woods fired 66 on Friday. No idea what 36 nearly flawless holes from the World No. 1 means for media-driven theory that Tiger isn't the player he once was, but he's in great position to win for the third time in nine starts this season. (And the six other events were all top-10 finishes. Yes, clearly Woods is done.)

I love NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller but I'm also not a member of the PGA Tour. The former two-time major winner has a straight-talkin' approach in the booth, and it sometimes rubs the objects of his pointed comments -- the guys on the course -- the wrong way.

During the 1999 Ryder Cup, Miller suggested that Justin Leonard was playing so poorly he should go home and watch Sunday's matches on television. Never mind that Leonard would drain a 45-foot Cup-clinching putt. During that same weekend, Jim Furyk took exception at Miller's suggestion that he was an underdog in his singles match against Sergio Garcia.

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) -- PGA Tour rookie Matt Bettencourt and Mark Wilson have survived a roller-coaster afternoon at the Memorial to share the 54-hole lead, with Tiger Woods and a pack of major champions behind them.

Bettencourt made eight birdies to offset his mistakes in a round of 4-under 68. Wilson bogeyed his first three holes, but recovered for a 69 to join the rookie at 9-under 207.

The Players Championship is often referred to as the fifth major, but Jack's tournament, the Memorial, makes a strong case for the title, even if it's a media creation.

Heading to the weekend, only 24 players are under par, and the 4-over cut line was four strokes tougher than The Players last month. Jonathan Byrd is one of just two players to fire back-to-back rounds in the 60s, and he's currently 7-under, tied for first place. (Mike Weir, T3, is the other.)

The argument has been tossed around since Tiger Woods fist-pumped his way to a 12-shot victory at Augusta National in 1997. Who is the best golfer to ever play the game, Tiger or Jack Nicklaus?

We aren't necessarily going to get the answer this Wednesday at Muirfield Village, but we will get to see Tiger and Jack compete against each other for just the second time ever in the same group. Woods agreed to compete in the Wednesday Skins Game at the Memorial Tournament with Jack, Stewart Cink and Kenny Perry. The other skins group will include Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Camilo Villegas and Padraig Harrington.

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

Johnson Delivers Another Playoff Victory -- Before April of 2007, Zach Johnson was a relative nobody in the golf world. He'd won the BellSouth Classic back in 2004, but he hadn't been making noise before he headed to Augusta National last year.

Yet twelve strategic lay-ups and a bunch of well played golf had Johnson wearing his first green jacket. Johnson's 2007 Masters win made us believe that golf isn't just about booming tee shots and big names.

As is the case in virtually every tournament he plays, the story line heading into Sunday's round of the Players Championship was Tiger Woods. He had worked his way into the final group, but started the day five shots back of playing partner Alex Cejka, the unlikeliest 54-hole leader. Cejka entered the week ranked 267th in the world, and, at 38, was still in search of his first PGA victory.

But as Woods and Cejka were hacking their way around the front nine -- Tiger needed 38 strokes going out; Alex needed 42 -- Henrik Stenson was putting on a golfing clinic.

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Tiger would probably be the first to admit that Friday wasn't Tiger Woods' A game. In fact, it might not even have been his B or C game, but Tiger does what Tiger does, and a second round 72 has the top golfer in the world one shot back of the leaders and still very much in the hunt at Quail Hollow.

Bubba Watson and Retief Goosen are both leading at 8-under. The lengthy left-hander Goosen matched Tiger's 30 on the front nine from a day ago, and Retief wound up carding his second straight 68. Watson's 65 on Friday included eight birdies, three bogeys and an eagle. Goosen, meanwhile, has made at least five birdies in each of his first two rounds.

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