2005 PGA Championship Preview

Second is that my back feels as good as it has for some time. I'd say it's about 90 per cent and that's meant that I've been able to practice more than I have at most tournaments this year. For me to play well, I need to work hard and I haven't been able to do that as much as I would have like this year because of my back problems.

Finally, between the British Open and the International, I spent some great days working with my coach Mike Wilson. We had some great sessions working on a lot of different aspects of my game, especially the fundamentals. With the improvement in my back, it's been easier for me to get into the right posture, both for my full swing and for putting.

I've also made a change with my putter. Last week, I put a Rossa Monza Corsza in the bag and I putted extremely well. I had been using a couple of different Scotty Cameron putters for about two and a half years. They were almost all the same style so I just decided to change it up using a back-weighted putter. It's really nothing more than change for the sake of change, to get something fresh in my hands and see if it will work. I've used these style of putters before, in fact, when I won the American Express Championship in Valderamma, I used one that is very similar in look to the one I have now.

I don't tend to tinker too much with my clubs but I always keep my eye on what's new and will test a few putters out on the practice green now and then. This one has felt good so we'll go with it.

Putting will be important for me this week because Baltusrol is an extremely long golf course. At 7,392 yards and only a par 70, even the long hitters will be tested, but guys who hit it the length I do will need to find other ways to score.
 
It's also very important for me to keep the ball in the fairway. The rough here is a lot like we find at the U.S. Open, so with these long par 4s - two of which are over 500 yards - and that monster par 5 17th at 650 yards, I don't want to be coming out of the rough.

That 17th, by the way, is a long hole, but it's not nearly as scary as the par 4s. The 17th is so long that it really means it will be a three-shot hole for just about everyone in the field. There might be a few guys who try to get there in two, but really, it will be a third shot with a wedge and when players of our caliber get wedges in our hands, we're hoping to convert those to birdies.
 
The par 4s, on the other hand, will require me to use three and four-irons, maybe even a wood, to reach the green. Overall, I like the course. There are no tricks to it. Tillinghast (the designer) made these bunkers so they just hide a touch of the greens, which is devious. It's a tough but fair set up which you tend to get at the PGA.
 
Overall, this tournament has a little different feel than the other three majors. I can't really put my finger on it, but it is different. Still, it's one of the four majors and I don't think there's a player in the field who wouldn't want to win this one.
 
I'm setting out to do just that on Thursday morning.

As always, thanks for your support.
Mike Weir