Tiger-less field for final major of ‘08

Associated Press
Published: August 7, 2008

BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP) - For the first time since 1949, the defending champion will not be teeing it up at the PGA Championship, the final major of the golf season. Tiger Woods is still recuperating from knee surgery following his victory at the U.S. Open, so the 90th PGA Championship is rated wide open with Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh (sing), Sergio Garcia, British Open champion Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk among the favorites.
This is the second straight major Woods has missed. He has 14 major titles. That’s four back of Jack Nicklaus, who holds the record.
The par-70 Bloomfield Hills layout is nothing if not challenging. Garcia flat out calls it “probably the toughest” PGA venue he has played. Europeans performed well at this course during the 2004 Ryder Cup. Lee Westwood and Garcia won 4 and a-half out of a possible 5 points during those three days. But the Europeans are bucking history.
No European golfer has won the PGA Championship since Tommy Armour in 1930.