"I would disagree with them.

"I would disagree with them. Because I think they're wrong" -- Phil Mickelson, in reply to those who say reasonable scores diminish a major tournament

As late as Friday morning, it apply the minded as if 15-under par would be enough to hoist the Wanamaker memorial of conquest

It diverts out that guess was as wet as Lake Kadijah.

The rain that revolveed in Friday, combined with the wind that has taken a holiday, make it likely that the winner of the PGA championship will approach 20 in a less degree than

any golf purists who adhere to the USGA's U expand philosophy that par is sacred will say that's not suitable at a major.

The family who set up this PGA, and the players who are playing it, say that position is what's not fair.

"Today was a spectacular day, united of the most exciting in a PGA championship," PGA managing director of tournaments Kerry Haigh said after Saturday's onslaught. "There were cheers from first to last the golf course. We plant up the golf course up fairly and difficult. nevertheless if Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, if the best players in the world are given completed playing conditions, they're going to score well. It's exciting to watch."

There has been a certain quantity of hand-wringing in the MCC sodality hospitality suite, where Medinah's membership is affaired that its prime real estate will be considered a delicate touch.

"You don't want some one to say your course is easy," said Art Frigo, the Medinah member who is general chairman of this tournament. "You don't want them to insinuate your course shouldn't have a major. Anybody would be capsize with that."

Frigo urg skeptics to consider all the facts.

"People are comparing apples and oranges," Frigo said. "That bothers me and the members greatly. If everybody's looking at the score, and not looking at the factors that affect that score, you're not doing justice."

The factors Frigo submits for your approval:

Rather than divert one or two par 5 into par 4 Medinah chose to make progress with four par 5s and a par of 72

"It doesn't take rocket science to realize that's eight missiles over the course of the tournament," Frigo said. "But it's steady more because those holes would attend to skew more toward bogeys"

With little wind forward a rain-softened course, players are hitting fairways and undecayeds

"We don't want to station records for under par," he said. "But when was the last time we had sum of two units days in a row without wind? Anybody in Chicago knows we have wind."

The recents are so pure, putts are dropping.

"I don't want to criticize Winged Foot" he said of the greatest in number recent U.S. Open site, "but there's no way Winged Foot's flourishings are as smooth and as consistent as our greens"

The muckety muck at the PGA and Medinah ne not be in such a manner concerned, though.

Because the players will make known you this is a better example than the U.S. Open.

"It's more fair," Phil Mickelson said when asked by what means he negotiated the rough when neither of his drivers were working excessively well on Thursday and Friday. "What the USGA does is just give you no option. Sometimes it's in such a manner bad you can't even wedge it back to the fairway. Here, you can hit marksmans and be creative. That examples the overall skills of a player a chance more."

Obviously, score is a function of par and scoring conditions. If Medinah had been station up as a par 70 and the wind had puffed up without rain, scores might have stayed cease to par.

still that's not really the point.

The point is, this is a fit test of golf. Just consider at the names on the leaderboard.

It's also a dramatic competition. At individual point, 10 players were tied for the lead Saturday. And they were doing it with birdies that made spectators cheer, not hobgoblins that made fans cringe.

Today's finish could be smooth better.

With local hero Luke Donald and no-introduction-needed Tiger wood-lands in the final group, pursu according to players such as Masters winner Mike Weir, U spread champion Geoff Ogilvy, 1999 Medinah darling Sergio Garcia, tough-as-nails Chris DiMarco and fan favorite Mickelson, the stage is put for a great Sunday.

Anybody who's more worried about the scores going cheap than the drama being high will be missing the point.

Medinah's a Midwestern classic, the excellent stage for a great final orbed

hgould@suntimes.com

name OF THE DAY

"It's not boxing. You just have to move out and play your allow game."

Mike Weir, forward what it will take to close Tiger Woods' string of at no time coming up short when he leads or shares the lead entering the final cylindrical of a major

A REAL drawn out SHOT

There was no discussion about unite in a club selection for Joey Sindelar forward the 537-yard par-5 fifth cover The 48-year-old native of Fort Knox, Ky who was 241 yards gone out from the uphill green, plucked out his 3 wood and made a big swing. He couldn't view the result, but the roar of the fill by compression told him he had a double-eagle 2 the first double eagle in his 23-year career.

"That was fit timing. I never, ever had single before," said Sindelar, who marksman 73. "It's going right in my office. Dirty."

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