Operation Sports:
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2005: Legends of the Game
By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 2005 sports the usual collection of colorful and off-kilter figures to play with and against, but this year, they've expanded the roster of golfers to include some of the finest real-life players in the game today, as well as five of the all-time greats—the legends.
17 of the best golfers of today are available, including the one and only Tiger Woods, of course. He's joined by the 2004 PGA Player of the Year, Vijay Singh, who broke Tiger's five-year hold on the award this year. Major tournament winners Justin Leonard, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, John Daly, Rich Beem and former U.S. Amateur champ Ricky Barnes are included, as well as up and coming stars Ty Tryon, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Charles Howell III and the LPGA's Natalie Gulbis. The always lively Jesper Parnevik and Colin Montgomerie fill out the roster along with PGA Tour stalwart Stuart Appleby and Tiger's college teammate, Notah Begay III. It's a field that would be right at home atop the leader-board on Sunday mornings.
Seve Ballesteros tees off.
But, what's extra special about Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2005's roster of players are the five legendary golfers that all of the aforementioned players have looked up to over the years. They have inspired millions with their remarkable careers, and their names litter the great game's history books. Today, we'll take a brief look at three of these five legends, which, if you're good enough, you can face in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2005.
Even Arnold Palmer sometimes hits the sand traps.
Arnold Palmer
The King. A winner of 72 PGA Tour events, including eight major championships, Arnold Palmer may be directly responsible for the popularity of the PGA today. His comeback in the 1960 Masters put Palmer squarely in the public eye. Later that year, Palmer squared off against Jack Nicklaus at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver for the 1960 U.S. Open. On the final day, Palmer scorched the course, shooting a 65, and overcoming a seven-shot deficit for the victory. His daring and aggressive style combined with his "everyman" charisma made Palmer the most-loved golfer of all-time. "Arnie's Army"—his legion of fans—can still be seen following him dutifully around the links to this very day.
While he might not have been the most talented player in history, his heart and guile often carried the day. The great Bobby Jones once said of Palmer, "If I ever had to have one putt to win a title for me, I'd rather have Arnold Palmer hit it for me than anybody I ever saw."
Jack Nicklaus follows through.
Jack Nicklaus
Quite probably the greatest player in the history of the game, "The Golden Bear" won an astounding 20 major championships in his legendary career, a record that Tiger Woods frequently cites as his personal goal to match. As great as he is, Tiger's still nine short. In 1962, after losing to the 22-year old Nicklaus in the U.S. Open, Arnold Palmer noted, "Now that the big guy's out of the cage, everybody better run for cover." Palmer's comment was on the mark; as Nicklaus won major titles in the 1960's, 70's and 80's, including his last at the age of 46. He's the only player to have won each Grand Slam tournament three times. Nobody else has even done it twice. An absolute perfectionist and unrelenting competitor, Nicklaus in his prime had essentially no flaws, and dominated the sport from the beginning of his career to its end.
Ben Hogan concentrates at Pebble Beach.
Ben Hogan
Truly a legend for not only his play on the golf course, but for his grace and valor off of it, Ben Hogan may have had the purest swing in golf's history. Hogan was recognized as the best player in the world and led the Tour in earnings from 1940-42. Hogan served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and when he returned, he won the first of his nine major championships in 1946. He had won three majors by February 1949, when a horrendous car accident changed Hogan's life. After surgeries to repair his broken body, Hogan was never expected to walk normally again—let alone play golf.
Sixteen months later, Hogan won the U.S. Open.
"People have always been telling me what I can't do," Hogan said. "I guess I have wanted to show them. That's been one of my driving forces all my life."
Hogan was an intense and intimidating player, and despite being limited to only seven tournaments a year due to his injured legs, Hogan won six more majors, including the Masters, U.S. Open, and the British Open in 1953. Hogan couldn't win the Grand Slam that year only because the dates of the British and the PGA Championship overlapped. The word "legend" is thrown around too often in sports, but when it's applied to Ben Hogan, it fits perfectly.
Along with the South African great Gary "The Black Knight" Player—one of golf's greatest and most-traveled ambassadors—and Spain's brilliant and fiery shot-maker Seve Ballesteros, Palmer, Nicklaus, and Hogan represent Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2005's ultimate challenge—the "My Legend Pursuit."
Think you're up to challenging history's best?
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