PGA Championship: 10 Players That Tiger Would Hate to Be Paired with This Week

Tiger Woods brings his wildly inconsistent golf game to the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina this week to take on Pete Dye’s very difficult Ocean Course for the PGA Championship.

He hasn’t won a major since the U.S. Open in 2008 and, despite winning three times on the PGA Tour this year, is hardly the dominant force he once was.

On a wind-swept course with terrifying dunes, confounding greens complexes and more difficult angles than you would find in a geometry class, Tiger 2.0 needs to have all of his focus and effort on the course and his golf ball.

Being paired with players he’s comfortable with is a big deal, especially in golf’s final major of the season.

With that in mind, here’s one man’s opinion on 10 players the player formerly known as the best in the game would absolutely hate to be paired with this week.

1. Phil Mickelson

At one time, Mickelson was Woods’ biggest rival for the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings. The big left-hander stirred the pot in a big way by making a comment to the effect that Tiger hated it because he could “fly it past him now.” And then his famous line that said Tiger was the only player “good enough to overcome the equipment he's stuck with.”

The two couldn’t have possibly been more uncomfortable in the 2004 Ryder Cup when they were paired together.

United States captain Hal Sutton thought putting the two superstars together was a great idea and something the fans really wanted. The fans sure didn’t want to see the golf displayed by Woods and Mickelson, and Woods was obviously discouraged, disgusted and really unhappy with Mickelson’s inconsistent play.

2. Vijay Singh

The generally cranky native of Fiji never really bought into Tiger mania and was never really intimidated by Woods at his peak. He believed that his surly personality and legendary workout regimen would be enough for him to succeed.

That relationship was never more frosty than in the 2000 Presidents Cup when Singh’s caddie, Paul Tesori, wore a hat that had “Tiger Who?” taped on the back. Singh chose not to say those words but embraced the idea when asked about it during a press conference.

"I don't know where he got that hat," Singh said at the time, "but I said, 'Why not?' "

Woods didn’t say much about it, but after defeating Singh, 2 and 1, in a singles match, he was asked a question about the hat. His response? “He knows the answer to that.”

3. Kevin Na

Generally speaking, Woods keeps up a fairly good pace on the course. Slow play drives him nuts, even though he has slowed things down occasionally on Sunday afternoon.

Na became the poster boy for slow play with his repeated waggles and inability to pull the trigger during The Players Championship. Even without those recent difficulties, Na is at best methodical.

Woods used Na’s mental and physical difficulties at TPC Sawgrass to forcefully state his case for increasing the penalty from fines to strokes for bad times. At the same time, however, he admitted having some compassion for Na.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that but I’ve seen it before,” Woods said. “I played with Sergio (Garcia) in 2002 and I think one of the holes, he re-gripped it 20-plus times. I haven’t seen Kevin do it in person but sometimes it is tough pulling the trigger. Some guys have an easier time committing and going and other guys don’t.”

All of Na’s fidgeting and his normal slow pace would drive Tiger crazy.

4. Rory McIlroy

Woods’ highly superior skills and his power of intimidation carried him to a level of greatness never seen on the PGA Tour. Injuries and his personal destruction diminished both of those attributes. That’s when other players started making their feelings known, including young McIlroy.

Prior to the Ryder Cup in 2011, McIlroy said he hoped to get a shot at Woods during the event. Woods responded tersely, “Me, too.” Asked to elaborate, he said, “No.”

Considering the lack of consistency in Woods’ game, he’d not relish a pairing with McIlroy. Not because he doesn’t think he could beat the Irish star, more to the point it would be a matter of not wanting to get hammered if McIlroy were to get hot.

5. Glen Day

There’s a reason why Day is nicknamed “All Day.” He’s one of the forefathers of modern-day slow players. The last time the PGA hit a player with a stroke penalty for slow play was 1972.

Guess who that player was?

Yep, Glen Day.

As if the Ocean Course isn’t going to be difficult enough this week, getting paired with Day would turn Tiger into a serial club-flinger and curse-utterer.

6. Rory Sabbatini

Never one to be shy, Sabbatini has never been successful in censoring. After losing to Woods in the 2007 Wachovia Championship, Sabbatini said in a press conference, “The funny thing is after watching Tiger play Sunday, I think he's more beatable than ever."

Once again, another example of a guy shooting off his mouth before putting his brain in gear.

And to clinch it for Woods, Sabbatini withdrew from Tiger’s Target World Challenge later that year.

No Christmas card exchange here.

7. Sergio Garcia

Garcia ran afoul of Tiger’s good graces all the way back in 1999 when he became a darling of fans and media after he hit that fabulous slice around the tree in the final round of the PGA Championship.

Then, in 2002, Garcia complained about Woods getting all the breaks in terms of the draw and the kind of weather he played in.

In 2006, just weeks before the Ryder Cup was played, Garcia said in a television interview that “fortunately for us, Woods doesn't have a great Ryder Cup record, so I'm looking forward to hopefully going out there and meeting him two or three times."

Woods responded by saying, "As far as the Sergio comments, hopefully we can get together out there and play."

They didn’t get to play in singles competition, but Garcia and Luke Donald combined for a 2-up with over Woods and Jim Furyk. In tournament play, Garcia has played Woods three times in the final group on Sunday and has yet to beat him.

8. Ian Poulter

The colorfully dressed Brit has won one time on the PGA Tour, the 2010 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. He’s also won 13 times internationally.

For some reason, however, Poulter said to Golf World, U.K., in March 2008, "Don't get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer, but I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

Poulter said he was misquoted, but Woods didn’t buy it. Asked about the gap between himself and Mickelson, who was No. 2 in the world at that point, Woods said, “I thought Ian Poulter was No. 2.”

9. Angel Cabrera

A crusty, no-nonsense kind of guy, Cabrera would not be one who would crumble under whatever pressure Woods might be able to apply. He was aggressive and unyielding while attacking a very difficult Oakmont Country Club in 2007. He played a very controlled and calculating Masters Tournament and took advantage of the breaks he received at the end.

Cabrera hasn’t done anything to draw Woods’ ire, but being paired with a tough guy, especially with a guy that’s not sharp, is something that would be something that Woods would not like.

10. Rickie Fowler

Another guy who’s really done nothing of a negative fashion to Woods. Unless, of course, you consider being crowned as “the next great one” as a slap in Tiger’s direction.

Both are Southern California products and both have that SoCal swagger. Woods knows that the last time they were paired together—in the final round of the Memorial Tournament in May—he smoked Fowler, who struggled to an 84.

But Woods also knows the kind of talent Fowler possesses and that the kid could also come back and embarrass the grizzled veteran at any time. Definitely a pairing Woods would hate.