Tiger Tackles Hazeltine: Beast vs. Beast

Hazeltine, say hello to Tiger Woods.

Golf course "Beast," prepare to meets golf's "Beast."

You could bill it as the Ultimate Fighting Championship of golf and it begins Thursday.

Woods comes into this battle with "beastly" momentum—two straight wins, including last week's victory at Firestone, a beast of course in and of itself.

Hazeltine offers a beastly layout with 7,674 punishing, demanding yards.  Longest ever in a major championship.

"It's a long golf course," understated the world's No. 1 player.

"It's longer than it was in 2002."

Indeed sir.

This Minnesota golf course that is host to the 91st playing of the PGA Championship, has par five holes of 633, 572, 606 and 642 yards. Still, it is a par 72 and Woods loves par 72s.

Most of his 14 majors have come on par 72 courses. Long par-fives don't phase him; he is still beastly long enough to reach most of them. If he doesn't, his wedge play is in a class by itself.

Woods is beyond the overwhelming favorite this week. There is simply no reason for him not to win this championship and add a 15th major to his portfolio. It would also give him five PGA titles, putting him in the elite company of Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus.

Woods loves joining immortals.

There was nothing in his final round play at Firestone to convince anyone that he won't hoist the Wannamaker Trophy on Sunday.

Still, he has to beat the beast and the field.

His key component, the putter, worked quite nicely the final 36 holes at Firestone.

If Tiger's flatstick still has some warmth on its face, well, it will be difficult at best to rest this title from him.

He still has to drive the ball in play, which he did for the most part last week.

There is no heather, no gorse, no pot bunkers, no winds blowing off the Firth of Clyde to bamboozle him this week. There is only Hazeltine and its difficulty.

Woods loves difficult courses. He loves par 72s and most of all, he loves to win majors.

Glory's last shot?

Tiger knows all about glory.