Strong Finish Puts Maggert On U.S. Ryder Cup Team

Needing at least a two-way tie for eighth at the PGA to make the Ryder Cup team, Jeff Maggert tied the course-record at Winged Foot with a 5-under-par 65 and finished third to pass Tommy Tolles in the Ryder Cup standings.

“I tried not to look at the leaderboard too much today,” Maggert said. “I tried to just keep going and shoot a low score. When I made the birdie on 15, I took a good hard look at the board and realized it was pretty much my day to make the team.”

It was the second consecutive time Maggert has finished strong at the PGA to make the team. In 1995, he was 12th in Ryder Cup points and closed with a 69 at Riviera to finish tied for third at the PGA.

“I couldn’t be happier for him coming through and finalizing the last spot,” U.S. captain Tom Kite said.

Kite will announce his two captain’s picks at a news conference this morning, and Tolles doesn’t plan to hear his name.

“He’s already got enough young guys,” said Tolles, who shot a 66 but finished in a tie for 13th at 4-over 284. “He needs experience.”

Even with Maggert, the 10 players who earned their way onto the team have played in a combined nine Ryder Cup matches - one fewer than Nick Faldo alone should Seve Ballesteros decide to name him as a captain’s pick on Sept. 1.

Tiger Woods, Justin Leonard, Jim Furyk and Scott Hoch will all be playing in their first Ryder Cup in Valderrama, Spain. The matches begin Sept. 26.

Rough day for Tiger

Tiger Woods got the best of Augusta National. He was stopped in his tracks at Congressional, Royal Troon and Winged Foot.

Far removed from the Grand Slam hype that followed his record 12-stroke Masters victory, Woods closed with a 5-over-par 75 Sunday to tie for 29th in the PGA Championship.

Woods was a combined 12-over - with only two rounds in the 60s - in the final three majors after Tigermania crested with his 18-under performance at rough-free Augusta. He tied for 19th at 6-over in the U.S. Open, tied for 24th at even-par in the British Open and was 6-over in the PGA.

Els sinks an ace

Ernie Els had a hole-in-one on No. 10, using a 6-iron on the 190-yard signature hole. The U.S. Open winner shot 70 for a 10-over 290 total.

“I made a good swing for a change - maybe for the first time all week - and it went exactly where I aimed,” Els said.

Chip shots

Greg Norman closed with a 71 to tie for 13th at 4-over 284, ending his string of consecutive years with at least one top-10 finish in a major championship at 11. … Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot a final-round 70 to finish 4 over par at 284, good for a payday of $35,100. … The 1998 tournament will be played at the Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, Wash., followed by Medinah outside Chicago in 1999.