Power of Caring
  presented by CIGNA

Posted: Tue August 12, 1997 at 3:31 PM ET

MAMARONECK, New York -- They come to worship at the Winged Foot this week, to shake their heads in astonishment at its tenacity, in admiration at its ferocity.

Though there have been four U.S. Opens at this 74-year-old club just north of New York City, the PGA Championship makes its first stop here.

Amazing, considering that five of the first 10 PGA's were held within a few miles of here.

Amazing even more when you consider the history.

Any course whose architect invented the word "birdie" and whose membership contributed mulligan to the game's lexicon must be revered.

A.W. Tillinghast, who thought birdie sounded appropriate for 1-under par, designed and built this remarkable track out of 280 acres of rock and trees in 1923.

It was here that Bobby Jones won his third of four U.S. Opens; where Billy Casper, who won the 1959 Open here, found the par-3 greens so small he laid up on every one and played pitch and putt for his pars.

It was here that Hale Irwin won the 1974 Open at 7-over par, one of the highest scores in modern history; where Fuzzy Zoeller waved a white flag at Greg Norman in the 1984 Open, and then ran a championship up the flag in a playoff the next day.

And now it's where the best golfers in the world come to decide the 79th PGA Championship this week in what could be similar style.

It is Winged Foot, named after the great god of speed, but it will take a man of inordinate patience to conquer it.

In a moment of trouble, perhaps an old member of this club will come to the aid of this field. His name is David Mulligan, and yes, it was his routine reload after a bad drive in 1937 that gave weekend golfers forever a second chance.

There will be many calling his name here this week.