HONOLULU (AP) -- After winning the Masters in 1997 for his first major, Tiger Woods said winning the Grand Slam was a matter of winning the right four tournaments. He changed his tune by the end of the year, when he failed to record a top 10 in the other majors.
But he has won four straight majors, the "Tiger Slam" because it wasn't in the same calendar year. And he keeps getting closer. Woods won the first two majors in 2002 and finished third in the PGA Championship.
He won two majors in 2005 and was runner-up and tied for fourth in the other two. And last year, he was tied for second in the Masters and U.S. Open, tied for 12th in the British Open and won the PGA Championship.
Maybe that's why he is optimistic about his bid for 2008.
"I think it's easily within reason," Woods said in a story on his Web site.
The U.S. Open will be played at Torrey Pines, where he has won the Buick Invitational five times. He was third at Royal Birkdale in 1999 at the British Open. The PGA Championship will be held at Oakland Hills, where Woods made the cut in the '96 U.S. Open as an amateur.
ANCHOR COMMENTS: Kelly Tilghman's second year as anchor of The Golf Channel got off to a rocky start at the Mercedes-Benz Championship for a racially sensitive comment at the end of Friday's telecast.
Tilghman and analyst Nick Faldo were discussing young players who could challenge Tiger Woods when Faldo suggested they gang up on the No. 1 player. Tilghman laughed and added, "Lynch him in a back alley."
Tilghman apologized in a statement Tuesday issued by The Golf Channel.
"I used some poorly chosen words," she said. "I have known Tiger for 12 years and I have apologized directly to him. I also apologize to our viewers who may have been offended."
Golf Channel spokesman Dan Higgins said he was not aware of any disciplinary action Tilghman might face.
"We regret if any viewers were offended by Kelly's choice of words on Friday's telecast," The Golf Channel said. "We take this very seriously."
GWAA AWARDS: Louise Suggs, who won 11 majors and was among 13 founders of the LPGA, has been honored by the Golf Writers Association of America with the William D. Richardson Award for outstanding contributions to golf.
The GWAA also selected Gary Player to receive the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award for his relationship with the press, and Denis Watson for the Ben Hogan Award for continuing to be active in golf despite a serious injury of handicap. Watson, who won the Senior PGA Championship last year, played in only 36 tournaments the previous 10 years because of operations on his wrist, elbow and neck.
They will be honored April 9 in Augusta, Ga., at the GWAA's annual awards dinner.
Suggs, who turns 85 this year, has been a tireless promoter of the LPGA since its inception. While winning 58 times, she often attended minor league baseball games and boxing matches to drum up support.
DRUG LIST: Toward the end of the PGA TOUR's anti-doping program manual distributed to players last month is a section that lists examples of medications that are permitted, such as antibiotics, hemorrhoidals and muscle relaxants.
It was surprising to see vaginal preparations as the final entry.
Turns out it was a reminder that the PGA TOUR is not a men's tour. Annika Sorenstam played in the Colonial in 2003, Suzy Whaley played in Hartford late that year, and Michelle Wie has played every year since then.
"In the era of females wanting to perhaps play on the PGA TOUR, our policy had to reflect that such products were permissible," TOUR spokesman Ty Votaw said.
DIVOTS: Russ Holden's "Caddie for Cure" program got a big lift when Phil Mickelson agreed to take the highest bidder on eBay to be his caddie during a practice round at the FBR Open. Also for sale in bidding that ends Monday are Brett Wetterich and Mercedes winner Daniel Chopra. All money raised goes to leukemia research and charities designated by the TOUR and the player. ... McDonald's LPGA Championship winner Suzann Pettersen has joined the Nike Golf stable in a multiyear deal to use its clubs, balls, shoes, glove and bag.
STAT OF THE WEEK: Nine players at the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship were not in the top 100 in the world ranking.
FINAL WORD: "It was like a playoff in a sense because the top players played well. I thought that was odd in a good way." -- Paul Goydos, assessing the first year of the FedExCup.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
