Bob May didn’t win.
But yet, here’s a story about him. Another one, in fact. So no, he said in a 2020 GOLF.com interview, he didn’t play the what-if game over his runner-up finish, after a playoff, at the 2000 PGA Championship.
“The only thing that would be different was the financial side of things,” May said. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but there were guys who came after me who won tournaments but who didn’t get nearly the publicity I got from finishing second.
“I have no regrets. That day is now stitched into the history of the game. I feel fortunate that I was part of it, and that 20 years later we’re still talking about it.”
Twenty-five years later, too. Why? As May suggested, you probably know the details.
The winner? Tiger Woods, which helped earn him the “Tiger Slam.” Earlier in 2000, he’d won the year’s second and third majors — the U.S. Open and Open Championship, respectively — the PGA gave him the fourth, and then he won the 2001 Masters.
But was it nearly derailed by May? It was. In the final round at Valhalla, May fired a 66 to Woods’ 67 to force a three-hole playoff that was settled by a single shot. There’s more here, though. You know Woods and his accomplishments. As for May, though, he didn’t just not win at the PGA — he never won on the PGA Tour.
A takeaway then?
Twenty-five years later, he remains one of the reasons — if not the reason — to scroll down the odds board as you try to find a winner at this week’s PGA. It’d be some nod to May if an underdog were to win at Quail Hollow.
With that, let’s continue to mine. Below, members of our staff have each made a long-shot selection to assist you with your own weekly picks, whether those are for a low-stakes office fantasy league, or (legal!) big-bucks bets with a sportsbook. It’s an enjoyable endeavor for us. Deploy it as you wish.
On to our analysis.
