Standing on the 15th tee at Hazeltine National in the final round of the 2002 PGA Championship, Tiger Woods was five shots off Rich Beem’s lead. He turned to caddy Steve Williams and said, “OK Stevie, if we birdie in from here we win this tournament.” It was typical of Tiger’s confidence but his logic was reasonable. He figured that if he could post a number then Beem, two holes behind, would buckle. Who was this guy anyway? He used to sell mobile phones, he’d been working in a pro shop just four years earlier, he’d struggled on the mini-tours, this was only his fourth Major. He’d surely collapse if the World Number 1 applied sufficient pressure, wouldn’t he?
The thing was: Rich Beem wasn’t intimidated by the situation, he wasn’t fazed by the threat of Tiger Woods; he’d faced more pressure than that in his life.
