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Vijay Singh

The second straight PGA Tour victory Sunday by Camilo Villegas added another reminder of just how appealing the circuit is without Tiger Woods.

Woods is still the world’s top-ranked player despite his rehabilitating knee injury that will sideline to the 2009 season. But without Woods the PGA Tour is still stocked with appealing players.

With his win, Villegas improved to a career-best No. 7 in the World Golf Rankings. And is there a more dynamic player in the world right now?

Not every player has to wear a red shirt on Sunday or thrust his fist into the air after birdie putts of sweet saves.

Folllowing Woods on the world list is Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harringto, Sergio Garcia, Anthony King, Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson and Jim Furyk.

Furyk’s not the most outspoken or charasmatic guy around. But asked him a question and you’ll get an articulate answer.

And that’s the way it is on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods will likley surpass Jack Nicklaus’s records. But the rest of PGA Tour and its other top players give the sport plenty of interesting stories.

The PGA Championship, the final of the season’s four major championships, began today at Oakland Hills Golf Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. And I couldn’t care less if Tiger Woods is playing or not.

I’d rather see a guy like Kenny Perry win.

Perry has won nine PGA Tour titles, including three events this season, the best of his long career.

A dozen years ago, I sat next to Perry on a bus for a couple of hours en route to a golf tournament in Morocco. He told me stories about winning the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in Southern California and hilarious stories about meeting the tournament’s namesake. And he told me about his fondness for living in Kentucky.

Perry’s the kind of guy you’d want as a neighbor. If you happen to crack two beers after (or before) mowing the lawn on a Saturday afternoon, Perry would be guy to whom I’d like to hand the second beer.

With or without Woods, the World’s No. 1 player, Perry said in a pre-tournament press conference that the PGA Championships has an “everyman” feel to it.

“This remains my favorite major,” Perry was quoted as saying in the Detroit Free Press. “It’s more inclusive. The Masters is basically a putting contest. The British Open is usually about the weather.

“But this tournament appeals to more aspects of a guys’ games. If that creates a better opportunity for new faces to step up, then that’s great for the game.”

And that’s another reason why I’d like a guy like Kenny Perry to win the PGA Championship.

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