Media Watch: Woods' top billing goes unearned

CBS began its telecast on Saturday breathlessly trumpeting the game's headliner, whose performance ultimately proved undeserving of the billing.

"Welcome to Whistling Straits," Jim Nantz said, "and look who's in the mix here at Whistling Straits. It's Tiger Woods, world number one."

He was in the mix based on how he closed the second round Saturday morning, moving within striking distance of the leaders and hinting that he was prepared to close the gap in the third round. Instead, on a day most were under par, he went in reverse, his putter betraying him and leaving Nick Faldo to provide the punctuation to his day.

"Reminiscent of last week," he said, referring to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Woods' pitiful performance there.

CBS showed a timely graphic, indicating that Woods has never played the par 5s in a PGA Championship in even par or worse. Moments later, Woods missed a par putt on a par 5 to go one-over for the tournament.

Woods, in fact, was exhibit A in David Feherty's description of a postcard afternoon at Whistling Straits. "Gorgeous," he called it. "There's only one way you can ruin a day like this and that's to play golf."

From the rest of the day:

-- One groaner: Nantz suggested that the new deep pot bunker that cuts into the sixth green and provides the risk to counter the reward for those attempting to reach the green in two, then apparently spent some time thinking of one.

"Kohler Kave," he finally said, Faldo chiming in with the K in Kave.

-- The LPGA's Christina Kim had a nice spot that resulted in an amusing Twitter post. An interpreter was required for Bill Macatee's post-round interview with Wenchong Liang, a Chinese player who does not speak English. "Bill Macatee, I love how you nodded when Wenchong Liang spoke to you during your interview," Kim wrote.

PGA Championship Live on pga.com, meanwhile, provided a couple of interesting moments on Saturday morning.

-- Anchor Marc Fein seemed to be hedging in the event that John Daly might have been overselling the injury he claimed in withdrawing from the tournament on Friday evening, enabling him not to have to return on Saturday to complete his second round with no chance of making the cut.

"John Daly is not playing in the event any longer," Fein said. "Pulled out of the event, shoulder injury. He reported on Twitter that he hurt himself on the first hole in a bunker. Said that he's got a torn rotator cuff. That's according to John. Told officials he had hurt his shoulder. Whatever the case, he is no longer playing."

Daly, who is notorious for withdrawing from tournaments, particularly those that aren't going favorably, no longer is entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

-- After Woods hit a remarkable second shot with a fairway wood from a tiny bunker on the 18th hole of the second round Saturday morning, Craig Sager said that he walked up the fairway with Woods' caddie Steve Williams and reported this exchange with him:

Sager: "Man, what a great shot."

Williams: "Unbelievable."

Sager: "Was that your club recommendation?"

Williams: "No way. I'm not that stupid."

-- John Strege