To quote the late Heath Ledger's Joker character in the new "Dark Knight" movie (which I highly recommend), "And here we go..."

Now, if life imitates art, you can just sit back and wait for chaos to erupt.

That certainly would be the setting for the season's final major, the 90th playing of the PGA Championship and the second major of the season to be played without Tiger Woods as a part of the field (the first being, of course, the 137th British Open last month at Royal Birkdale).

Since El Tigre burst upon the scene in 1996, any major championship talk has started and ended with him. No matter the venue, no matter the field, no matter the circumstances, when Tiger is in the field he is a factor. Ironically, since undergoing season ending reconstructive surgery on his left knee in June, Tiger is still a factor in majors, as in "Without Tiger in the field, who is going to step up and grab the brass ring?"

Before we delve into the list of contenders, let's look at the venue.

At more than 7,300 yards and playing to a par of 70, the Donald Ross designed Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., is indeed "The Monster" that Ben Hogan once decreed it to be.

It may be even more maniacal simply because of the advances of technology, both on the equipment and agronomy fronts and what has been done to tweak the original design to combat those forces. Never has the adage that you "drive for show and putt for dough" been more in play at a major than this week at Oakland Hills.

The rough is penal, to say the least and the greens are dangerous. It will be imperative for the winner of the 90th PGA Championship to find the fairway off the tee and then once on the green, be it for birdie, par or bogey, to get it in the hole and get out. This is not a course for the crooked of stick or the weak of stroke.

With that said, here are some thoughts on those on the field.

Phil Mickelson. There is no doubt that a major would certainly make his year complete, but ironically this year, for all the work that has been put in with the legendary Butch Harmon, the results have been mixed. There have been flashes of Phil, but for whatever reason, the flat stick has not delivered on a consistent basis. For a guy who isn't the straightest off the tee to begin with, finding the fairway (recall the failed driver-less attempt to find the short grass at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines) is paramount, draining it on the green, even more. If Phil is going to say yes in Michigan, he needs to be fully on.

Kenny Perry. After all that Kenny Perry has been through this season in regard to major championships (not attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open and passing on the British Open for the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee and then getting raked for it) wouldn't it be sweet for admittedly the hottest player at one point this season to claim his first major at age 47? Sure it would and make no mistake that KP has the game to conquer Oakland Hills, but it will again come down to putting. Perry is not the best of putters on a consistent basis. What has made his year in '08 is that he has been more consistent than his usual standard of limited streakiness. The putting streaks have been sustained over a longer period of time. Can that trend continue over four days at a major? That may be a harder question to answer for Perry than why no U.S. or British Opens.

Sergio Garcia. At the Players Championship, Sergio looked like the world-beater that he can be. From tee to green, he took apart Sawgrass with the efficiency of a player with world-class talent, until he reached the greens. There are many theories on putting, with the one stating that either you can or can't and while you may be able to improve; you'll always be whatever it is you are. Garcia's work with short game guru Stan Utley paid dividends, but really, after Paul Goydos dunked his iron shot to the Island Green at the par-three 17th and Garcia left himself three-feet to end the drama, didn't you just have the feeling that he was going to miss it? Have you ever felt that way about Tiger? Especially after this year and the putts that HAD to be drained at Torrey Pines on the 18th hole on not one, but two days. Garcia can hit a lot of fairways and greens, but he can also take a lot of putts.

Vijay Singh. Let's flash back to the 84th PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in August, 2004, where I happened to walk in on the final day with Robert J. Bettinardi, making of some of the finest putters in the world. Vijay used one of Robert J.'s works of art to notch his major win on the Wisconsin shoreline. Since that time, Veej has tried anything and everything from the long putter to using a cross handed grip to a mallet shaped head. While some of the Band-Aids worked for a while, none have been permanent. Last week at the WGC Bridgestone event, Singh was brilliant tee to green but again was in a fog on the greens. However, he outlasted the field to notch the win. Can he grind out another one week later at a major?

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