Thursday, June 21, 2001
Mayor's son holds his own in
round with Tiger Woods
By JOEL STASHENKO
Associated Press Writer
HARRISON, N.Y. (AP) — Imagine being
15 years old and getting called in at the last minute to play
golf in front of hundreds of people on one of the toughest courses
around.
Now imagine one of your playing partners
is Tiger Woods.
That's what happened Wednesday to Andrew
Giuliani, the son of New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The
mayor was supposed to be one of Woods' pro-am partners Wednesday
in advance of the Buick Classic, but couldn't play because of
a sore foot.
“So I brought a substitute in for me
today — Andrew Giuliani,” the mayor said. “He played
very, very well.”
The younger Giuliani was credited with shooting
an 85. While that didn't come close to the 2-under 69 that Woods
shot during a casual warm-up round for the tournament beginning
Thursday, Andrew Giuliani did have his moments.
He made a birdie on the par-5, 526-yard
18th hole by sinking a 15-foot putt and chipped in from off the
green on the second hole for a par. After that shot he asked —
and received — permission from Woods to imitate Woods' famous
fist-pumping celebration.
Giuliani blasted several long drives, some
in the vicinity of Woods' 3-woods and some deep into the rough.
Andrew, who declined to talk about the round
afterward, was also a vocal cheerleader for Woods and others in
the pro-am foursome. When Woods bent a long drive around the corner
on the dogleg, par-4 eighth hole, Giuliani exclaimed, “That's
smoked, Mr. Woods.”
He also cautioned Woods it was dangerous
to walk near him as he prepared to hack out of some rough on No.
13. “This is some thick rough, man,” Giuliani said.
Through it all, Rudolph Giuliani played
the part of proud papa, clapping after good shots and patting
his son's back after bad ones. The mayor walked alongside the
group for much of the round but hopped in a waiting cart to climb
some of the steeper hills.
Rudolph Giuliani said his son's round was
about typical. He said Andrew has broken 80 twice and it was Andrew's
interest in golf that got the mayor to start playing the game
three years ago.
“It was enormously exciting for me
to be here as Andrew's dad and watch him play with Tiger Woods,”
said Giuliani, who has had more than his share of recent domestic
upheaval with his impending divorce from Donna Hanover. “I
was very, very proud in the way in which he played and I can't
tell you what a kind and generous person Tiger Woods is. He was
very, very nice to Andrew.”
Woods gave Andrew Giuliani many tips, the
mayor said, and Andrew tried to give Woods a few, too.
“I definitely enjoyed his company.
It was kind of fun to have someone close to my age,” said
Woods, 25.
Asked to evaluate Andrew Giuliani's game,
Woods said, “Well, he is not afraid to take a cut at it.
That's for sure.”
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