Friday, May 18, 2001
U.S. Open course favorable
for Tiger
By BOB HARIG
St. Petersburg Times
While thousands of golfers across the country
have taken first steps toward realizing a dream of playing in
the U.S. Open, the reigning champion plots strategy to defend
his title, working on getting his game to peak again, rubbing
his hands in anticipation.
Could a U.S. Open venue be any more suited
to Tiger Woods than Southern Hills?
Woods spoke via conference call Monday before
heading to Germany for this week's European Tour event, where
he will get a hefty appearance fee. Meanwhile, United States Golf
Association officials were previewing the Southern Hills Country
Club course in Tulsa, Okla., home to the 101st U.S. Open next
month. It promises to be some test.
One par-4 will measure 491 yards —
a par-5 by any reasonable definition. The only par-5 on the front
nine will play to 655 yards, making it the longest in U.S. Open
history. The par-4 18th, already difficult, has been stretched
another 20 yards to 465.
The longer the course, the more it favors
Woods, especially if the USGA is true to its word and grows the
rough just a moderate length. A change in philosophy the past
two years allowed players to advance wayward shots from the rough,
as opposed to having to wedge back to the fairway from high grass.
That helps Woods even more, because if he
misses a fairway with a long drive he can still reach the green,
albeit perhaps not as close to the pin as he would like.
“We'll be hitting 5-irons into greens
that were designed to be hit with 7-irons, and Tiger and the long
hitters will be hitting 8-irons anyway,” said Nick Price,
who won the 1994 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Woods is coming off a tie for third at the
Byron Nelson Classic, his first tournament since his Masters victory.
After this week's tournament in Germany, he'll defend his title
at the Memorial in two weeks before the Open.
“I've been working on a few new things,
getting ready for the U.S. Open,” said Woods, who will attempt
to win his fifth consecutive major and seventh overall. “Some
of the swing changes I've made, hopefully, will be ready by then.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the progress that I've made.”
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