Wednesday, June 19,
2002
Teacher
Tiger: Woods gives clinic to young golfers
By MIKE BRANOM
Associated Press Writer
LAKE BUENA VISTA,
Fla. (AP) — Leave it to Tiger Woods to turn a Florida thunderstorm
into a learning experience.
Woods and the inner-city
youth attending his golf clinic at Disney World's Palm course
were forced off the driving range by a driving tropical rain Tuesday.
But Woods, two days removed from his waterlogged victory at the
U.S. Open, had plenty of advice on how to play in such conditions.
“I don't do
anything more than the golf course allows me,” Woods told
the 14 young players who wedged into a canvas tent during the
downpour.
The students listened
intently; they knew Woods put his knowledge to use last week in
winning his eighth major and second this year to get halfway to
golf's Grand Slam.
At the Bethpage Black
course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Woods carded a 2-under 68 on Friday,
despite a steady rain and chill. And in Sunday's final round,
he kept his focus during a 49-minute rain delay en route to a
three-stroke win.
“Sometimes in
bad weather, you have to play aggressive,” Woods told the
class. “Sometimes, you play passive.”
Learning the game
— both physically and mentally — were more than 100
young golfers attending the Tiger Woods Foundation Junior Golf
Clinic. They came from Buffalo, N.Y.; Fort Worth, Texas; Newark,
N.J.; Orlando, Fla.; and Philadelphia.
It was Woods' 25th
clinic, where junior golfers from around the nation gather to
receive instruction from PGA Tour professionals. Some youth even
get to learn a lesson or two from Woods.
“He told me
to keep my body stable,” 14-year-old Gerald Henderson Jr.,
of Philadelphia, recalled after having a few minutes' instruction
from the world's best golfer. “Now I'm getting a little flatter
ball flight, a little straighter.”
Nine-year-old Jonathan
Ortiz, also of Philadelphia, had a problem with hitting the ball
off to the right, until Woods lent his expertise. Then Ortiz wanted
to know what happened to Sergio Garcia — whose nickname of
“El Nino” Ortiz had written on his shoes — at the
Open.
Garcia, who had accused
Woods of receiving breaks from the USGA during Friday's rain,
shot a final-round 74 to finish fourth. “It just wasn't his
day,” Woods diplomatically replied.
Later in the day,
Woods gave an exhibition to the junior golfers plus about 2,200
children from youth organizations around central Florida. The
exhibition also was simulcast on the Internet.
The rain forced the
cancellation of a scheduled parade for Woods and the junior golfers
at Disney's MGM Studios. Instead, Woods made an appearance at
“Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!,” an interactive
version of the television show.
How to fight a slice
and compete in wet weather were only parts of Woods' lessons.
He repeatedly emphasized that golfing well was secondary to living
life in a responsible, productive manner.
“You don't exactly
have to become the best player in the world in order to become
successful in life,” Woods said.
But Woods also made
a point that playing golf is another way to learn “life lessons.”
“When the kids
get exposed to that, they become better citizens,” Wood said.
“Look at the golfers who play — they're not bad people,
they're not the kind who go out and create trouble.
“That's a great
indicator about how this great game can teach us some great lessons.”
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