Friday, December 8, 2000
Argentina, New Zealand lead
World Cup; Woods-Duval four back
By KEVIN GRAY
Associated Press Writer
BELLA VISTA, Argentina (AP) — David
Duval carried Tiger Woods, while Argentina and New Zealand topped
the leaderboard Thursday in the first round of the World Cup of
Golf.
“I was a jockey. I just rode my horse
all day,” said Woods, who combined with Duval for an 11-under
61 in the opening best-ball round. “I didn't really strike
the ball as good as I like, and I wasn't as sharp as I needed
to be.”
Thousands of spectators followed Woods and
Duval, who played alongside Argentina's Eduardo Romero and Angel
Cabrera on the Buenos Aires Golf Club course.
Duval, who only a day earlier had answered
questions about how he felt being the side act to the Tiger show,
essentially shouldered the American team, the defending champion
in search of its sixth title in the last decade and 22nd overall.
“We didn't play, either one of us,
as well as we could have cared to,” Duval said. “But
at least we stayed close, and so we have a chance.”
Duval and Woods finished the day tied for
fifth, four strokes behind Romero and Cabrera and New Zealand's
Frank Nobilo and Greg Turner. The 24 teams will play an alternate-shot
round Friday, followed by another best-ball round Saturday, and
a second alternate-shot round Sunday.
Australia's Peter O'Malley and Lucas Parsons
shot a 58, Japan's Shigeki Maruyama and Hidemichi Tanaka opened
with a 60, and Canada's Mike Weir and Glen Hnatiuk and South Korea's
Choi Kwang-soo and Park Nam-sin joined Woods and Duval at 61.
But it was the play of host Argentina that
held the attention most of the day. The Argentine tandem quietly
ascended the leaderboard throughout the day on the strength of
Romero's 10 birdies. He had six on the last nine holes.
Woods made only two birdies.
“I didn't really hit the ball as good
as I would have liked, but I hit it close enough where I had some
putts,” he said. “And I hit a lot of good putts on the
front nine that just didn't go in. They were just hanging on the
lip.”
Wood's frustrations crested on the back
nine.
On an approach shot on the 12th hole, he
hit into the water. Luckily for Woods, Duval sank a short putt
for birdie. A few holes later, Woods' putt for eagle veered wide.
On the 16th, he missed another birdie attempt, his face twisted
in frustration.
Asked if the 12-hour flight from California
might have had taken a toll on his play, Woods said: “Don't
confuse tired with being a little disappointed and angry.”
Last year, Woods and Mark O'Meara teamed
for a five-stroke victory over Spain in Malaysia. Woods won the
individual title by nine strokes with a 21-under 263 total, both
tournament records. The individual portion of the tournament has
been eliminated.
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