Gallery follows Woods and Daly - oh, and Maggert
By JAMES PRICHARD Associated Press Writer
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) - Most of the Memorial Tournament fans traipsing
after Tiger Woods, John Daly and Jeff Maggert on Sunday were there
to see two players - and neither of their names rhymes with braggart.
Thousands of fans trudged through the muck at Muirfield Village
Golf Club, straining for a glimpse of Woods, this year's Masters
champion, and Daly, winner of the 1991 PGA Championship and the
1995 British Open.
Daly, who was last in the field at 7-over through 11 holes
of the rain-suspended third round, chose the Memorial to mark
his return to the PGA Tour following a two-month absence for alcohol
rehabilitation.
Over and over again, the crowd shouted out cries of "Hey,
Tiger!" and "Way to go, John!"
No one would blame Maggert, a member of the 1995 Ryder Cup
team who was 23rd on the money list last year with $804,255, if
he felt invisible.
Daly and Woods, 1-over when play was suspended, wowed the crowd
by exchanging 300-yard drives for nearly two hours before officials
suspended play because of heavy rain.
The round also was suspended twice Saturday, the final time
around noon, due to wet weather. The players will try it again
beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, and the tournament will be shortened
from 72 to 54 holes.
Many in the gallery who slip-slided their way after the threesome
for nearly eight holes had never been to a golf tournament. They
were there to see Woods, quickly becoming the Michael Jordan of
his sport.
"I dyed my hair for Tiger," said Matt Molina, 14,
of Centerville, whose brown buzz cut was highlighted by rusty
orange tiger stripes.
Gaylord Trim had been to "six or seven" previous
Memorials, but his companion, Joe Gothard, 67, of Chillicothe,
had never attended a golf match. Both were there primarily to
watch Woods.
"But it helps that Daly is with him," said Trim,
36, of Pickerington.
Doug Stafford of Columbus, who has gone to the tournament a
half-dozen times, brought his two children, Chris, 12, and Mike,
11, to give them an opportunity to see Woods play.
"We're going to follow him the whole way," Stafford
said.
Marc Gilardi, 25, and his friend, Scott Mestemaker, 28, both
of Troy, were as interested in watching Daly as Woods. In fact,
they were preparing to track down Greg Norman's threesome just
before the rain came.
"Tiger and Daly are just like everybody else - good,"
Gilardi said.
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