Wednesday, July 19, 2000
All eyes on Woods as he eyes
Slam
By Joe Juliano
Knight Ridder Newspapers
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The crowd of
mostly young people stood six deep near where Tiger Woods worked
on the practice green of the Old Course Tuesday, watching every
little movement of the man wearing black from the top of his Nike
baseball cap to the soles of his golf shoes.
Then Woods deposited his putter in his black
golf bag and exited the green, and the youths — their backpacks
flapping with every stride — were in full flight seeking
the one autograph they coveted above all others. Adults with flash
cameras and television crews recorded every step as Woods, escorted
by three security men, walked briskly to his pre-British Open
interview.
It wasn't the swarms of the sort Elvis or
the Beatles or Princess Diana encountered. But the residents of
Scotland love their golf. They realize what Woods can achieve
this week, becoming the youngest player to achieve the impossible
Grand Slam, and are excited at the prospect of it happening, especially
at the home of their beloved game.
Woods, 24, is about one month removed from
his overwhelming 15-stroke victory at the U.S. Open, a record
margin for any major championship. He will tee off in Thursday's
first round as an overwhelming favorite, something he's keenly
aware of.
“It's 15-8, right?” Woods said,
accurately reflecting the odds throughout England and Scotland,
where betting is legal. “I'd probably put five quid on myself,
but probably no more than that. Those are bad odds.”
Looking cool in his long-sleeved turtleneck
despite the stuffy heat in the jam-packed interview room, Woods
had his playful moments during his interview. When asked if he
had been dreaming of this week and going for a Grand Slam, he
replied, “No,” then paused, and added, “Have you?”
Another reporter commented on how good life
is going for Woods and wondered if he “had any blips”
that he could recall. Woods smiled and said, “I've had a
few along the way. Do I care to share them? I think that's something
I'm going to keep inside of me.”
Woods is clearly excited to be going for
a Grand Slam at the Old Course, but he's trying not to get too
pumped too soon. Likewise, he's not going to count on any carryover
of the momentum generated by his U.S. Open walkover. The key,
he said, is staying in the present.
“It's nice to have an opportunity to
complete the Slam at St. Andrews,” he said, “but, then
again, if my career goes as long as I hope it will go, I think
I might have a few more opportunities to complete the Slam. That's
something that you have in the back of your mind.
“When it comes time to play on Thursday,
I couldn't care less about the Slam. It is time to play and I
need to stay in the present, focus on the shot at hand and get
the job done. If I don't get the job done in the present, then
there won't be any Slam this year.”
But there aren't many betting against him.
Woods has the length that can overpower at least three par-4's
on the Old Course. He has the creativity to deal with the rock-hard
fairways and greens, knowing how short of the hole to land his
ball. He can adjust his trajectory of shot depending on how strong
the wind blows here. And if wind does blow strongly, his advantage
could be greater.
“Tiger has obviously proven he has
some serious repertoire in his shot-making,” said Nick Faldo,
who won the 1990 Open at St. Andrews with an 18-under-par total.
“So he is the man to beat. That is the bottom line, as simple
as that.”
If he should get the Slam this year, Woods
will join Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen
as the only players to win all four majors in their careers. He
should have an opportunity to win more Slams, maybe even match
Nicklaus' three, if his form holds.
Right now, however, he figures the Grand
Slam, if attained this week, would not be his top career accomplishment.
He would receive that No. 1 space for something he did seven years
ago, when he won his third U.S. Junior Amateur championship.
“People might think I'm crazy,”
he said, “but to win three consecutive U.S. Juniors is probably
the hardest because there's an age limit. You can't keep playing.
After 17, you're out. There is a dramatic difference between 14-
and 15-year-olds versus 17-year-olds — physically, mentally
and emotionally. To win three in a row, 18 matches in a row 1/8six
per year3/8, that's not bad.”
Then again, to win a U.S. Open by 15 strokes,
that's not bad, either. But he followed that with a tie for 23rd
- his worst finish of the year - at the Western Open, where his
putting admittedly was horrible.
Tuesday, after he concluded his practice
round, Woods worked with teacher Butch Harmon on the practice
green, getting his putts to roll in a more true fashion.
“There is a difference between making
putts, and making putts properly,” Woods said.
There doesn't seem to be much question here
that, if Woods is making putts, the rest of the field will be
playing for second place once again, as they did at Pebble Beach.
The pressure of being the favorite isn't fazing him, not a bit.
“It's fine, to be honest with you,”
he said. “Whether I am the favorite or not, I am going to
have the same mindset and that's to go out there and do the best
I can and try to win a championship.
“Whether I'm 15-8 or 100-1, whatever
it may be, as long as I can go out there and give a wonderful
effort, give it everything I have, then I can look back, whether
I win or lose, and know that I gave it everything I had.”
And whether he wins or loses, he can be
sure the kids with the backpacks will be chasing him until they
get the autograph of the guy who, if he doesn't win the Grand
Slam this year, probably will get it in due time.
(c) 2000, The Philadelphia
Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site,
at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address)
of This Story to A Friend:
|
