Sunday, May 28, 2000
Playing partners get caught
up in Tiger's mastery
By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) - Having a front row seat
at another remarkable Tiger Woods show, Harrison Frazar has some
advice for those in pursuit in the final round of the Memorial
Tournament: avert your eyes.
"Don't watch him. Seriously. I mean,
admire the shots that he hits, but don't get wrapped up in it,"
Frazar said after playing in the same group as Woods, who built
a six-shot stranglehold in the Memorial on Saturday.
Frazar began the day a shot off the lead
but was already left in the dust when Woods torched the front
side of Muirfield Village Golf Club, shearing six strokes off
par in a span of six holes.
Another member of the threesome, Ernie Els,
has won tournaments all over the globe including a pair of U.S.
Opens. Even he was shaken by what he had just seen.
"He was just awesome, really,"
said Els, who shot a 72 and is now 10 shots back. "He hit
all the shots superbly. He couldn't have played it more perfect,
really. He even missed a couple of putts out there today and shot
a 65 that could have been 61 easily."
Relying on his booming drives, the occasional
inhuman shot and a steady stream of clutch putts, Woods laid waste
to the elite field with a 7-under-par 65 that left him at 17-under
par. Steve Lowery came next at 11 under with Justin Leonard another
shot back.
Frazar, who led Woods by five shots Thursday
night and now trails him by 14 strokes, said it's intimidating
watching Woods in action.
"It's not him. It's how he does it.
He hits shots you can't hit," Frazar said. "It's a little
frustrating."
Frazar and Els are among the biggest hitters
on tour. Yet Woods is in another category.
At the par-5 seventh hole, all hit solid
drives. Frazar hit a 2 iron short of the green, Els laid up with
a 3 iron. Woods hit a sky-high 3 iron that stopped abruptly, 20
feet from the pin. Then he nailed the eagle putt.
"There's not too many guys who can
hit that shot," Els said, chuckling.
Frazar went further.
He said he considers himself to be a power
player, but feels like a child when he compares his length to
Woods'.
"It makes you feel like a chicken or
something because you're laying up," Frazar said. "I
got a little caught up in watching him. He's the best player in
the world and I can see why now. Some of the shots he hit today,
I don't know of another human being who can hit them."
Els said he normally likes playing in the
same group with Woods. He doesn't mind watching Woods play because
he appreciates the quality on display.
"He normally brings my game up a little
bit, although he didn't do that today," Els said. "I
enjoy watching him play. It's always nice to play with the best
guy in the world."
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