Monday, April 10, 2000
Tiger Woods just couldn't make
it happen
By Ed Sherman
Chicago Tribune
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It appeared as if it
could be one of those magical days for Tiger Woods.
Woods got off to the fast start he wanted.
Birdie on 2, then on 4. Then after a bogey on 6, he bounced back
with back-to-back birdies on 7 and 8. The crowds swarmed around
him in anticipation of seeing of Woods making history again in
the Masters.
It didn't happen.
After shooting a 33 on the front nine, Woods
ran out of tricks. His round of 69 left him in fifth place, six
shots in back of winner Vijay Singh.
That's four spots lower than everyone figured
for Woods going into the Masters. Ultimately, the odds-on favorite
couldn't overcome a first-round 75, although he gave it a good
try.
“Even though I didn't get off to a
good start Thursday, I still had a chance,” Woods said. “I'm
proud of that fact I got back into this tournament and had a shot
on the back nine on Sunday.”
But Woods failed to take advantage of the
opportunity. He missed birdie putts on 10 and 11, and then another
one on 13. He did make a birdie on the par-5 15th, but he gave
it back with a bogey on 16.
“I hit some beautiful putts--it's hard
to believe they didn't go in,” Woods said. “If I made
those birdies there, I'd be right in the ballgame.”
Ultimately, it was Ernie Els, not Woods,
who made the charge on the back nine, shooting a 3-under 33. While
his round of 68 left him three shots behind Singh, it was much
better than his final round of 80 in 1999 when he was in contention.
“Last year after the last round, I
took five weeks off,” Els said. “This year, I didn't
even think about it. I knew I was playing really well coming into
the last round. This year I was a totally different player. I
felt I was going to win.”
Woods had the same feeling. Even though
everybody expects him to win every event he enters, he isn't going
to get discouraged. In eight tournaments this year, he has three
victories, three seconds and now a fifth.
“I've had a pretty good year so far,”
Woods said. “So to put myself in contention is what I want
to do each and every time I tee it up. I had a chance this week,
and I just didn't win.”
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