Friday, June 9, 2000
One youngster gets in the swing with Tiger
By SAM ADAMS
Scripps Howard News Service
DENVER — Bennie Espinoza has a true golf swing and an honest
outlook on life.
Anyone watching Espinoza hit golf balls at Park Hill Golf Club
might be jealous of his smooth swing.
And that was before Tiger Woods got hold of Espinoza, who was
one of a select group of junior golfers who received personal
instruction from Woods at his recent clinic in Denver.
Golf has taken Espinoza, 16, out of harm's way and put him on
the fairways.
If he didn't spend time at the golf course, the junior-to-be at
Horizon High School said, “I'd probably be in trouble. Honestly.
Golf keeps me out of trouble. It's the best thing for me. It takes
a lot of time. You put a lot of time and effort into it, and it
pays off.
“Otherwise, I think I'd be doing bad things right now.”
Espinoza's father got him interested in golf. “Him, and seeing
this guy (nodding toward Woods) make all kinds of money,”
Espinoza said. “It puts a lot of imaginary things in your
mind.”
While Woods was giving pointers to one golfer, Espinoza was one
stall over, whacking balls far and straight, as if he couldn't
wait to show off his skills for the game's brightest star.
“Yeah, I could feel him,” Espinoza said. “You get
the jitters, but you still want to show him your swing.”
And Tiger's advice to Espinoza?
“I was swaying a little bit, so he told me to keep my posture,”
Espinoza said. “That's about all. He said my backswing was
good, except for my posture, my hips moving through too fast.
Other than that, it was pretty good, he said.
“When Tiger Woods tells you that, you just want to ... be
good.”
(Contact Sam Adams of the Denver Rocky Mountain News at http://www.denver-rmn.com.)
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