Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Tiger to start preparing in Ireland
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
TIGER EYES ARE SMILIN': As soon as Tiger Woods is done playing
the Western Open, his preparations for the British Open begin
the next day in Ireland.
Woods, David Duval and Mark O'Meara will be among those playing
the JP McManus Golf Classic, a two-day pro-am at Limerick Golf
Club that is held once every five years to raise money for charity.
The tournament raised over $4 million in 1995. No telling how
much it will raise with Woods in the field, just one week before
he takes aim at St. Andrews — and possibly more history —
in the British Open.
Woods also plans to do some fly fishing in Ireland, admitted that
he's “hooked.”
“I'm even learning how to tie my own flies,” he said.
———
OPEN CONSUMPTION: The Royal & Ancient Golf Club expects records
to be shattered at St. Andrews for the British Open, but not necessarily
the kind Tiger Woods broke at Pebble Beach last month for the
U.S. Open.
Assuming the weather remains warm and dry, officials expect a
new record in beer sales, topping the 400,000 pints sold at Royal
Lytham in 1996. They also anticipate record crowds consuming more
than 300,000 cans of soft drinks, 15,000 bottles of wine and 12,000
glasses of champagne.
For food, the R&A expects to serve up four tons of bacon,
550 pounds of smoked salmon and 650 pounds of roast beef.
Cleaning up the mess will be a squad of 200 school kids, who will
work in teams of 10 and patrol the Old Course supervised by a
teacher. The R&A said more than 150 tons of rubbish will be
removed from the Old Course.
As for scoring records? That's in the hands of Mother Nature.
———
IT BEATS DIGGING DITCHES: Mark Brooks doesn't begrudge anyone
hard work. He just has a hard time listening to people talk about
it when they make their living playing golf.
“My big thing right now is all these guys talking about how
hard they work. It doesn't ring well,” he said. “A guy
works hard, that's fine. But there are people that make $20,000
a year that actually do work hard. They go in a coal mine at 4
a.m. and come out at 7 at night.
“I mean, hitting a bunch of golf balls and working out in
a posh gym and getting a massage and taking a whirlpool and going
home and driving your nice car back to your nice house ... 'work
hard' is fine, but don't overemphasize it.”
Brooks said what really gets under his skin when is when a player
credits a good round or a good week to the fact he has worked
so hard.
“Man, people have worked 30 years and can't hardly retire,”
he said. “Keep it in perspective.”
Thinking along the same lines is Charles Howell, the NCAA champion
who made his professional debut in the Hartford Open, tied for
32nd and earned $13,627.
“That's my first paycheck,” Howell said. “I've
never worked a day in my life.”
———
TEMPER, TEMPER: First a hotel wall at Pinehurst, then his driver
in Ireland. Jose Maria Olazabal may be golf's greatest gentleman,
but he does have a temper.
The latest episode took place in the third round of the Irish
Open, when Olazabal snapped his driver over his knee and threw
the shaft into a trash can after hitting his tee shot into the
rough on the reachable par-5 17th.
“I didn't think I'd banged it that hard and I wasn't intending
to break it,” Olazabal said. “But the shaft must have
been really weak. They don't make them like they used to.”
The incident is being investigated by the European tour, and Olazabal
could face a fine.
By the way, he still made birdie, then birdied the 18th for a
66.
———
DIVOTS: Paul Lawrie will be more than just the defending British
Open champion at St. Andrews. He recently was appointed a Member
of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honors List. It's
the second honor bestowed on the Scotsman, who was awarded an
honorary law doctorate from Robert Gordon's University in his
native Aberdeen last December. ... Hunter Haas will be the next
amateur to turn pro. The U.S. Public Links champion will defend
his title next week in Portland, then make his professional debut
with sponsor's exemptions in the B.C. Open and the International.
... Notah Begay now has eight consecutive rounds in the 60s. His
back-to-back wins have elevated him to No. 9 in the Presidents
Cup standings. ... David Duval will be making a rare European
appearance — the Loch Lomond in Scotland, his only tournament
to prepare for the British Open. ... Hal Sutton has signed a five-year
extension with Spalding.
———
STAT OF THE WEEK: In his 36 events on the PGA Tour, Notah Begay
has had only five top-10 finishes. Four of those have been victories.
———
FINAL WORD: “Being blonde, I'll just go back and think about
nothing.” — Janice Moodie when asked what it would be
like to sleep on the lead going into the final round of the LPGA
ShopRite Classic.
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