Thursday, March 1, 2001
Woods, Bjorn share early lead
By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Tiger Woods and Denmark's
Thomas Bjorn shared the early first-round lead Thursday in the
Dubai Desert Classic, shooting 8-under-par 64s on a still, warm
day on the Arabian peninsula.
Spain's Jose Manuel Lara and Ireland's Padraig Harrington were
two strokes back at 66.
The lush fairways, true-rolling greens and the dry desert air
left the 7,127-yard Majlis Course ripe for picking by the two
Ryder Cup players, who both had bogey-free rounds.
Woods went 8-under on the final hole, dropping a 20-foot putt
for a birdie followed by a clenched right fist and a crowd-waving
stroll to the hole. The early lead may help Woods end what some
have called a “slump,” a streak of five tournaments
this season without a victory.
“I played good today and hit a lot of good, solid shots,”
said Woods, who is getting $2 million to play in the tournament.
“It's really nice to putt on some greens that are this smooth
and this true. I got up and hit the ball within birdie range and
converted.”
This was Woods' best scoring round of the season, although he
said he'd played better but hadn't “scored as well.”
Despite awakening at 3 a.m., obviously jet-lagged from a 251/2-hour
trip from Los Angeles, Woods said he felt at home in this commercial
center and tourist enclave on the Persian Gulf.
“The temperature was exactly like Southern Cal in the summer
where I grew up,” Woods said. “You get the ocean breeze
coming in at about 11:30, 12 o'clock and it just feels like home.
The difference is you look out there and it looks more like Palm
Springs.”
Bjorn, who has played frequently with Woods, said he is finally
adjusting to playing with the crush of fans, bodyguards and high-expectations
of teeing off alongside the world No. 1.
“You have to get used to playing with him,” said Bjorn,
whose family winters here. “There are a lot of us on this
tour (European). If you put them out with him, they would not
be able to perform.”
Little-known Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara was 8-under after 17 holes
but landed his second shot on the final hole in a palm tree and
closed with a double bogey. This is Lara's first full-time year
on the European Tour and he has career earnings of only $30,000.
He finished with 6-under 66 to tie Ireland's Padraig Harrington.
“I was a little bit nervous because I wanted to bite Tiger
for the first time — or for one time,” the 23-year-old
Spaniard said. “It's not the first time I've landed in a
palm, but the most important time. It's the most important double-bogey
of my short European career.”
Woods had a horse named for him on Wednesday — “Dubai
Tiger” — by the world's richest thoroughbred owner,
Dubai Crown Prince Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“Sit on it?” Woods said when asked about his namesake.
“No, I didn't quite sit on it, but I did pet it a little
bit and it was very, very playful.”
Woods is winless this season in five tournaments in the United
States and has not finished in the top three.
“They don't understand the game if they think it's a slump,”
said Woods, who said his stroke average was identical to last
year's.
“It's been a pretty good season so far,” he said. “I'
feel like I'm close. I've given myself chances. Sometimes the
breaks go your way, sometimes they don't.”
Scotsman Gary Orr withdrew from the tournament Thursday with kidney
stone problems. His place was taken by South African Tjaart Van
der Walt.
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