Tuesday, March 27, 2001
Woods has a masterful look
once again
By JIMMY BURCH
c.2001 Fort Worth Star-Telegram
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Increase
the intensity of the Tiger Woods' hype machine.The world's top-ranked
golfer continued building momentum in his quest for a career milestone
by outlasting the field over the final nine holes during Monday's
rain-delayed finish to The Players Championship.
Woods birdied two of the first three holes
he played Monday at the TPC at Sawgrass, then watched all the
contenders except Vijay Singh disappear down the stretch to record
a one-stroke victory. With the triumph, his second consecutive
at PGA Tour events, Woods regained his customary top spot on the
season earnings list ($2,255,857) by collecting the $1,080,000
winner's check.
Suddenly, the golfer whose six-month winless
streak at tour events triggered talk of a slump only two weeks
ago, has emerged as the game's hottest player heading into the
Masters Tournament. Woods, 25, finished with a closing 67 and
a 14-under par total. He joined Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers
who have won the TPC as well as all four major championships.
Woods takes a two-event winning streak into
the season's first major, the Masters, April 5-8, and will be
trying to become the first professional golfer to win four consecutive
major championships.
His strong finish Monday, said playing partner
Jerry Kelly, suggests Woods may be on the cusp of making history.
“He's the best player in the world
and he showed why,” Kelly said. “He made the putts when
he got himself in position. And when he was out of position, he
made the putts anyway. He's incredible, but I kind of expected
everything I saw. That's why he's `The Man.' ”
Woods smiled when asked if he had answered
critics who raised questions about his alleged slump.
“Now that I've won two in a row, I'm
sure they'll have to write about something else instead of my
slump,” Woods said.
Heading into an off week, in which he'll
focus on Masters preparations, Woods said his consecutive victories
at TPC and the Bay Hill Invitational will provide a mental boost.
“I feel as if I'm headed in the right
direction, no question about it,” Woods said. “I've
been playing some pretty good golf over the past few months. But
to win, you need to have some good breaks come your way, and that's
happened the last two weeks. I've had some shots that were borderline
that turned out my way.”
One of the biggest was Woods' 9-iron at
No. 17, the course's signature island-green hole. It rolled off
the green and stopped on a hazard line less than a foot from the
water. Woods saved par. Contrast that to Singh, who made Woods
squirm with an eagle-birdie-par finish over the closing holes.
Yet it proved to be too little, too late
because of one bad swing at the 14th tee. Trying to hit a fade
with a water hazard to his left, Singh was too quick with his
follow through and pull-hooked his drive into the drink.
“I just double-crossed it, and that
was the killer blow,” said Singh, who went on to card a triple-bogey.
“I hit one bad shot. But that's all it takes.”
Other contenders also struggled. Bernhard
Langer collected five birdies on his back nine, the most of any
player in Monday's rain-delayed conclusion to the final round.
But he offset much of that momentum with three bogeys. Kelly,
the 54-hole leader, took a watery double-bogey from the rough
on the closing hole.
Woods, meanwhile, built a three-stroke advantage
with crisp approach shots that yielded two tap-in birdies and
an 8-footer. Even with Singh's fast finish, Woods was able to
play for bogey after pushing his tee shot into the rough at No.
18.
With the victory, Woods won the event many
players consider an unofficial “fifth major” and collected
the final title he considered lacking in his golf resume.
“I think I've had a pretty good career,”
said Woods, who is only 25 and has 26 victories since joining
the PGA Tour in August 1996. “I think it is going to be fun
to try and win the same tournaments again, and, hopefully, it
will be. Especially the majors.” nn
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