Woods is the man, on and off the course
By MIKE NADEL AP Sports Writer
LEMONT, Ill. (AP) - In terms of riches and acclaim, Tiger Woods
already has left Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan at
the first tee.
The names now being used for comparison: Elvis and the Beatles.
That's how big Woods has become. And at 21 years old, his fame
can only swell.
"I thought I would achieve this much further down the
road," Woods said Sunday after winning the Western Open,
his sixth victory in 21 events since turning pro last August.
"I thought that would happen after I won a lot of tournaments
and got my name up there, but it's been kind of different.
"I guess a lot of it has to do with that the people are
interested, therefore the media has to cover it, and then that
keeps up the buzz."
The buzz might be deafening next week, when Woods takes his
game to Royal Troon for the British Open. He was told to expect
it to be reminiscent of the reception the Beatles got when they
arrived in the United States in 1964.
"I don't know what it's going to be like," Woods
said. "And I wasn't around for the Beatles."
Woods won the Western Open going away, finishing three strokes
ahead of his nearest competitor, Frank Nobilo. In the process,
he earned plaudits from fellow pros and fervent support from nearly
50,000 fans.
With each hole, his gallery - and legend - grew. Old and young,
rich and poor, white and black, men and women. Thousands of them
joined him on his victory march up the 18th fairway, happy to
bask in Tigermania for a few moments.
Woods has made more than $2.5 million on the PGA Tour, to go
with endorsement deals approaching $100 million. He is recognized
everywhere he goes. But he is determined not to change, even though
he has become - as one member of the media put it Sunday - "Elvis
reincarnated."
"I'm not going to be what some of the people in my position
have become: a prisoner of their fame," he said.
"Occasionally, I want to deflect it. Yeah, it would be
nice. But it's awfully flattering that the people think that highly
of you. I could be an absolute nobody, and nobody would care what
I do out on the golf course. But people come out, support me and
root me on, and that means a lot to me.
"I do understand that there are consequences when I go
out in public. But I'm going to do the same things. And I'm going
to enjoy life."
After failing to break par in 11 of 12 rounds, Woods decided
to enjoy the simple life the week before the Western. He eschewed
golf to fish, watch TV and "just be a couch potato,"
and didn't even run himself ragged shooting commercials and playing
in big-money corporate outings.
Rested and ready, he snapped out of his mini-slump and displayed
his many skills at Cog Hill's Dubsdread course: power, touch,
creativity, mental toughness.
The victory established him as the favorite for the British
Open as he tries to add another major title to the Masters he
won in April.
"If you're the favorite or not ... it has no bearing,"
Woods said. "So many people can win that tournament."
But what about the Tiger Woods aura? Won't that be enough?
"I don't know if I even have an aura, man," he said.
"I just try to win."
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