The Memorial forecast: Tiger hopes to reign
By Jack Saylor / Knight Ridder Newspapers
DUBLIN, Ohio -- Tiger Woods is back on the PGA Tour this week
for the Memorial tournament, and guess what? He's in a slump again.
El Tigre hasn't won in three weeks, since he held off Jay Don
Blake to win the BellSouth Classic near Atlanta.
But Woods has played only once since, finishing tied for 12th
in the Byron Nelson at Dallas two weeks ago.
That's the way it goes for Tiger. Until his victory at the
BellSouth, he hadn't won in 10 whole months. "It wasn't really
a long time," Woods said Tuesday. "I did win in Thailand,
beating Ernie Els in a playoff.
"True, I didn't win (in the United States) for 10 months,
but I was right there, had a couple of seconds, a few thirds.
I just wasn't able to get over the hump and win."
Woods is not hung up by this apparent perception that he should
win every time out.
"I think it's a good thing if that's what people think
of my game," he said. "It's not like saying, well, it
would be a great week if he could make the cut. I think if my
game ever got to that, it wouldn't be a good thing. But if they
expect me to win, that means I'm right there and have a chance
to win."
So despite the presence of seven of the top 10 players in the
world and 19 of the top 20 money-winners (only Mark O'Meara is
missing), most of the attention centers on Woods -- or the weather.
Long before most people had heard of El Nino, the Memorial
has dealt with inclement weather.
In 1977, the tournament's second year, lightning caused a play
suspension in the third round, and that soon was followed by high
winds and heavy rain.
The tournament didn't end until Monday. Host Jack Nicklaus
was the winner, and rain delays became part of the tradition.
Things reached the ridiculous in 1979 when Tom Watson won in
30-m.p.h. winds and a windchill of 13 degrees. In only five years
since then (1981, '84, '85, '86, '94) has the Memorial been played
in four days without rain.
The tournament twice has been shortened to 54 holes, including
last year, when Vijay Singh won and Woods played for the first
time.
"Oh, God, it was one of the longest rounds I've ever played,"
Woods exclaimed. "It took me three days to finish."
Last year's field got through two rounds despite cool, rainy
weather, but third-round play Saturday was suspended three times,
ending at 3:15 p.m. Muirfield Village was playable for only two
hours Sunday. The third and final round started at 7:30 a.m. Saturday
and didn't finish until 1 p.m. Monday.
Woods shot 72-75-74 and tied for 67th.
"I played here in the U.S. Amateur, too, and lost in the
second round," Woods said. "But I like this golf course.
"I like it because you have to shape shots both ways.
The fairways are amply wide and the greens are very quick. You
have to be careful playing into the greens. They're very severe.
I like Muirfield Village, especially if it's not a slosh-fest."
Nicklaus has grown resigned to the weather. "We've always
had a great field and a great tournament despite the weather,"
he said.
"The golf course is dry now, the greens are firm and it's
relatively fast. The course is excellent."
The long-range weather forecast calls for no rain, but Nicklaus
won't schedule any picnics on the deck of his golf course condo.
"Murphy's Law will come in here somewhere, you know,"
he said wryly. "We'll get drenched somewhere during the week.
It's not forecast, so we'll probably get it. We always do."
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