| AP Sports Headlines |
Woods really was MIA all weekend
By PATRICK McMANAMON
Scripps Howard News Service
SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- Constantino Rocca was one of three Europeans paired with Tiger Woods at the Masters.
And Rocca was one of three Europeans Woods left in his dust as he scampered to a record-setting, 18-under-par victory.
In the final round at Augusta, Woods shot a 69. Rocca, the other member of the twosome, shot a 75.
Sunday, when Woods drew Rocca in the final-day singles matches of the Ryder Cup, the Masters meant nothing, as Rocca romped to a 4 & 2 win.
"You can't always win," Woods said, not showing much of the disappointment his friend and teammate Mark O'Meara said he felt. "You hope it goes your way and you give it your best and see what happens. Sometimes that isn't enough."
That wasn't enough for Woods all weekend. His record in his first Ryder Cup was 1-3-1, his only win coming in his first fourball match with O'Meara. But in that match, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie made just one birdie, and Woods and O'Meara only had to play steady to win, not aggressively.
The aggressive Woods -- the one who came from behind to win all three of his U.S. Amateur titles -- really was MIA all weekend. Sunday against Rocca, he had only one birdie (Fred Couples had six in 12 holes, Tom Lehman six in 13 holes, Leonard five in 18 holes).
Woods missed several short putts, leaving many short. Saturday, he putted a ball off the green and into the water on the par-5 17th. Many excused him for that, though, because he was going for an eagle he needed to keep his team in the match.
But in the conclusion of a foursome (alternate shot) match Sunday morning, Leonard had dropped the pair's second shot on the green, 40 feet from the hole.
Woods rammed it 15 or 20 feet past, and an opportunity to gain a point was lost. The match eventually was halved.
"This is a great learning experience for Tiger," O'Meara said. "I know he's very disappointed. He's a champion who hates to lose."
"Jack Nicklaus got beat, Arnie (Palmer) got beat, (Tom) Watson got beat," said Lehman. "All great players get beat in Ryder Cup."
In the afternoon singles, Woods was sent out early by team captain Tom Kite. The thinking: With the team trailing, it needed fast wins and early momentum, and Woods was a proven match-play player.
But Rocca jumped ahead early, taking a 3-up lead after five holes thanks to two birdies and a Woods bogey. On 9, Woods had his first -- and only -- serious chance to get back in the match.
Both players missed the green with their second shot, but Woods' chip stopped 4 feet from the cup and Rocca's 20 feet. Rocca ran his putt right in, then punched his fist across his body as the crowd chanted "Roc-ca! Roc-ca!"
Woods slid his putt by the low side of the hole. Woods looked rattled and down as he strode to the 10th tee, down 4. He never got back in the match and the U.S. didn't gain that key early point.
"That was a big putt if I could make it," Woods said. "He dumped his and I missed. In a sense that was a two-shot swing. It was a big momentum breaker. I was trying to hold on and climb back, but it didn't work."
(Pat McManamon is the national sportswriter for Scripps Howard News Service.)
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