Lots of laughs, too many shots for Masters
champion
By RON SIRAK / AP Golf Writer
IRVING, Texas (AP) - Two of his playing partners sold concrete.
The other two processed animal fat. Yes, it was only the pro-am
at the Byron Nelson Classic, but Tiger Woods heard words Wednesday
he likely replayed in his childhood daydreams many times.
"On the tee," the announcer drawled into the early
morning mist, "the 1997 Masters winner ..."
The words had an almost physical effect on Woods. Deep into
composing his serious game face, he jerked his head from the ground
and watched as tournament official Jim Jordan continued the introduction.
"A three-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion, three-time
U.S. Amateur champion and four-time winner on the PGA Tour ..."
Woods stared now at the announcer - not the ground - almost
as if he were in awe of his own introduction.
"The world's most eligible bachelor," Jordan bellowed
with a flourish, "Eldrick Tiger Woods."
The hundreds of fans huddled around the first tee for Woods'
7:30 a.m. pairing roared with laughter and the air rippled with
applause. The target of the gentle barb showed just a touch of
embarrassment behind his broad smile.
"To tell the truth, I really wasn't listening when he
first started," Woods said. "Then he got my attention.
That most eligible bachelor stuff, that was different."
Playing inside gallery ropes for the first time since winning
the Masters a month ago, Woods chatted with his playing partners,
flirted with a scorer and joked with his caddie Mike "Fluff"
Cowan.
It all added up to a shaky 4-over-par 74 in a pro-am round
he was clearly using to ease his way back to competition.
"Each round I'll get better and better with my mental
state," Woods said. "It took me about a round to get
my focus and my intensity," he said about the last time he
returned from a break this long.
And though Woods says he assumes he is going to win every tournament
he plays, it is clear the GTE Byron Nelson Classic that starts
Thursday is the beginning of a three tournament run-up leading
to the U.S. Open, just as he gauged his game to peak for the Masters.
"I had to prove to myself that I could win a major,"
Woods said about the Masters. "I spent those weeks before
getting ready. I changed my ball flight, changed my putting strategy.
I'll probably do the same thing for the U.S. Open."
Woods faces a field this week that includes defending champion
Phil Mickelson, last week's winner Scott McCarron, the resurgent
Nick Price, Nick Faldo and Mark O'Meara.
Playing amid tight security that included several uniform police
and two plainclothes agents - one of them with Woods constantly
since Friday - the 21-year-old felt out the TPC course at the
Four Seasons Resort.
He hit his booming driver only five time - once out of bounds
- and made only one putt beyond tap-in range.
"I'll drive it right through the doglegs here," Woods
said about using his driver. "The 2-iron and 3-wood is the
smart thing to do."
Woods was hardly annoyed by his erratic play. He seemed to
enjoy being before a gallery again.
When one of his amateur partners sliced a shot wildly into
the crowd, Woods covered his head as if he could protect the person
the ball was bearing down on and tried unsuccessfully to suppress
a laugh.
As Woods walked off the 12th tee, he held out his 3-wood to
Cowan and snatched it back as the caddie reached for the club.
Then he dropped the head cover on the ground, and just as Cowan
tried to pick it up he kicked it away.
At that point, Cowan put the bag on the ground as if he would
no longer carry it. He took about six steps with Woods in mock
anger before they both broke into laughter. Cowan then ran back
and got the bag for his boss.
"I needed the month off," Woods said. "Now I
have to get back to golf."
That starts in earnest Thursday.
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