On The Fringe
By RON SIRAK
AP Golf Writer
The spotlight already shining on Tiger Woods got all the brighter
after his record-setting victory in the Masters. Fortunately Woods
has friends like Michael Jordan who can provide tips on handling
the attention.
"He is going to endure certain things and he's got to
deal with it," the Chicago Bulls star said. "He has
to be Tiger Woods. He can't be Michael Jordan, he can't be Doctor
J, he can't be Charles Barkley."
Woods was in Chicago over the weekend to watch the Bulls play
their regular-season finale against the New York Knicks and met
with Jordan, an avid golfer.
"He's a great guy," Jordan said about Woods. "If
I can be any help to him, I'll give him any advice that he asks
for. My responsibility to Tiger Woods right now is to be a friend."
Woods likely needed some of that counsel after the British
tabloids started peeking into his personal life over the weekend.
The Sunday Mirror linked Woods to model Tyra Banks, the cover
girl of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The Mirror, in
a story that cited no sources, said Woods began dating the model
in December when they met at New York's All Star Cafe.
The newspaper also linked Woods with golfer Kelli Kuehne. The
two are longtime friends and the Mirror said Banks was furious
when Woods broke a date with her to be with Kuehne.
The Mirror headline over the story read: "What a Catfight!"
The sub-head read, "Tyra warns rival: Hands off my Tiger."
Woods is vacationing following his Masters victory and likely
will not return to the PGA Tour until the middle of May.
"What he's going to be remembered for is what he does
on the course," Jordan said about Woods. "We all know
what he's capable of. We've seen it."
But right now, it seems people are also interested in what
he does off the course.
OPEN AND SHUT
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club has refined its plan to admit
fans under 18 free to this summer's British Open at Troon.
Last month, the governing body of British golf said the move
was made to take advantage of the popularity of Tiger Woods and
to stimulate interest among young players.
On Monday, the R&A clarified its policy, fearing perhaps
that Woods has become too popular after his victory in the Masters.
Young fans who come with "a responsible adult" will
be admitted free by just turning up at the July 17-20 tournament.
Unaccompanied young fans will have to apply in writing by July
9 to get an admission badge. The application requires a photocopy
of a birth certificate of a letter from a school official.
"What we don't want are 10, 11 years olds turning up without
an adult being with them," said David Hill, championship
secretary of the R&A.
STROKES AGAINST STROKE
A quartet of golfers will be on the back of a cereal box this
summer as part of Bayer Aspirin's campaign with the American Heart
Association to combat stroke, the third leading cause of death
in the United States.
Tom Kite of the PGA Tour, Nancy Lopez of the LPGA, Senior tour
member Tom Weiskopf and Chris DiMarco of the Nike Tour will be
on the back panel of more than 5 million boxes of Product 19 and
Just Right cereal.
As part of the promotion, Kellogg will offer a PGA Tour windshirt
at about 40 percent off its retail value of $70.
Bayer will donate $1,000 to the American Heart Association
for every birdie made in May by Kite, Lopez, Weiskopf and DiMarco.
Bayer has donated more than $150,00 to the American Heart Association
over the last two years.
ON THE MOVE
Larry Dorman, formerly the golf writer for The New York Times,
joined Callaway Golf Company as vice president of advertising,
press and public relations, effective immediately, the company
announced.
In addition to writing for the Times, Dorman, 46, also was
a contributor to Golf Digest and Golf World. He is also the outgoing
president of the Golf Writers Association of America.
Dorman has been on a leave of absence during the past three
months, working with Ely Callaway on his autobiography, "Big
Bertha and Me: How We Built a Two Billion Dollar Company in Just
a Dozen Years." The book will be published next year by the
Broadway Books division of Bantam, Doubleday, Dell.
IN PRINT
Golfing, a monthly magazine which debuted in 1994 but went
into hiatus to reorganize, returns to the newsstands May 7 aimed
at a younger, hipper audience. The June issue features a 600-word
piece by President Clinton called, "Why Can't You Play All
the Great Courses."
The magazine identified its audience as "25-49 year old
daily-fee golfers" and made its point by having members of
the rock band Presidents of the United States of America on the
cover of its inaugural issue.
DIVOTS
Tom Lehman's tie for 4th in the MCI Classic gave him enough
points to become the top-ranked golfer in the world, ending Greg
Norman's record 96-week run in the top spot. Lehman is the second
American to lead in the rankings' 11-year history. Fred Couples
was up top for 15 weeks ending in July 1992. Norman is in second
place, followed by Steve Elkington, Nick Price, Woods, Colin Montgomerie
and Mark O'Meara. ... Price is the only player on the PGA Tour
this year with a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finish. ... Jesper Parnevik
has more 2nd-place finishes (4) than anyone else has total top-3
finishes. ... Three players on the PGA Tour are averaging more
than $100,000 per start this year: Elkington ($176,511), Woods
($138,050) and Price ($102,907). ... Defending champion Ernie
Els committed to the Buick Classic at Westchester Country Club
set for June 19-22, the week after the U.S. Open. PGA Championship
winner Mark Brooks is also among those committing early.
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