Friday, June 16, 2000
Tiger's presence — and
play — intimidating at U.S. Open
By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Sports Writer
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The mere
presence of Tiger Woods was intimidating enough for many of the
other 155 players teeing off on fog-shrouded Pebble Beach.
Then he had the nerve to go out and shoot
a 6-under 65, leaving his fellow competitors with little to do
but put on a brave front.
There were no white towels waved to concede
defeat Thursday. Not so early into the U.S. Open, with thick fog
not even allowing the first round to be completed.
But it was clear that Woods would make winning
this Open a much more daunting task.
“The tournament is not over,”
Sergio Garcia said. “It has just started.”
“It's a long tournament. When you slip,
you can slip a lot,” Phil Mickelson said after a 71.
“He's beatable,” insisted New
Zealand's Michael Campbell, who also was six shots back.
Brave words, all. But not from Bobby Clampett,
who seemed to be thinking more about his job as a television analyst
even though he was only two shots back after a 67.
“The guy is so good. I'm fascinated
by him,” Clampett said. “I just love watching him.”
So does Rocco Mediate.
“I'm not surprised by anything he does,”
Mediate said.
The story of the first round of the 100th
Open was written before almost half the field had even teed off,
as Woods used a brilliant short game to get up-and-down seven
times from around the green to post his 65.
John Huston got in before Woods with a 67
and Miguel Angel Jimenez was only one back after a 66. But both
were virtually ignored as Woods set the tone for this Open early,
before thousands of fans lined around the picturesque fairways
watching his every move.
Jimenez wasn't ready to concede anything.
“I'm tired of it, yes,” the Spaniard
said. “Tiger is the best player in the world, but you'd think
there's only one player here. There's 156 players here.”
Actually 155, after John Daly blew up with
a 14 on the 18th hole and withdrew once again from the Open.
But top players like Mickelson and Lehman
were already six shots back of the world's best player, and beware
of a Tiger bearing a lead.
“I'd much rather have the lead than
try to catch up,” Woods said. “If you shoot the same
score as someone else that's leading the tournament, you lose.
I'd rather be leading.”
Woods will have to protect that lead Friday
with a late tee time, and the rush to finish the rounds suspended
by Thursday's fog could make conditions even worse.
At Pebble Beach, the weather can change
at any time, and that comforts some of those chasing Woods.
“Good conditions could change tomorrow
afternoon,” Paul Azinger said. “Then he will be on the
bad side of the tee times.”
A small consolation, perhaps. But just enough
to give Tiger's chasers a bit of much needed hope.
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