Thursday, June 8, 2000
No Tiger? No problem
By JOHN NICHOLSON
AP Sports Writer
HARRISON, N.Y. (AP) — Tiger Woods has
once again distanced himself from golf's other top stars.
While Woods is across the country preparing
for next week's U.S. Open, the Buick Classic begins Thursday with
one of the best fields in its 33-year history.
“I like playing here and that's why
I'm back,” David Duval said Wednesday after his pro-am round
on the tree-lined Westchester Country Club course.
Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Vijay
Singh are also in the field that features four of the top six
players in the world rankings and nine of the top 15.
“I think it works out well heading
to Pebble Beach,” Duval said. “But the guy who chooses
not to play here thinks he's better off doing that. It's a very
personal thing.”
Woods, who has a five-year sponsorship deal
with Buick for a reported $20 million to $25 million, is sticking
with his major championship routine.
“Tiger doesn't play the week before
a major no matter what. That's the old Jack Nicklaus plan,”
said Duffy Waldorf, the defending champion in the Buick Classic.
“Myself, I don't like to get to a tournament
too early. Even if I was staying home this week, I still wouldn't
go up there until Monday.”
Ernie Els, the 1996 and 1997 Buick Classic
winner, is playing for the third straight week.
“This is one of my favorite events.
It's tough for me to miss this one,” the two-time U.S. Open
champion said.
The South African downplayed the U.S. Open
connection.
“Unlike other years, this is not really
a good warmup for the U.S. Open,” Els said. “Pebble
Beach will be much different. You have to take this week, then
pick up out there next week.”
Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Greg Norman
also are in the field along with Tom Lehman, Jim Furyk and European
Ryder Cup players Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik, Jose Maria Olazabal
and Jean Van de Velde.
“It has a lot to do with the course,”
Singh said of the star-filled lineup. “When we play courses
other than Westchester before the Open, the fields are not as
strong as this. The fact that it's here attracts a good field.”
Singh, the 1993 and 1995 Buick winner, had
laser eye surgery last week to correct slight astigmatism and
nearsightedness.
“The way I putted the last day of the
Memorial, I thought I better do something drastic,” he joked.
“It takes some getting used to, especially the depth perception.”
Duval is winless in the last 14 months after
winning 11 times in the previous 17 months.
“I haven't made as many putts as I
did the last few years,” he said. “You have to make
a lot of putts to win.”
About 3 inches of rain fell on the course
Tuesday, forcing tournament officials to cut the pro-am to nine
holes.
“The rough was pretty bad, but the
course isn't too wet,” Duval said. “The greens were
a lot drier than I expected, so I think everything will be fine
come tomorrow.”
Divots:
Woods has made only two appearances in the tournament. He missed
the cut as an amateur in 1994 and tied for 43rd in 1997 in his
first full season as pro. ... Shigeki Maruyama, the Japanese player
who shot a 58 on Monday during U.S. Open qualifying in Rockville,
Md., is making his 15th start of the season. He's 17th on the
money list with $867,811. ... The tournament has ended in playoffs
the last two years, with J.P. Hayes beating Furyk in 1998 and
Waldorf topping Dennis Paulson in 1999. There have been eight
playoffs in the last 15 years, and 10 in 33 tournaments. ... The
winner will receive $540,000 from the $3 million purse.
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