Thursday, February 22, 2001
Tiger tries to snap out of
slump
By LEW PRICE
The Press-Enterprise
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The knee,
hyperextended three weeks ago during a post-round collision with
a fan, is well.
The swing, a little loose when last seen
two weeks ago, is tight again.
The psyche, under siege as the winless streak
stretches on?
That remains to be seen.
The Nissan Open began Thursday at historic
links of Riviera Country Club with the No.1 player in the world
seeking to answer the question: What's wrong with Tiger Woods?
The obvious answer is: nothing.
Woods is a threat to win this week just
as he was a threat to win every time he teed it up a year ago.
And don't think a world-class field that
includes Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III and Vijay Singh doesn't
know it.
“You see it on TV and in the magazines,
everyone saying, `What happened?''” Love said. “What
happened is that he's still the best player in the world. He hasn't
played that many tournaments and it's real hard to win out here.
“He's smart enough to realize you're
not going to win every time. There are too many Mark Calcavecchias
out there who can beat you. He's in an unenviable position that
when he doesn't win he gets more questions. But he's a very strong
person, and he'll handle it better than most.”
Woods loves Riviera.
This is the place where he played on the
PGA Tour for the first time after receiving a sponsor's exemption
at the age of 16 years, two months.
This is the place, he knows, where Hogan
dominated.
This is the place, too, where he has never
won, finishing 18th last year after tying for second in '99.
It is the place he would love to kick-start
his 2001 season and end the silly suggestions he is slumping.
Slumping?
True, Woods has not won in his past seven
starts, a stretch more than twice as long as any he endured a
year ago when he produced arguably the most dominant year in golf
history.
But during his “slump” he has
finished among the top 10 six times.
In his four starts this year, he has produced
a stroke average of 68.88. How good is that? It's the exact same
stroke average he produced during the first four events last year
when he won twice.
“I think it's funny more than anything,”
Woods said of the uproar his winless streak has caused. “I'm
not playing that bad. Last year I had two wins shooting the same
scores.
“It's luck of the draw. To be honest,
I never should have won that tournament at Pebble Beach last year.
To be 7 strokes down with seven to play .... I got lucky, and
that's what you need to have happen to you to win.”
Woods continues to vow he is close to that
locked-in zone he inhabited during all of 2000.
He spent last week in Las Vegas working
with his coach, Butch Harmon, and rehabbing the knee he hyperextended
at Pebble Beach.
The knee, he said, is 100 percent now, and
the swing is close.
“I haven't won't won in four starts
this year,” Woods said. “In my opinion, that's not a
slump. If went four years without winning, that would be a slump.
“I've been through this before. I'm
going to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm not going to fall off.
And when it clicks, it'll be pretty good.”
That much is certain.
Woods, remember, established 27 PGA Tour
records last year when it clicked almost weekly.
The only thing different so far this year
is some of the others are beginning to rise to the challenge.
“Tiger has obviously raised the bar,”
Paul Stankowski said. “It's just a matter of time before
guys catch up to what he's doing. I think we're seeing some of
the fruits of Tiger being on tour.”
The go-low mentality has gained currency,
with records dropping almost weekly. Woods was 17 under at the
Buick Invitational two weeks ago, missing a playoff by 2 strokes.
“This year I put myself in position,
but I've either been outplayed or made a couple mistakes down
the stretch,” he said. “All you can do is try as hard
as you can and put yourself in position and if things work out,
they work out. I love playing here (Riviera) — I haven't
won here, but I haven't played here that many times. Give me a
few years.”
Or perhaps even a few days.
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