Tuesday, November 2, 1999
Next stop for Woods: redemption at Valderrama
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — Talent alone is reason enough to believe
Tiger Woods is capable of winning more than the seven PGA Tour
titles he has accumulated this year.
What Davis Love III noticed about him this week is even more
telling.
After the first day of 27 holes in the Tour Championship, Love
spent two hours with Woods on a flight to Orlando, Fla., to attend
the memorial service for Payne Stewart.
“He just seems very, very confident and very, very sure
of himself,” Love said. “He has gotten everything around
him where he wants it. I think he knows what he has to do, and
he's going to do it. I don't see him easing off at all.”
When they returned to Houston, Love spent all day with Woods
during another 27-hole round in which the 23-year-old star dissected
Champions Golf Club to build a three-shot lead. Considering Woods'
track record with a lead, that was as good as a win.
Sure enough, Woods never let anyone close to him Sunday on
his way to a four-stroke victory, his largest margin since a 12-stroke
victory in the Masters two years ago. It was the 11th straight
time he has won after having at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
Where does that leave Woods?
From numbers alone, he is approaching territory few imagined
possible considering the depth of talent on the PGA Tour. Not
since Johnny Miller in 1974 has anyone won eight times in one
year. Yet Woods' can match that this week in the final World Golf
Championship event at Valderrama, Spain.
Another victory would make it 8-of-11 since the middle of May,
which sounds more like a decent game at the free throw line. It
also would leave the rest of golf wondering what scraps will be
left.
“He has gotten better every year,” Love said. “I
told the guys the first couple of years that he is not even close
to how good he can get. I think we're just starting to see that.”
If Love saw contentment and focus on that plane ride to Orlando,
he also saw a young man who was not getting wrapped up in his
success. Woods was asked two months ago after winning the NEC
Invitational about his hot streak, and all he talked about were
the countless hours of practice that no one saw but swing coach
Butch Harmon.
He said it again after winning at Disney World last week, and
again on Sunday after winning $900,000 to push his season earnings
past $5.6 million.
And in all three cases, Woods wouldn't even dare speculate
how far he could go.
“What do I want to get to? I guess like the Army commercial,
be the best I can be,” he said. “What that is, I don't
know. But I will continue to work and just pay my dues. I don't
know how much better I can get. We'll see.
“Over the course of the next 20 years, we'll see what
happens when I look back on my career. Then you'll be able to
understand when my peak was.”
Looking back on a 3-year-old career, everyone knows when his
peak wasn't.
After winning the Western Open in that whirlwind 1997 season
when “Tigermania” was at its peak, Woods won just once
on the PGA Tour until February in the Buick Invitational toward
the end of the West Coast swing.
But he knew the work he was putting into the game, along with
a strong mind that enabled him to contend even as his swing was
slowly going through an overhaul, was beginning to pay off.
“I'll let you in on a little secret,” he offered.
“After I came off the West Coast swing, I told Butch, 'Don't'
be surprised if I win seven times this year.' And I've won eight
times (including one in Europe), which has been nice, with a few
more tournaments to go.”
Only one of those is official, and for Woods it is the last
measure of redemption.
Two hours after he won the Tour Championship, Woods boarded
a charter for Spain. It was at Valderrama where he received perhaps
the most stinging criticism of his young career. He was 1-3-1
in another Ryder Cup the United States was supposed to win and
didn't.
Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, was beaten by former
factory worker Costantino Rocca in a pivotal singles match. Woods
caught the brunt of the blame.
“I'm excited about going to Spain. I'm really looking
forward to it,” Woods said. “I'd like to have another
run at it. The last time ...”
His voice trailed off as a Cheshire cat grin crept over his
face, as if he were preparing to pounce again.
“I'd like to have another go at that golf course.”
|
