Tiger Woods to play in Nissan Open
By Michael Mayo / Sun-Sentinel, South Florida
(KRT)
With his father recovering smoothly from heart-bypass surgery,
Tiger Woods felt comfortable enough to commit to this week's Nissan
Open in Los Angeles.
And barring any unforeseen complications, the Doral-Ryder Open
in Miami should follow on Woods' schedule, according to a source
close to the family.
Earl Woods, 64, was resting comfortably in a private room at
UCLA Medical Center on Saturday, and he could be released by the
end of the week. He underwent surgery on Wednesday, which doctors
termed successful, and was transferred from the intensive care
unit on Friday.
According to the source, Woods' father moved up the surgery
by a week in order to give Tiger peace of mind heading into the
Los Angeles event. The first 48 hours after surgery are considered
the most dangerous.
Doral-Ryder Open tournament director Scott Montgomery said
he would understand if Woods does not make it. But he has not
been contacted by Woods or his agency, International Management
Group, regarding his status for the event, March 6-9 at Doral
Resort.
Montgomery said he heard from a second-hand source on Friday
that "it did not look good" for Woods to play. But Montgomery
was unaware that the elder Woods had already left the ICU.
"Oh that's good," Montgomery said Saturday. "That
means all the tubes are out. But our message to Tiger is do what
you have to do. His father is certainly more important than a
golf tournament."
Montgomery knows what Woods is going through. Montgomery's
father, John Montgomery Sr., who founded Executive Sports, just
had heart surgery to replace his microvalve. After a 10-day hospitalization,
Montgomery was rlast Sunday.
Earl Woods' surgery was not a surprise. It has been planned
since he collapsed at The Tour Championship in Tulsa last October,
and it was timed with Tiger's schedule in mind. Tiger Woods traveled
to Thailand and Australia earlier this month while his father
awaited the procedure, his second. He had a quadruple-bypass 12
years ago.
Woods has made it a policy not to commit to PGA Tour events
until the deadline, the Friday before events. That's what he did
with Los Angeles. And that's what he will likely do with Doral,
where golf's big names converge to begin their Masters preparation
in earnest.
Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, Fred
Couples, Nick Price, Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd are scheduled
to compete.
Woods' agency, International Management Group, and Nike, his
$40 million primary sponsor, have crafted a schedule that emphasizes
big events and major markets. Later this season, Woods will play
tournaments in Dallas, New York and Chicago.
Woods' original schedule leading up to The Masters called for
stops at Doral, Bay Hill in Orlando (March 20-23) and The Players
Championship near Jacksonville (March 27-30). Woods is not expected
to play the Honda Classic in Coral Springs.
Count another big name out of the Honda Classic. Nick Faldo,
the defending Masters champion and an Orlando resident, will not
include Heron Bay on his run up to Augusta. He joins Woods and
Greg Norman on the sidelines that week.
But Nick Price, the 1994 Honda champion who broke a 17-month
victory drought in South Africa last week, committed this week.
So did Mark O'Meara, the 1995 winner who won back-to-back tournaments
earlier this month at Pebble Beach and San Diego.
Still undecided: 1993 winner Fred Couples, 1992 winner Corey
Pavin and John Daly, who usually plays.
"The schedule makes it a little tougher this year, but
we're still going to have a very good field," said Danley,
who noted the presence of international players Colin Montgomerie,
Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer.
Faldo has played the last five Honda Classics, including a
runner-up finish to O'Meara at Weston Hills two years ago. But
he decided to play the Nissan Open in Los Angeles next week before
Doral. That bumped Honda, because he didn't want to play five
in a row. After Doral, he will play at Bay Hill (March 17-20)
and The Players Championship (March 24-27) before The Masters
(April 10-13).
Last year, Honda benefited when the tour broke up the Florida
swing by putting New Orleans in between Orlando and TPC. This
year all four Florida tournaments are consecutive, and many top
players do not play four in a row.
With its relatively flat greens and lack of water, Heron Bay
is expected to yield low scores for its Honda debut, but the consensus
among a glamour group who played last week was "too tough."
Course designer Mark McCumber played with PGA Tour colleagues
O'Meara, Lee Janzen and Payne Stewart. O'Meara carded the low
score, a 69 which included a hole-out eagle at the first hole.
The group said the rough was too difficult at four inches,
and as a result it will be cut down a bit for the tournament.
The rough has been overseeded with rye, which makes it easier
than pure Bermuda.
Open qualifying for the Doral-Ryder Open will be held March
3 at The Club at Emerald Hills in Hollywood. Honda qualifying
will be at Hillcrest Country Club in Hollywood on March 10. Four
spots are available, and the field is capped at 258 players. Entry
is $200 for those with handicaps of two or less. Call the South
Florida PGA at 954-752-9299 for information... Presidential Golf
Club in North Miami Beach is soon closing for redevelopment after
being sold. When it reopens in late 1998 (with homes replacing
trees), it might be private...
Attention, North Carolina vacationers: Pinehurst No. 2 reopens
on March 1 after a nine-month hiatus. The venerable Donald Ross
course, which plays host to the 1999 U.S. Open, had its green
rebuilt to new USGA specifications... If the Ryder Cup points
race ended today, the European team would include Miguel Angel
Thomas of Spain, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Jean Van De Velde
of France. Huh? Sure that's not the Davis Cup?
(c) 1997, Sun-Sentinel, South Florida. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
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