Woods disappoints at Wetsern with 76 opening
round
By Ed Sherman / Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO -- The man of Nike played like a Nike Tour player Thursday.
And Tiger Woods will be the first to admit it.
The defending champion now will have to struggle just to make
the cut after stumbling to an opening-round 76 at the Motorola
Western Open. About the only thing he did resembling the Woods
who has thrilled the world was launch a 366-yard drive on the
par-5 fifth hole.
Other than that, Woods was as cold as the day was hot.
"It was disappointing," Woods said. "I have
a good feeling about this place. But when you're not swinging
well, you can't go as low as you would like to go."
Woods never gave himself a chance. He was terrible on the greens
with 33 putts. Compare that with leader Greg Kraft, who had 24
putts en route to a 67, and there's the nine-stroke difference.
Woods had three-putts on the par-3 second and sixth holes.
In fact, the only good putt Woods made all day was with his
3-wood. Using it as a putter just off the fourth green, he knocked
in a 20-footer. But that was to save bogey, which was typical
of his day.
"I couldn't get a flow for the greens," Woods said.
"I couldn't get the ball where I needed to. I couldn't get
my pace. I couldn't see my line."
That'll about do it.
The rest of Woods' game wasn't much better. On the 177-yard
second hole, he hit what he thought was a perfect tee shot only
to see it land in the back bunker.
"Are you kidding me?" Woods muttered.
On the fourth, Woods hooked an iron off the tee into a small
creek. He left a shot in the bunker at 15, resulting in a bogey.
Woods had only two birdies on the day, both on par 5s, the
fifth and ninth.
"It's a matter of getting it together," Woods said.
"My great shots aren't as great as they used to be. It's
a day-to-day struggle out there."
The struggle could end Friday.
At this rate, Woods' weekend could be empty.
(c) 1998, Chicago Tribune.
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