Tiger at Troon: Woods tries to master wind
By RON SIRAK AP Golf Writer
TROON, Scotland (AP) - Tiger Woods grabbed a wedge, plopped
a ball on the practice tee at Royal Troon and took a hard swing
with a short follow through, sending a low shot boring through
the wind.
He followed that wind-beater with another and another, hitting
shots less likely to get blown astray by the almost constant wind
off the Firth of Clyde on western Scotland's Ayrshire coast.
Woods arrived at Troon on Monday, landing at nearby Prestwick
airport an hour before noon, and before the jet engine had time
to cool was practicing the shots needed to win the British Open.
Just moments earlier, Steve Elkington - a top contender in
the 126th Open that starts on Thursday - was talking about the
effect of the wind on Woods.
"He's a high-ball hitter," Elkington said, implying
Woods could have trouble if the weather turned nasty. Then a slight
grin crept over Elkington's face.
"He's probably been working on a punch shot all week and
he probably has it down pat," Elkington said, not knowing
that barely before the words were out of his mouth Woods would
be practicing exactly that shot.
Woods, who played in Spain on Sunday with several other possible
members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, teed off for his first practice
round at Troon shortly before 1 p.m. with Mark O'Meara, John Cook
and Dudley Hart.
It was Woods' first chance since last year's British Open at
Royal Lytham - when he set the amateur scoring record - to put
the low knock-down shots into practice on a true links course.
"He hit a lot of them out there today," his coach,
Butch Harmon, said after Woods finished his practice round.
"He's very comfortable with them," Harmon said. "He's
got great touch and that's what you need to hit it," he said
about the low shots played with an abbreviated swing.
If the weather is calm this week - as it was at Lytham - Woods
will be able to swing freely with the driver as he did in winning
the Master by 12 strokes.
"He just has to be the favorite this week because he hits
the ball so far," Elkington said, adding that some hazards
at Troon aren't hazards for Woods.
"Some of those bunkers, I mean they are out there 250
yards," Elkington said. "He wouldn't even notice those
bunkers if there was a guy lying dead in there."
Then, referring to the rough that was exceptionally deep in
some places, Elkington stated the obvious.
"He has to put the ball in the fairway," Elkington
said. That was something Woods didn't do often enough in finishing
19th at the U.S Open last month.
One decision facing Woods this week will be whether to try
to drive the first three holes - par-4s ranging between 364 yards
and 391 yards.
Normally they play downwind, making it even more tempting.
On this day there was a steady crosswind blowing from right to
left off the sea.
Woods unleashed the driver on No. 1 - easily clearing the last
bunker 264 yards out - and was within 40 yards of the green on
the 361-yard hole.
He drove with his 2-iron on the next two holes, hitting the
fairway on No. 2 and finding the left side pot bunker on No. 3.
Woods stood on the fourth tee trying to find the fairway amid
the barren landscape. His caddie, Mike "Fluff" Cowan
pointed to the right side bunker and said, "257 to carry
it."
But Woods needed first things first.
"What's the target?" Woods asked.
"I think it is that red chimney thing," Cowan said,
pointing to a landmark nearly a half mile away.
Woods took a big swing with the driver and immediately jerked
his head in disgust.
"Pulled it," he said, holding out his hand and saying
"ball' " to Cowan.
The next attempt found the short rough on the left side 337
yards from the tee, leaving only 220 yards to the par-5.
These opening holes are the ones that must be attacked to get
a good score at Troon.
"It's almost like playing two courses," Elkington
said. "Once you get to No. 8," he said, stopping and
shaking his head to indicate how difficult the course is over
the last 11 holes.
"Ten and 11 are the two hardest tee shots you have to
play all year," he said. "The 13th is probably the hardest
hole you've ever seen," he said about the 465-yard par-4.
"Weiskopf said when he won here (in 1973) he never reached
that green in two," Elkington said.
In addition to Woods, Elkington rated Colin Montgomerie, Ernie
Els, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Tom Lehman as the
top contenders this week - "The best ball-strikers,"
he called them.
"All the top players are playing well," Elkington
said. "That's the way Ernie and all those guys feel. They
don't feel anyone can beat them."
Tiger Woods just might have the shots to beat them all.
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