Tigers Woods overpowers Augusta National
By RON SIRAK
AP Sports Writer
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Part of the aura of the Masters is that
history is bigger than any one player. That was before Tiger Woods,
who was simply too big, too long, too powerful for Augusta National
in Friday's second round.
Playing the par-5 holes with the kind of short-iron second
shots most players hit into par-4s, Woods was 5-under-par on the
four long holes as he shot a 66 - the lowest round of the tournament.
"My strategy is to just drive the ball well on the par-5s,"
Woods said. "If I drive the ball well, I should reach all
of the par-5s in two."
With that enormous advantage, Woods was at 8-under-par 136
after 36 holes, three strokes better than Colin Montgomerie and
four better than Costantino Rocca. And that set up a weekend in
which the 21-year-old Woods will be taking on the world.
"It all depends on Mr. Woods," Montgomerie said after
shooting a 67. "The way he is playing, this course tends
to suit him better than anyone else. Still, there is more to it
than hitting the ball a long way.
"The pressure is mounting. I have more experience in major
golf than he has," Montgomerie said. "Hopefully, hopefully,
I can prove that."
Friday's round was an overpowering effort by Woods, who hit
drives to places no one had ever hit the ball before. He averaged
336.5 yards off the tee, missed only one fairway and needed only
29 putts.
"I felt very comfortable with my game," Woods said.
"I was very relaxed and very patient."
He hit an short-iron into the 555-yard second hole, drove within
15 paces of the 360-yard third and needed only a sand wedge from
105 yards into the 455-yard 11th hole.
This dazzling display of power was at its most impressive on
the back nine.
The two par-5s on the back side simply have to be redone -
stretched out, the tee boxes moved into another county - or else
Woods will need an enormous amount of closet space to contain
all the green jackets he could win here.
He hit a 7-iron into the 485-yard 13th hole and made an eagle
from 15-feet and drove 350 yards on No. 15, hitting a wedge from
150 yards to 12 feet for a two-putt birdie. In between he birdied
No. 14 after hitting a 115-yard sand wedge to 3 feet.
Woods played the back nine 10 under par in two rounds - a mere
62 strokes for 18 holes. He was 4 over par after the front nine
on Thursday and played the next 27 holes 12 under par.
While there is no telling how Woods will respond to the enormous
pressure of the weekend, he seems to be playing a different golf
course than everyone else and he seems to be showing the patience
needed to win at Augusta.
Certainly Woods has a formidable group hanging near him. Fred
Couples, Jeff Sluman and Jose Maria Olazabal were at 141. Paul
Azinger, Paul Stankowski and Nick Price were at 142. And Tom Watson,
Ernie Els and Davis Love III were at 143.
Defending champion Nick Faldo and Greg Norman both missed the
cut while Jack Nicklaus qualified for the weekend and will break
Sam Snead's record of 147 rounds played at the Masters by one.
The course played a little easier on Friday. There were 19
scores under par compared to seven in the first round, mostly
because the pin placements were marginally easier - if there is
such a thing as an easy pin at Augusta.
"It was a little more humid today so the greens were slightly
more kind," Montgomerie said.
The entire matter of getting approach shots close to the hole
is easier for Woods since he is able to loft high iron shots into
even the par-5s. At times it was almost as if he was on the course
by himself.
Woods walked off the first tee with his head down, staring
at the ground, his golf glove dangling from the finger tips of
his left hand, almost as if he was searching for a special zone
of concentration beneath his feet.
He must have found it. The round he put together was a staggering
example of power and touch.
Woods hit a laughably long drive on No. 2, leaving a short
iron into the 555-yard hole but missed the green, then missed
the green again, but saved the hole by chipping in from 15 feet
for birdie.
His birdie on No. 5 came on an approach shot to 4 feet and
the birdie putt on No. 8 was half that length.
Woods hooked into the pine straw left of the ninth fairway
and had to play a low punch shot under the trees. He got a break
when the ball hit the gallery and stayed on the fringe instead
of rolling way long. His putt from 35 feet rolled 8 feet past,
but he made the par saver, punctuating it with his trademark pumped
fist.
He then started the back nine with three safely played pars
then shifted into overdrive on No. 13, his eyes almost lighting
up with anticipation as he faced a stretch of holes he could simply
overwhelm.
Tiger Woods has proven he hits the ball too long for Augusta
National. Now he has to prove he can handle the pressure of a
weekend showdown at a major championship.
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