Saturday, November 20, 1999
Woods-O'Meara trail Spain by one shot in
World Cup
By PHIL BROWN
Associated Press Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - With the queen of Malaysia in
the gallery, the U.S. team of Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara pulled
within one stroke of the lead Friday at the World Cup.
O'Meara shot a 6-under-par 65 and Woods had a 68 to put the
Americans at 273 after two days. Spain leads the 32-team tournament
at 272.
Miguel Angel Martin and Santiago Luna each shot 66 for Spain.
Martin joined Woods and Philip Price of Wales in the individual
scoring lead at 135.
The United States has won 21 of the 44 World Cups but none
since Fred Couples and Davis Love III swept four in a row from
1992 to 1995.
O'Meara, the 1998 U.S. Masters and British Open winner, rebounded
after shooting a 73 in the opening round.
"I helped my partner out a little bit. We still have a
lot of work to do," he said. "You make a few more putts,
get a little confidence and feel a little more relaxed on the
greens. Today that kind of happened."
O'Meara acknowledges an obligation to raise his game when playing
with Woods, who has won eight tournaments this season in one of
the great years in golf.
"Am I feeling a little pressure?" he asked. "Yes."
Among the thousands following the U.S.-Spain foursome was Malaysia's
queen, Permasuri Tuanku Najihah. She had received a golf lesson
from Woods the previous day as a birthday present.
Clad in a yellow shawl, the queen arrived unobtrusively at
the first green just in time to see Woods drive within 40 yards
of the pin, chip within 10 inches for a birdie putt.
Sweden moved into third place at 277, with Jarmo Sandelin shooting
65 and Patrik Sjoland 66 at Mines Resort and Golf Club.
Woods, who had a 67 in the first round, putted poorly on the
13th and took a double bogey, a hole he likened to "playing
hockey."
But two holes later, he responded with a birdie, sending a
pitch and run from a bunker through the rough that stopped 4 feet
from the hole.
"We both played some pretty good golf," Woods said.
Aside from the 13th hole, "I hit a lot of good putts, and
some putts went in, which was nice. We fed off each other."
The U.S. and Spanish teams had to sit out a two-hour delay
for a thunderstorm before each player sank his last two putts.
Next year, the World Cup will become the fourth event of the
World Golf Championships. The tournament will offer bigger prizes
and alternate-shot and four-ball play instead of stroke play.
Total prize money will double to $3 million, with the winning
team collecting $1 million instead of $400,000. The tournament
no longer will offer $100,000 for best individual score.
Wales, led by Price's 67 Friday, was tied for fourth at 278
with Argentina. England was at 279 and Ireland at 280.
Japan, the first-round leader, dropped to eighth at 284 with
New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Japan's Mamoru Osanai went from an opening
65 to 76.
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