Woods’ Title Pursuit Remains on Course

The Tiger Woods bandwagon rolled over a couple of speed bumps at the U.S. Amateur, made a quick pit stop for a crucial swing change, then took off again.

So far, it has been quite a ride.

Woods won twice in match play Thursday at Pumpkin Ridge and moved confidently into today’s quarterfinal round against D.A. Points, a 19-year-old sophomore at Louisiana State.

Afterward, Woods used words economically in a self-appraisal of his golf game.

“I feel very positive about the way I’m hitting it,” he said.

Maybe there isn’t any reason to feel otherwise. Any way you look at it, two matches, two wins, one day--that’s good production.

It was a long and busy day for Woods. He was up at 4:30 a.m. to make his 7:15 tee time against Jerry Courville, knocked off Courville, 4 and 2, then got a quick lesson from swing coach Butch Harmon and went out to play Charles Howell right after lunch.

Woods wouldn’t say what he worked on, but Harmon did. Harmon said that Woods was bringing the club too high on his backswing and then moving through the ball too quickly.

“We fixed it,” Woods said.

Whatever the problem was against the 37-year-old Courville, Woods had an entirely different one against Howell.

Sure, Woods won, 3 and 1, but there was a side issue. It was the first time he had played someone younger in the U.S. Amateur. Woods is 20, Howell 17.

Howell, a high school senior, weighs 130 pounds. But he was a finalist in the U.S. Junior Amateur and won the Southern Junior Amateur at Pinehurst, N.C.

Even though he is now free to start classes at Westminster High in Augusta, Ga., Howell felt all right about being beaten by Woods.

“I didn’t lose 10 and 8, so I’m happy,” he said. “He’s awesome.”

At the very least, Woods has learned to take advantage of the eighth hole. It’s a 382-yard par-four and it’s where Woods made mid-course corrections in both of his Thursday matches.

He knocked a nine-iron 15 feet from the hole and made the putt to square his match with Courville, who nearly whiffed on his second shot when a bug flew in his eye.

“I think that was the key point, the turning point, because after that, I played very well,” Woods said.

Tied against Howell, Woods put his second shot five feet from the hole and eventually won the hole with a par. Howell had the misfortune of hitting a duck hook into the trees off the tee.

Woods had a lead he never relinquished. But he was as understated as usual.

“It’s just another match,” he said.

It looked as if it might not be just another match against Courville. The nine-time U.S. Amateur veteran was even with Woods through 11 holes, but began to fall apart at the par-three 12th.

Woods missed the green to the right, but Courville hit the ball left off the bank and into the water. Woods took the lead.

Woods went 2 up at the 13th with a two-putt par and 3 up at No. 14 when Courville missed the green and put his ball into an environmental hazard for a one-shot penalty.

After that, it was all over except for the hand-shaking. A quick visit with Harmon and one swing change later, Woods called curfew for the teenager Howell and started thinking about the rest of the week.

“The only thing that gets tougher is usually the opponent,” Woods said. “As we go along, your opponent obviously has played very well. And this keeps mounting. That’s it.”

Not yet anyway. If everything goes according to plan, Woods will be playing a 36-hole final on Sunday with a record third consecutive U.S. Amateur on the line.

“I’m just planning to go out there and win every match I can,” he said. “That’s it.”

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Tale of the Tiger

A look at Tiger Woods’ bid for a third consecutive U.S. Amateur championship:

THURSDAY’S MATCHES

* Second Round

Woods def. Jerry Courville, 4 and 2

(Note: With match tied, Woods won 12, 13 and 14)

* Third Round

Woods def. Charles Howell, 3 and 1

(Note: Howell, 17, was first younger U.S. Amateur opponent for Woods)

TODAY’S MATCH

* Quarterfinal

Tiger Woods vs. D.A. Points