Norman Points to Pressure on Woods

So this is how it goes in golf’s animal kingdom. Greg Norman, who is called the Shark, felt compelled to say something about the kid named Tiger.

“He is a human being,” Norman said.

Nicknames aside, we probably knew that already. In fact, there is evidence that Craig Stadler, known as the Walrus, is human as well.

But what Norman was talking about Tuesday is the level of expectations and how it relates to 21-year-old Tiger Woods. Basically, the problem is about perception, something along these lines: Woods enters tournament, Woods should win.

The latest case in point is the PGA Championship, which begins here Thursday at storied Winged Foot, where not even a player named after an animal may have much of an advantage.

“I think a lot of people are putting a lot of pressure on him,” Norman said. “When you have the extra pressure of winning the Masters, he is human just as much as anybody else.

“He is not going to play his best golf every day, just like the rest of us don’t play our best golf every day. He is good for the game and what he did for the Masters is phenomenal.”

What Woods did for the Masters was win the thing in record-breaking fashion. Woods’ 18-under score of 270 produced the largest winning margin in the modern history of major championships--12 shots.

And if that wasn’t enough, he won his next time out, at the Byron Nelson, and then won again at the Western Open.

Apparently, all that wasn’t enough. Some point out that in the two majors since the Masters, he finished tied for 19th at the U.S. Open and tied for 24th in the British Open.

“Augusta was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and it happened to be in a major,” Woods said. “I was lucky enough to have that happen.

“But as far as my performances in the other two majors, I just made too many mistakes.

“So, therefore, when people are saying that I [had] a chance to win the Grand Slam . . . well, yeah, I was the only one who had a chance. But, realistically, it’s almost next to impossible to win all four.”

Criticizing Woods’ play seems more like quibbling over greatness. After all, in his first full season on the PGA Tour, he already has won a record $1.82 million--in only 15 tournaments.

He has won four times. He leads the tour in driving distance and birdies, and is second in scoring to Nick Price and second in eagles to David Berganio.

Then you can factor in the influence he has had on the other players, who have had to work harder or stand aside. To their credit, his peers seem to have stepped up the pace.

But Woods doesn’t appear to be alone in his influence.

U.S. Open champion Ernie Els is 27 and Justin Leonard won the British Open at 25. This means there’s a whole lot of young going on.

“I think the older guys are seeing some of the younger guys in their 20s are now playing well and maybe taking their spots and they don’t want to relinquish their spots,” Norman said. “We want to get up there and I think that might spur on things.”

For young and old alike, the task at hand this week at Winged Foot would be made a lot easier with a few lawn mowers, a couple of chain saws and some watering hoses. The fairways are narrow, the rough is high and the greens are small and hard and they tilt like pinball machines.

Woods plans to use his driver only six or seven times on the 6,987-yard layout. The best way to play Winged Foot, Woods has learned from his coach, Butch Harmon, is to keep the ball below the hole . . . and stay out of the rough.

Harmon is one of four sons of the late Claude Harmon, who was the pro at Winged Foot for 31 years.

“This has been an unbelievable break for me,” Woods said. “He’s helped me on the greens, especially telling me things that only locals would know. Putts break certain ways. You got to believe it.”

For Woods, Woods fans and Woods followers, that’s the way it has been going all year. They’ve learned they have to believe it too.

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PGA Championship at a Glance

* Where: Mamaroneck, N.Y.

* Course: Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course (6,987 yards, par 70).

* When: Thursday-Sunday.

* Purse: To be announced ($2.4 million in 1996).

* Winner’s Share: To be announced ($430,000 in 1996).

* Television: TBS (Thursday-Friday, 9:05 a.m.-3:05 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 8:05-10:35 a.m.) and Channel 2 (Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.).

* Last year: Mark Brooks won with a five-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with Kenny Perry. Brooks closed with a two-under 70 and Perry shot a 68 for 11-under 277 totals at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky.

* Last week: Vijay Singh won the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Mich., closing with a six-under 66 for a four-stroke victory over six players. Singh, also the Memorial winner, had a 15-under 273 total.