Open Just Might Be Tiger’s Cup of Tea

He was dressed all in black, from cap to shoes, the color of the sky late Tuesday afternoon, but Tiger Woods was in a decidedly sunny mood after his practice round for the British Open.

It has been only a month since Woods won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 shots and edged closer to history. If he wins this week on the Old Course, Woods will have won all four majors--a career grand slam--and, at 24, become the youngest to do it.

Naturally, he has thought about it.

“If there are any two tournaments you want to win and have them on specific golf courses, you’re going to want to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the British Open at St. Andrews,” Woods said. “It is just ironic that it happened to be in the same year and ironic that I get to have the chance to complete the ‘slam’ on the most historic golf course ever designed.”

Four players have won all four of the modern majors: Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazan and Gary Player.

“It is nice to have an opportunity to complete the slam at St. Andrews, but if my career goes as long as I hope it will go, I think I might have a few more opportunities,” Woods said. “And that’s something you have to keep in the back of your mind.

“I know that when it is time to play Thursday, I couldn’t care less about the slam.”

What Woods probably will care about is the unusually firm condition of the Old Course. There hasn’t been any rain and the fairways are so dry that balls are running through them. There also hasn’t been any wind, the factor that makes the Old Course so difficult, although that could change at any moment.

Actually, Woods is hoping for some wind, which might even help him drive some of the shorter par four holes.

And, of course, wind alters his club selection considerably. For example, on No. 1, a 376-yard par four, Woods used a driver when the wind was in his face. He also played it with a three-iron and sand wedge when the hole played downwind.

Woods tied for 23rd in his last PGA Tour event, the Western Open, but he didn’t seem too upset about it. As for any lingering aftereffects from his romp at Pebble Beach, Woods said there aren’t any.

“But I feel pretty good about my game,” he said. “I felt pretty good going into the U.S. Open. I feel pretty good going into this tournament as well. Am I more confident?

“I don’t say I feel great, nor do you want to feel great. It is only Tuesday.”

Feeling great Tuesday isn’t nearly as rewarding as feeling great Sunday evening.

As No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Woods’ margin over No. 2 David Duval is 14.77 points. Woods has won five PGA Tour events and $4,976,431 in prize money. He has been identified as the player to beat by his peers in every tournament he plays.

Nick Faldo, a three-time British Open winner, said a fast course helps Woods’ chances.

“We worked out that he can drive six of the greens, and he gets on the fifth with a driver and a wedge,” Faldo said. “So that is really great.”

And if there is a crosswind, he said, Woods can handle that too.

“Tiger has obviously proved already he has some serious shot-making in his repertoire,” Faldo said. “He is the man to beat.”

Woods worked on a few other parts of his repertoire Tuesday afternoon. He was on the putting green tinkering with his stroke. He said his posture wasn’t quite right, but that wasn’t all. He also said his left hand was wrong, he was “narrowing the clubhead” through the ball and trying to get the toe of the putter “to come over a little bit.”

He said he was making putts, but he wasn’t making them properly.

“There is a difference,” Woods said.

Unless the weather changes and the Old Course softens up, Woods is going to be able to get in line with everybody else and take advantage. He said several players are changing their wedges to try to go for a little less bounce and get the blade beneath the ball a little more.

This is his sixth British Open, and it’s different than any Woods has seen.

“Even for a British Open, this is different,” he said. “It is so much faster. I am not the only one saying this, but it is weird to have the fairways faster than the greens. You go out there 40 yards from the green, you hit a putt and it runs faster, then slows down on the green.”

The latest posted odds figure Woods as a 15-8 favorite to win here and add the fourth major to his resume. At this point, there doesn’t appear to be much that can slow him down on the greens or anywhere else.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

British Open

Thursday-Sunday

at the Old Course

at St. Andrews

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Defending Champion

Paul Lawrie

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Purse

Approximately $4.4 million

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COMING THURSDAY

Focus On British Open

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