It’s All Just Wishful Thinking

So maybe it is too early to cue Tiger Woods for his acceptance speech. If you think about it, chances are that Woods, the heavy favorite once again, won’t win the U.S. Open, because he has played seven of them and won only one.

The truth is that Tiger has formidable challenges to overcome, such as a golf course he doesn’t really know, the pressure of being the favorite, 42,500 fans yelling in his ear each day and other players who can hit the ball about as far as he does, and maybe even straighter.

He is familiar with them and so are you: David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and maybe even David Toms and Retief Goosen, to name a few.

It would be nice to hear Tiger’s innermost thoughts about the challenge he faces at Bethpage Black this week. Come to think of it, it would be great to know what he is really thinking every time he shows up to play a tournament.

Not going to happen. Woods doesn’t operate that way. His time with the media is usually spent revealing as little as possible while being polite at the same time. It’s a well-rehearsed approach and fairly effective, even though it’s not that fulfilling. You are virtually guaranteed to hear almost the same thing at each of Tiger’s news conferences.

For instance, take what he said at his only formal interview session with the media before the Open. It was pretty bland stuff.

Imagine how great it would be to really know what Tiger meant to say.

Woods: “I think anybody who can hit the ball long and high is going to have an advantage. But you’ve still got to hit the ball in the fairway in order to have a chance to win the title.”

Interpretation: “Long and high and goodbye, baby. Who’s going to finish second?”

Woods: “The fans are definitely into it.”

Interpretation: “The fans are definitely out of it. If I hear one more guy say ‘You da man!’ I think I’ll scream.”

Woods: “I’m pretty comfortable on this golf course.”

Interpretation: “All I need is a remote control and a recliner. The last time I was uncomfortable on a golf course, I had a rock in my shoe.”

Woods: “I’m pretty much comfortable with every facet of my game right now.”

Interpretation: “I love saying stuff like I’m comfortable with every facet of my game because it scares the Gatorade out of everybody else I have to beat.”

Woods: “I’m probably not hitting the ball like I did in 2000.”

Interpretation: “I’m probably hitting it better than I did in 2000.”

Woods: “[Winning the U.S. Open] would be great, not only for myself, but for the [Tiger Woods] Foundation.”

Interpretation: Winning the U.S. Open would be my eighth major title and put me close to $37 million in earnings all over the world. And thanks for lobbing up that softball question about the foundation. I love that stuff, so keep ‘em coming.”

Woods: “Hopefully our country can make it all the way [in the World Cup].”

Interpretation: “Hopefully this is the only soccer question I will get. I have to tell you, I don’t follow it very closely. Is Pele still playing?”

Woods: “I think it’s special for all of the players to play on a public golf course.”

Interpretation: “I think it’s the first time most of these guys have ever set foot on a public golf course, not when there are country clubs around.”

Woods: “I think the changes [in the game since I won my first major] that have happened the most, I think the golf balls have improved as well as the driver heads have gotten bigger.”

Interpretation: “I think the changes in the game since I won my first major is that I’ve won six of the last 10 majors and my head hasn’t gotten any bigger. I’m still pretty normal for a guy worth, what, a few hundred mil?”

Woods: “I think it’s just nice to get some rest and prepare and clear my mind [when I take two weeks off before a major].”

Interpretation: “I need two weeks off before a major to figure out how I’m going to spend the money.”

Money Update

The purse is going up at next year’s Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, from $3.6 million to $4.5 million. It’s expected to be $5.5 million in 2006. What this means for the Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club is that it has to keep pace.

The Nissan Open purse was $3.7 million this year, and it will have the lowest purse of any event on the West Coast swing next year unless there’s an increase in the works.

According to John Gill, director of Nissan Special Events, the tournament will be “in the $5-[million] plus range” by the end of its deal to sponsor the event in 2006.

Gill said the Nissan Open has signed a four-year agreement with mortgage lender Countrywide to be a presenting sponsor and said part of the money from that deal will be used to increase the purse and predicts other tournaments will follow the same route.

2008 and Counting

The USGA made no announcement Wednesday regarding the site of the 2008 U.S. Open, which still is expected to be either Riviera or Torrey Pines. There is no timetable for when the decision will be made.

Quote of the Week

From Nick Faldo, playing in his 60th consecutive major, asked his reaction to receiving a special exemption by the USGA:

“Well, I kept bugging them on the phone.”

More Faldo

He likes Bethpage Black. He called it a “monster diamond, a monster gem.”

Faldo says that it has everything.

“We have got length, accuracy, mega-thick rough, you’ve got bunkers that are eight feet deep and you’ve got super fast greens. Apart from that, it’s dead easy.”

Tiger/Nike/Pressure

Three of Tiger’s new Nike Golf TV commercials air during the Open and they’re all black and white. In one of the spots, called “Non-Negotiable,” Woods says all he wants to do is win majors and he’ll do anything to accomplish it. He finishes by saying, “Think they’re feeling a little pressure out at Nike?”

In another, titled “Contract,” Woods says his deal with Nike is that he can use other equipment if it’s better. Says Woods: “How is that for pressure?”

Credit Nike for finding a fresh way of tackling what could be a tricky issue and turning it into a positive.