Woods Is Still a Tough Act to Follow

Like a gigantic human wave Friday, hordes of Tiger Woods followers wove through the eucalyptus groves of Riviera, hole by hole, the way cyclists weave through the Alps during the Tour de France.

When Woods and playing partners David Duval and Robert Damron completed their five hours of golf, the wave broke up, each fragmented group shagging after another favorite. But Tiger was the catalyst who attracted most of the 25,484 fans on a sunny Chamber of Commerce day.

The gallery, intent on catching every one of Woods’ 68 shots, slowed the pace, breaking ranks after each swing and dashing to a favorable viewing area on the next hole, causing the group playing behind to wait, and wait, and wait. Even when the players were able to hit, the crowds were rustling in the background, scrambling for position.

It was a quiet crowd, however, except for bursts of excitement when Woods made one of his six birdies, or the moans when he made a double bogey and bogey on his final three holes.

The crowd was more subdued, perhaps, because of Tiger’s outburst Thursday when a cell phone rang while he was putting. No one wanted to incur his wrath again.

On Woods’ back nine, actually the front nine, since he started on No. 10, the threesome fell more than a full hole behind.

“It wasn’t much different than the slow play every week,” said Pat Perez, who was playing in the group behind Woods with Chad Campbell and Carlos Franco. “It’s slow out here, no matter who you are playing behind.”

Perez, who has a reputation for one of the shortest fuses on tour, then said sarcastically, “As patient as I am, it was no problem.”

The former Arizona State star is the guy who blew a four-stroke lead last year at Pebble Beach and twice buried his iron into the fairway turf after missing shots. That allowed Matt Gogel to win the tournament.

Gogel was in the news Friday when he used a six-iron to ace the 165-yard 16th hole. It did not help him make the cut, however, after an opening-round 78.

Perez’s laid-back attitude might have come from shooting a two-under-par 69 that put him at 143, two shots better than the 145 cut.

“The greens were firm, the way I like them, and I putted well,” he said. “So I have no complaints about the day.”

Asked if playing behind Woods was more difficult than being paired with him, Perez snapped, “How would I know? I’ve never played with him.”

He once beat him, though. In 1993, Perez won the Junior World title at Torrey Pines as Woods finished fourth. Woods, however, won his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur later that year.

One reason for the long delays was that all three in the following group were long hitters, so they had to wait longer than normal until Woods’ group cleared the fairway.

Franco’s game was betrayed by stray fairway woods and irons on his first nine. The Paraguayan veteran was three over with a 39 after nine holes and two birdies on his second nine couldn’t save him from the 36-hole cut, which Campbell made at 143 with a 70.