Woods Not Winning, but He's Getting Close

By Thomas Bonk

June 10, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Many have hopped off the Tiger Woods bandwagon, leaving room for those who want to climb aboard for the U.S. Open next week.

Woods didn’t win the Memorial last week at Dublin, Ohio -- he was third, six shots behind Ernie Els -- and scored his only victory this year in the La Costa match-play tournament the last week of February.

Since then, Woods has had trouble keeping his tee shots on the fairway. But in the Memorial, he was 21st in fairways hit -- 44 of 56 -- and was in the hunt until he missed three fairways Sunday from the 11th through the 14th. And Woods, who had no three-putt greens, needed only 106 putts in all. Els, though, needed only 100, a Memorial record.

It’s about putting, as much as driving accuracy, according to Woods.

“That’s how you shoot scores,” he said. “You don’t go out there and drive every green and two-putt for birdie. You have to make putts. If you look at my [2000] U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, I didn’t miss one single putt under 10 feet for the week.

“Yeah, I hit the ball decent at times and I also hit the ball horrific at times. But when you make putts, it’s amazing what you can go out there and shoot.”

Tiger has said all along he was close to being the dominant threat he was a few years ago. With a tie for third in the Wachovia, a tie for fourth in the Nelson and his third in the Memorial, maybe he is.

Because Jim Furyk is sidelined by a wrist injury that required surgery, the U.S. Open champion isn’t going to successfully defend his title. Chances are, even if Furyk were healthy, he would have a difficult time.

Since 1991, Woods is the only player to have finished better than 40th in defending his title. Woods was 12th in 2001. Also, since 1991, four defending champions have missed the cut the next year, most recently Retief Goosen in 2002.

Corey Pavin made $350,000 when he won the U.S. Open at Shinnecock in 1995. The winner’s share will be at least $1.08 million this time.

The youngest and oldest U.S. Open champions? John McDermott was 19 in 1911 and Hale Irwin was 45 in 1990.

In case you were wondering, Shinnecock has 164 bunkers and two water hazards.

Most everyone remembers Pavin’s victory at Shinnecock and Raymond Floyd’s two-shot victory over Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins there in 1986, but there was a third U.S. Open at Shinnecock -- in 1896, the second U.S. Open in history.

Chicago Golf Club pro James Foulis shot 78-74 -- the tournament was a one-day, 36-hole event -- and beat defending champion Horace Rawlins by three shots.

By the way, Shinnecock measured only 4,423 yards -- the shortest course in U.S. Open history.

Someone needs to investigate the European Tour, which had a longshot winner for the second consecutive tournament.

Simon Khan, 31, of Epping England, ranking 255th, won the Wales Open in a playoff over Paul Casey last weekend. The previous week, Scott Drummond, 30, a 435th-ranking Scotsman, won the Volvo PGA Championship.

Khan, who was four shots down with six holes to play, has been to qualifying school six times and five years ago drove a taxi to make ends meet.

It’s another big week for Michelle Wie, who takes her game abroad this weekend when the U.S. plays Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup at Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, England.

The U.S. team won the last Curtis Cup, 11-7, at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh in 2002, but the series between amateurs has been almost even since 1986, with Britain-Ireland leading, 4-3-1

Wie, 14, will be the youngest player in the history of the Curtis Cup, which began in 1932. Even so, she is only one of five teens on the U.S. team, which for the first time has no players who are at least 25.

Pat Boone, Frank Bonner, Christopher Rich, C. Thomas Howell, David Naughton and David Rasche are among the celebrities scheduled to participate in the Children’s Network International tournament June 21 at Valencia Country Club. The event raises money to buy food for the poor and CARE boxes for disaster relief. Details: (760) 632-7770.

The 13th UCLA Athletic Department tournament, benefiting the men’s and women’s water polo teams, will be played June 28 at Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa. Details: (310) 206-0362.

The ninth California Women’s State Championship will be played July 19-21 at Pala Mesa Resort in Fallbrook. Details: (858) 673-1127.

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This Week

LPGA TOUR

LPGA Championship

* When: Today-Sunday.

* Where: DuPont Country Club (6,408 yards, par 71); Wilmington, Del.

* Purse: $1.6 million. Winner’s share: $240,000.

* TV: The Golf Channel (today, 1-3 p.m.) and Channel 2 (Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-3 p.m.).

PGA TOUR

Buick Classic

* When: Today-Sunday.