Man for all majors Woods is constantly in the hunt at Grand Slams Click here for more on this story Posted: Saturday August 14, 1999 07:20 PM   New wrinkles in his swing mechanics have made Tiger Woods' game more consistent. AP MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) -- Tiger Woods has become a man for all majors. He almost won the U.S. Open. He could have won the British Open. And with a share of the third-round lead at Medinah Country Club, he is in position to win the PGA Championship. About the only place Woods no longer seems to be a factor on Sunday is Augusta National, where his 1997 victory was so dominant he will be a favorite every time he drives down Magnolia Lane. "My game has improved so much," Woods said. "Every shot in my bag has gotten better, and that's just because of maturity and more experience and a lot more practice. And hopefully, down the road I can say I'm a better player than I am now." Better now than he was two years ago? His victory in the Western Open in 1997 was his sixth on the PGA Tour, including the Masters. Since then, he has won four times in America and still hasn't bagged another major. "Just watch me," Woods often says, an invitation to see the difference in his game, obvious in the consistency more than the championships. He used to be a classic case of feast or famine. Sure, he won the Masters by a record 12 strokes, but he often found himself 12 strokes out of the lead in a major come Sunday. That's no longer the case. Even in the Masters, where he tied for 18th, he was only five strokes behind going into the final round. Woods has failed to finish outside the top 20 only two times in 16 tournaments this year. Since returning from his post-Masters break, Woods has won three times and finished no worse than seventh in the other three tournaments. All he needs now is another major. All Woods keeps doing is giving himself a chance. "I'm always disappointed when I don't win a major," he said. "I was disappointed last year. But realistically, you're not going to win one every year. The greatest players have never done that. All you can ask is to give yourself opportunities. "There are only four a year," he said. "If you can somehow have a chance to win on the back nine Sunday on each and every one, I figure for the rest of my life I would have a few of them in my pocket." Woods is not indifferent about the majors. Just the opposite. While his game is more complete, allowing him to choose between power or control, his passion has never been stronger. "Am I putting less pressure on myself? No, same amount," he said. "It's just I'm a better player. I'm hitting the shots better. I'm a better driver of the golf ball. My whole game is better. And because of that, it tends to make you outwardly a little bit more at ease. "But inside," he said, "it's a different story." It is a different story outside as well. Woods has added savvy to his skill. He has gone through an overhaul of his swing plane, giving him a better chance of controlling the ball flight and the distance. He constantly works on his short game. He hits driver when it makes sense. Some say Woods has become more cautious. Woods only says he has gotten better. "I've always had a good game plan," he said. "I just could never really execute them. If you can't execute your game plan, you're going to look like you can't play the game. You look aggressive or too conservative. I know what I want to do, it's just sometimes I really can't do it." He has done everything right this year except win a major. The PGA Championship represents the last chance of the 20th century for him to win his second major. There figures to be many more to follow. "There's just a handful of guys who threaten every major," Jay Haas said. Woods is one of them. Jack Nicklaus was the best at it. When he was a kid, Woods kept a chart of everything Nicklaus accomplished, from his two U.S. Amateur titles to his 18 professional majors. But Woods knows that Nicklaus' greatness goes beyond all the majors he won. "Jack finished second in 19 majors," he said. "How did he feel about it, losing that many times? But he also won 18. The key is to keep giving yourself enough chances. Eventually, you're going to win a few."   Related information Stories Haas posts 67, grabs PGA lead at 9 under; Woods, Weir lurk PGA Notes: Good news for Elkington Stats Second-Round Scores Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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