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His own zone Woods ranks up there with alltime favorites
Posted: Thursday July 06, 2000 02:33 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle will answer your questions every Thursday during the golf season. Click here to send him a question. There have been plenty of overwhelming favorites in sports --from Secretariat at the 1973 Belmont to the Colts over the Jets in Super Bowl III to Georgetown over Villanova in the 1985 NCAA title game to the Bulls against anybody in the NBA finals in the '90s. When Tiger Woods arrives at St. Andrews to take on the Old Course in the British Open, he'll probably be the heaviest favorite to win a golf tournament, in the wake of his U.S. Open blowout at Pebble Beach, since Bobby Jones in the U.S. Amateurin 1930. Woods had a career putting week at Pebble Beach, every bit as good as the putting week he had when he blew out the '97 Masters field. He's also a much better player now, with more shots, a better swing and the best short game on Tour. He's not going to continue to win majors by 15 shots. He may never do that again. On the other hand, as I wrote even before Pebble Beach, it looks to me as if he's got a chance to win four consecutive majors. If John Daly can overpower St. Andrews with his length, Tiger can, too. He's longer and straighter and more disciplined. The PGA will be played at Valhalla, a Jack Nicklaus design. Generous fairways, abundant trouble around the greens, lots of required high, soft fades. In short, another Tiger track. Then Woods returns to the course best suited to his game of them all, Augusta National. This guy is smashing every other record, I wouldn't be surprised to see him score four in a row. It's never that easy in a major, of course. The Old Course is full of subtleties that will challenge Woods and make it difficult for him, or anyone else, to separate themselves from the field. Speaking of that, let's go to the mail:
Other than the fact that St Andrews is the birthplace of golf, what makes it one of the greatest courses in the world? Because other than its history and exotic look (to us Americans), it's really not that obvious. Like those Where's Waldo puzzles, the beauty of the Old Course is in the details. There are so many humps and bumps and small bunkers that you don't even notice. You can play the course a number of times and keep discovering new things. A pot bunker 180 yards off the tee to the right may never be in play -- until the wind switches and starts blowing 45 mph into your face and then it's placed perfectly. The constantly changing weather along the Firth of Forth adds to the Old Course's legend. It makes the course play completely different. Into the wind, you may worry about carrying your approach shot over the Swilcan Birn in front of the first green. Downwind, you'll be wondering how on earth you're going to stop your approach on the green. The weather makes the course into a chameleon, a role its intricate design makes it perfectly suited for. On a calm, sunny, warm day, the Old Course is a pushover for a Tour pro. Luckily, Scotland hardly ever has days like that.
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger. He is not the biggest or strongest player on Tour, so what makes him drive the ball so far and straight? Actually, Woods may be the strongest player on Tour. If you look at a photo of him from four years ago, he has added a ton of muscle to his formerly slim frame. He works out a lot and can bench press more than 300 pounds, I'm told. He drives the ball straight because his swing is right out of a textbook. The club is in all the right positions all the way through. He hits it so far because he generates much more clubhead speed than even most Tour pros. While you wouldn't teach a kid to swing like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer or even Ben Hogan -- great players who developed their own styles -- Wood's swing is a model for everyone to emulate.
No question, and no reply necessary. Just a thanks for putting Mr. L.A. Country Club in his place. I'm a copywriter and I couldn't imagine a pithier, more hard-hitting reply to such a pompous comment. Eagle for Van Sickle. Thanks. That gets me back to 14 over.
Have you or anyone in the Sports Illustrated art department ever noticed how much Tiger Woods resembles that magnificent other phenomenon, King Tut? Take a look at that golden mask from the tomb and you'll see a remarkable resemblance. Not so surprising, considering his ethnicity is African-American and Asian-American. Egypt would have been the crossroads of those two. Maybe you'll use this resemblance in an art layout sometime. As for the Great Pyramids -- monuments to a king or giant tee markers?
I am almost 31 years old, and just started playing golf in the summer of 1997. I think, for the short amount of time I have been playing, I am doing quite well, with a handicap of 26. I would like to get to a competitive level within the next couple of years. I mostly like to play from the white tees (still play from red when playing with the women's club I belong to). I get hassled by some marshals and starters for playing from the white tees. What should my reply be? I don't see myself playing any slower from the whites than the reds. Tell the starter you'll see him on the 18th green in four hours, 15 minutes -- if your playing partners can keep up. You're a paying customer. The starter is there to serve you, not the other way around. You should be able to play from any tees you like.
Do you think they should have a professional golf tournament in honor of John Daly? All contestants will be required to quit trying their best on either Thursday or Friday and must withdraw from the tournament prior to completing their round on Friday. With such a tournament in place, people could see some of their favorite pros and the sponsor would not have to put up any money. Maybe they could get kids from local golf teams to caddie and have them walk off midway through the round. The volunteers could leave whenever they wanted for whatever reason they choose. The scorekeepers could throw down their pens if they so please. The only people required to stick it out until the last putt drops will be the people selling beer. Your letter got off to a great start, David. I loved the first two sentences. Didn't read the rest. Click here to send your golf question to Gary Van Sickle.
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