Nick Abramo Tiger Woods is here again, and it’s evident that he’s continuing to grow in maturity, wisdom, and yes, believe-it-or-not, skill. The first time Tiger came to the Po’ipu Bay Resort Golf Course two years ago, he arrived as
Nick Abramo
Tiger Woods is here again, and it’s evident that he’s continuing to grow in
maturity, wisdom, and yes, believe-it-or-not, skill.
The first time Tiger
came to the Po’ipu Bay Resort Golf Course two years ago, he arrived as the
newest golfing hero, and he had already attained legendary status even though
he was still a rookie on the PGA Tour.
All the hype then was about Tiger,
and, win or lose, he got all the attention.
Back then, he looked like he
was bothered by all the hoopla.
Last year, Tiger was more friendly and
relaxed and he seemed like he had gotten used to all of the attention.
This
year, he looks even more relaxed and it seems like he’s got it all together —
his life, his attitude towards the attention, and his game.
When a
spectator on the 16th hole yelled “the eye of the Tiger!” Woods smiled. Two
years ago, it’s doubtful he would have responded at all.
It looks like he’s
loving life.
“I enjoy my time here (on Kaua’i),” Woods said after winning
his first round match over Paul Lawrie. “This course sets up for my game. Most
of the bunkers are 270 yards out, so I can avoid most of the trouble with no
wind like today. Bring the wind in and it’s a different ballgame.”
Woods
says his game has improved each year since turning pro, and he went as far as
saying his game has improved each year since he was a junior golfer.
“Yes,
every year, I have strived to become a better player, and when the next year
comes around, I always ask, am I a better player than I was last year? There’s
always room for improvement.”
Woods also said that his game made a marked
improvement last year, but it didn’t show in the stats as much as it has this
year.
Part of his improvement, Woods said, has come from taking some
distance off of his drives and increasing his ability to control the ball
flight and trajectory. He said his short game has gotten much better as
well.
Being on the road does take its toll on Woods.
“Sometimes, I’ll
wake up in the middle of the night in a hotel room and call the front desk and
ask what city I’m in,” he said.
When asked what sport he would play other
than golf if he had his choice, Woods mentioned baseball or
basketball.
“But I’m not tall enough or fast enough to play those sports.
So I think I’ll just stick with golf,” he said.
Woods also gets
homesick.
“For us, it’s not half of the games on the road and half at home.
We’re always on the road.”
Woods, having won numerous tournaments this
year, is making history almost every time he plays in a tournament.
He can
also add to his already glorious history on Kaua’i. He placed second to Ernie
Els here in 1997 and then beat Vijay Singh in the match play final last
year.
Today, he’s up against Davis Love III who had a red hot round in
defeating Jose Maria Olazabal.
“I expect a good match,” Woods said. “We
play similar games.”
Woods said he was tired yesterday, having flown in
from Japan.
“I was feeling kind of spacy out there,” he said. “I’ll get a
better rest, and I always feel better on the second day.
Watch out. He
isn’t a rookie anymore, nor is he a second year player trying to find his full
potential. He’s a three-year veteran simply making all those early prophecies
of his greatness come true.
