KC//CRIMSON
8/3/2007, 08:18 PM
TIGER WOODS CAN only hope his next Tulsa visit goes as smoothly as the less-than-24-hour pit stop he made in our town this week.
The world's No. 1-ranked golfer already knows one thing definitely won't be the same when he returns next week for the 89th PGA Championship. There is absolutely no way he'll go unnoticed like he did Monday night when a semi-disguise allowed him to dine in solitude at a local restaurant.
Arguably one of the world's most recognizable people, Woods will be the center of attention when thousands of spectators pack Southern Hills Country Club starting with Monday's practice rounds and spilling over to the four-day tournament Aug. 9-12.
Woods undoubtedly will put up with signing autographs and other demands from his legion of fans if he finds Southern Hills as kind to him as it was during a practice round early Tuesday morning on the legendary south Tulsa course.
"On more than one occasion during the round, Tiger said he thought the golf course was in great shape," said David Bryan, the club's assistant professional. "And, in not so many words, he said he liked it better than he did in 2001."
Bryan, the son of longtime Southern Hills head professional Dave Bryan, served as Woods' caddie. While less than 10 Southern Hills members watched a few holes from a distance, Bryan and Woods' coach, Hank Haney, were the only people with him during the entire four-hour round.
Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, normally travels everywhere with his boss.
But when Williams elected to fly straight from his home in Oregon to this week's PGA Tour event in Akron, Ohio, Bryan was put on the bag when Woods told Southern Hills officials he wanted to make a low-key visit to check out the venue of the final major of the year. Bryan first met Woods when Southern Hills hosted the 2001 U.S. Open.
That's when Woods and several other players complained that it was impossible to make approach shots stay on the ninth and 18th greens because of their dramatic back-to-front slopes.
"Tiger vividly remembered (Tuesday) how nine and 18 played and he wasn't happy about it that year and he knows a lot of guys weren't happy about it," Bryan said. "He said it was a shame that you had 16 great holes and then you had to play those two holes with goofy greens."
Woods was delighted to discover that has been rectified.
The more undulating parts have been softened, and the front of the greens were raised enough so good approach shots are rewarded instead of penalized when the ball rolls 30 or 40 yards off the front of the green.
It was on the 18 greens, according to Bryan, where Woods spent a good portion of his practice round.
"I have no idea what he shot, because he never putted out," Bryan said. "We never even pulled the flag stick out."
Instead, Woods carried a putter in his right hand and a yardage book in his left as he rolled balls from various locations on each green. After he watched the breaks in the green as the ball traveled to the hole, Woods traced every path in the book.
"He would spend seven or eight minutes on every green," Bryan said. "So from all angles and corners of the green, he was just rolling the ball."
In addition to being pleased about the green changes, Woods was also impressed with other improvements since his last visit in 2001, when he finished 12th. Southern Hills officials removed the fairway grass on every hole from tree line to tree line, installing a hybrid Bermuda, U3, which is more tolerant of the state's extreme weather.
"Tiger and Hank (Haney) both said on more than one occasion that the golf course was in great shape," Bryan said. "When Hank looked the fairways, he said the place immaculate."
Although Woods is famous for his intense concentration, Bryan found him laid back. On Monday, Woods flew into Tulsa on a private jet and stayed at the Renaissance Hotel.
"He went to dinner at Fuddruckers," Bryan said. "When I asked what they thought of him at Fuddruckers, he said, 'I walked in with my (golf) hat turned backwards and my shades on and they never had a clue.' "
Outfitted in a white shirt and tan shorts, Woods arrived at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at Southern Hills.
Although he has a reputation for spending hours on the driving range, Woods swung a weighted club in the parking lot a few times and told Bryan: "OK, I'm all warmed up, here we go."
With several doglegs and angles, Southern Hills doesn't allow Woods to take advantage of his considerable length off the tee.
He demonstrated during the practice round that he's not going to bomb every drive like he often did in the 1996 Tour Championship, when he finished 21st in a 30-player field in his other visit to Southern Hills.
"He hit the ball really, really well," said Bryan of Woods, who pulled out his driver on only six holes. "You could tell he wasn't trying to hit the ball very hard, and he was really trying to control his distances.
"And he hit it very straight. He missed two fairways and maybe two greens."
Woods will win his 13th major title if he repeats that performance the next time he's in town, with Tulsa and Southern Hills adding a significant chapter to his already-storied career.
http://tulsaworld.com/sports/golf/article.aspx?articleID=070801_2_B1_spanc63710&breadcrumb=Professional
The world's No. 1-ranked golfer already knows one thing definitely won't be the same when he returns next week for the 89th PGA Championship. There is absolutely no way he'll go unnoticed like he did Monday night when a semi-disguise allowed him to dine in solitude at a local restaurant.
Arguably one of the world's most recognizable people, Woods will be the center of attention when thousands of spectators pack Southern Hills Country Club starting with Monday's practice rounds and spilling over to the four-day tournament Aug. 9-12.
Woods undoubtedly will put up with signing autographs and other demands from his legion of fans if he finds Southern Hills as kind to him as it was during a practice round early Tuesday morning on the legendary south Tulsa course.
"On more than one occasion during the round, Tiger said he thought the golf course was in great shape," said David Bryan, the club's assistant professional. "And, in not so many words, he said he liked it better than he did in 2001."
Bryan, the son of longtime Southern Hills head professional Dave Bryan, served as Woods' caddie. While less than 10 Southern Hills members watched a few holes from a distance, Bryan and Woods' coach, Hank Haney, were the only people with him during the entire four-hour round.
Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, normally travels everywhere with his boss.
But when Williams elected to fly straight from his home in Oregon to this week's PGA Tour event in Akron, Ohio, Bryan was put on the bag when Woods told Southern Hills officials he wanted to make a low-key visit to check out the venue of the final major of the year. Bryan first met Woods when Southern Hills hosted the 2001 U.S. Open.
That's when Woods and several other players complained that it was impossible to make approach shots stay on the ninth and 18th greens because of their dramatic back-to-front slopes.
"Tiger vividly remembered (Tuesday) how nine and 18 played and he wasn't happy about it that year and he knows a lot of guys weren't happy about it," Bryan said. "He said it was a shame that you had 16 great holes and then you had to play those two holes with goofy greens."
Woods was delighted to discover that has been rectified.
The more undulating parts have been softened, and the front of the greens were raised enough so good approach shots are rewarded instead of penalized when the ball rolls 30 or 40 yards off the front of the green.
It was on the 18 greens, according to Bryan, where Woods spent a good portion of his practice round.
"I have no idea what he shot, because he never putted out," Bryan said. "We never even pulled the flag stick out."
Instead, Woods carried a putter in his right hand and a yardage book in his left as he rolled balls from various locations on each green. After he watched the breaks in the green as the ball traveled to the hole, Woods traced every path in the book.
"He would spend seven or eight minutes on every green," Bryan said. "So from all angles and corners of the green, he was just rolling the ball."
In addition to being pleased about the green changes, Woods was also impressed with other improvements since his last visit in 2001, when he finished 12th. Southern Hills officials removed the fairway grass on every hole from tree line to tree line, installing a hybrid Bermuda, U3, which is more tolerant of the state's extreme weather.
"Tiger and Hank (Haney) both said on more than one occasion that the golf course was in great shape," Bryan said. "When Hank looked the fairways, he said the place immaculate."
Although Woods is famous for his intense concentration, Bryan found him laid back. On Monday, Woods flew into Tulsa on a private jet and stayed at the Renaissance Hotel.
"He went to dinner at Fuddruckers," Bryan said. "When I asked what they thought of him at Fuddruckers, he said, 'I walked in with my (golf) hat turned backwards and my shades on and they never had a clue.' "
Outfitted in a white shirt and tan shorts, Woods arrived at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at Southern Hills.
Although he has a reputation for spending hours on the driving range, Woods swung a weighted club in the parking lot a few times and told Bryan: "OK, I'm all warmed up, here we go."
With several doglegs and angles, Southern Hills doesn't allow Woods to take advantage of his considerable length off the tee.
He demonstrated during the practice round that he's not going to bomb every drive like he often did in the 1996 Tour Championship, when he finished 21st in a 30-player field in his other visit to Southern Hills.
"He hit the ball really, really well," said Bryan of Woods, who pulled out his driver on only six holes. "You could tell he wasn't trying to hit the ball very hard, and he was really trying to control his distances.
"And he hit it very straight. He missed two fairways and maybe two greens."
Woods will win his 13th major title if he repeats that performance the next time he's in town, with Tulsa and Southern Hills adding a significant chapter to his already-storied career.
http://tulsaworld.com/sports/golf/article.aspx?articleID=070801_2_B1_spanc63710&breadcrumb=Professional