| Harmon warns
Europeans over Tigers form Butch
Harmon had some bad news yesterday for the European side in the Ryder Cup matches
that begin tomorrow at The Belfry. Harmon,
Tiger Woods' swing coach for nearly a decade, walked with Woods in his practice
round yesterday looking for some flaw he might help correct. ``I
did nothing. His swing is perfect,'' Harmon said. Harmon,
left for dead as Woods' swing coach last month when stories surfaced that Woods
dumped the guru, did a pretty good job of reincarnating himself. The widely reported
split was explained by the principals as a backing off because Woods simply no
longer needs as much of Harmon's help. The
end might be near for the two, but yesterday Harmon was still on the job. He also
answered a couple of swing questions for Woods' teammate and rival, Phil Mickelson,
whose swing coach, Rick Smith, did not make the trip. Tension
on the rise The
civil tone set by U.S. captain Curtis Strange and European captain Sam Torrance
turned slightly tense yesterday over a misunderstanding of plans to play the 311-yard,
par-4 10th hole from the tips instead of the front tee, from where it becomes
a drivable hole perfect for match play. Torrance
told the media the only way he would move the tee markers up front was if his
players asked him to do that. At the same time Strange was being assured by John
Paramor, who is with the European Tour field staff, that the tees would be back
all week. ``My
team has to prepare,'' said a somewhat peeved Strange when informed of Torrance's
remarks. ``If the tees go up one day and they haven't practiced, then something
is not right.'' Torrance
returned to the interview room to explain. ``I
don't know why I said (he'd move the tees if his players asked him). It's not
going to happen,'' Torrance said. ``I was not trying anything, I promise. Sometimes
you make a mistake. I made the decision and I'll stand by it. I spoke to Curtis
and he's OK.'' Beware
of the jokesters The
European Tour, according to Torrance, is a traveling circus where the players
stay at the same hotels, eat together and become close. Get 12 of them together
for four days prior to the start of an event and practical jokes are bound to
happen. ``They're
laughing and joking,'' Torrance said of his players. ``I had (a practical joke)
last night, and from a rookie. I'm in for four days prior to the start of an event
and practical jokes are bound to happen. ``I'm
in the bath and the phone rings. It's Pierre Fulke. He says, `Sam, I've got a
huge problem. It's the biggest problem of the week, I have to come and see you.'
'' A concerned
Torrance threw a towel around himself and answered a knock at the door, where
Fulke stood with an ashen face. ``I
thought, what has happened?'' Torrance said. ``He said, `Sam, I can't do my tie.'
I could have killed him. So I (tied) his tie.'' Getting
in the swing Yesterday,
according to Strange, was the only mandatory 18-hole practice day for the U.S.
team and the captain had his men play a serious game of alternate shots to prepare
for foursomes play. He had Mickelson paired with David Toms, Stewart Cink with
Jim Furyk, Hal Sutton with Scott Verplank, David Duval with Davis Love III, Woods
with Paul Azinger, and Scott Hoch with Mark Calcavecchia. Several of the pairings
switched partners on the back nine. Torrance
had Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Fulke and Phillip Price together in a foursome
with Sergio Garcia, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood in another
foursome. Niclas Fasth, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Jesper Parnevik
were in a third group. Taking
one more shot Hoch,
the oldest player on either team at 46, would love to play several matches in
what he considers his last chance at Ryder Cup play. ``I'll
have to see if my old college teammate calls me to play or not,'' Hoch said of
a teammate of Strange's at Wake Forest.
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