Despite another
ho-hum 66 that gave him a share of the lead today in the National Car Rental Classic,
Tiger Woods considered the optimal scoring conditions and said anything could
happen over the weekend.
The trick is to convince everyone else of that.
At the start of a hectic worldwide schedule, Woods continued to show peak form
after a three-week layoff with a variety of shots that carried him into a tie
for the lead after two rounds with Jim Carter and Bob Tway.
"I
don't like losing, whether it's a non-major, a World Golf Championship, overseas
or here in the States, it doesn't matter," Woods said. "I want to win. I tee it
up with that intent."
Tway, who has to win this week to qualify for the Tour Championship, and Carter
each had a 7-under 65 and were tied with Woods at 12-under 132. Because Carter
and Tway finished their rounds first, they will be in the final pairing on Saturday.
That doesn't mean they
will be the ones everyone else is watching.
Woods will be paired with Ernie Els, who had a 65 and was one stroke behind. Els'
only victory this year was in Los Angeles, where he beat back Woods and David
Duval in the final round.
That has all but been forgotten by now, thanks to an incredible stretch of golf
by Woods.
He has
matured into a far more dominant player than he was two years ago, when he won
the Masters with a record score by a record margin and added three other victories
in 1997.
Woods has
celebrated victory six times in his past nine events, including the Ryder Cup,
which is the last time he played when every shot counted. A victory at Disney,
where he won in 1996 as a 20-year-old, would make him the first player since Tom
Watson in 1980 to win six times on the PGA Tour in a season.
"I
expect him to be there whenever he is in the field," Carter said.
As much as winning means to Woods, it's also quite a scalp for those trying to
match him birdie for birdie. Carter hasn't won in nine seasons on the PGA Tour,
but the thought to trying to track down a Tiger is appealing.
"It's
much more meaningful if you can win a tournament when he's in the field," Carter
said. "I'm here to be the best that I can be. Right now, he is the best, maybe
ever. I would like to play with him. That would be exciting."
Carter may have to take his turn. Tway is a former PGA champion and has been around
long enough not to be intimidated by a 23-year-old kid, even that guy happens
to have won two majors in just three full years as a pro.
"Tiger
is capable of shooting very, very low," Tway said. "But so is everybody else.
I don't think you really pay attention to who it is, but what the score is, how
many people are going low."
The answer to that last part is easy - everyone.
Rocco Mediate, who outplayed Woods in the final round to win the Phoenix Open
in February, had a 68 and was at 133, while Ryder Cup star Hal Sutton (66) was
among five players at 134.
A couple of "bubble" players were at 9-under 135.
One was Steve Elkington, who had a 69. He is 33rd on the money list and needs
to finish at least sixth to qualify for the Tour Championship, which will be played
next week at Champions in Houston, his home course.
Also at 135 was Loren Roberts, who is 27th on the money list and is feeling much
better about his chances - especially when the "Boss of the Moss" gets his putter
going.
"I seem to
putt well here," said Roberts, who has won twice in the Orlando area at Bay Hill.
"That's the way it goes for me. If I putt well, I'm going to play good."
Woods is doing just about
everything well. The only glitch is his lag putting, the result of not touching
a club for two weeks after the Ryder Cup. He three-putted from about 40 feet twice
on Thursday, and had another three-putt on Friday.
It apparently will take more than that to slow him.
Woods made three medium-length birdies and pulled off a little magic outside the
Magic Kingdom by holing a bunker shot from behind the green on No. 9. His last
two birdies came from putts about a step from the hole.
Despite his play from the time he turned professional, Woods realizes that winning
takes more than just making his tee time. He doesn't consider himself to be an
intimidating factor by just having his name on the board - at least not yet.
"If they do have any kind
of inkling, it might be on the back nine on Sunday," he said.
DIVOTS:
Just call Loren Roberts "Mr. Mom" this week. His wife, Kim, is home this week
to get ready for their 13-year-old daughter's birthday party, so Roberts and 8-year-old
Addison are having a father-daughter outing at Disney, the first time Roberts
has had a child on tour by himself. "I've only been to the park for three hours
with her, but we're going to Blizzard Beach this afternoon," he said. ... Eric
Booker, who missed the cut Friday and is 124th on the money list, failed to turn
in his application on time for the final round of Q-school. Booker blamed his
agent for missing the deadline, but also complained about having to send in the
$4,000 entry fee Sept. 17 for the PGA Tour to draw interest when "the final isn't
until December." That may explain why Booker missed the deadline - the final is
actually Nov. 17. ... Among those who missed the cut of 141 were Payne Stewart
and Mark O'Meara.
