Woods makes his return to the PGA TOUR
May 9, 2001
GolfWeb Wire Services
IRVING, Texas -- Tiger Woods was 15 when he first met Byron Nelson at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, where the man who once won a record 11 straight PGA TOUR events went to a clinic to see a young phenom groomed for stardom.
"We had a nice conversation about my future in the game and what he thought about my golf swing," Woods recalled Wednesday. "He said, 'Just stay the track. Keep doing what you're doing, because obviously what you're doing is right.'"
This is where the track has led Woods.
He arrived at the Verizon Byron Nelson Classic as the owner of all four major championships, a Grand Slam of his own making after winning The Masters for a clean sweep. He has won his last three tournaments -- the third time in as many years he has put together such a streak.
In less than five years as a professional, Woods has won as many PGA TOUR events (27) as Lee Trevino did in his 25-year career. He also has as many majors (six) as Trevino.
The Verizon Byron Nelson Classic is Woods' first tournament since he won The Masters. He was asked whether that ended a chapter in his career, that incredible stretch of methodically collecting all four major championships.
"It's hard to say I'm ending it because I'm just five years into my career," Woods said. "In golfing terms, I'm just getting started; I'm still in my infancy. I have so many years that I can play at a high level. When I'm older and look back, that may be the end. Or that may be the beginning."
The next page is the Verizon Byron Nelson Classic, a $4 million tournament that always gets a strong field because of the tournament host, and always gets a lot of attention because of Woods. It's the first stop on his road to the U.S. Open at Southern Hills, and an unfathomable bid to win a fifth straight major.
The last time Woods won the Verizon Byron Nelson Classic was in 1997, which was his first tournament since a record-setting victory at The Masters.
"That would be really nice if I could do that," Woods said of a repeat performance.
One thing he doesn't expect to repeat itself is the level of Tigermania.
He teed off with four amateurs Wednesday morning as sun was just rising, only about 300 people in tow and a news helicopter circling above the Tournament Players Club at Las Colinas. No more than 1,000 fans were around the 18th green when he finished five hours later.
In 1997, coming off his watershed win at Augusta, galleries swarmed Las Colinas to get a glimpse of the 21-year-old champion and the future of golf. Now, even something as unprecedented as four consecutive majors is enough to bring a throng to the golf course at 7 a.m. to watch Woods hit shots that don't count.
"Do I ever think it will get like it did in '97? I don't think so," Woods said. "I've been around for five years now. I think people have seen me."
Not lately, they haven't.
Woods spent his first four days after The Masters in bed with a 102-degree temperatures. He put on two junior clinics in California and Alabama. He presided over "Tiger Jam," his annual charity concert in Las Vegas. He strapped on a space-age suit to make a video game. He filmed a Wheaties commercial.
"I haven't played hardly at all," Woods said. "I've just been kind of laying low, practicing a little bit here and there, but I haven't really done much."
The Verizon Byron Nelson Classic is no place to just show up and chase the little white ball around.
The field represents five of the top seven from the world ranking, missing only Davis Love III with a sore neck and Colin Montgomerie from the European Tour. It features 23 of the top 30 from the PGA TOUR money list, including three guys who have won during Woods' four-week hiatus from golf.
Then again, the toughest fields usually bring out the best in Woods.
In the 13 toughest fields since the 2000 season, Woods has won eight of them and has finished no worse than a tie for eighth.
"I'm just going to go out there with the intent, just like I always do -- try to get myself in position to win this thing," he said. "I feel like my game is pretty solid for the time off that I took, and hopefully it will come together and I can get it going again, and get myself where I can peak at the U.S. Open."
© The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
About Us / TOUR Partners / Licensees / Privacy Statement / Feedback / SportsLine.com © 1995-2001, PGA TOUR, Inc. PGA TOUR, SENIOR PGA TOUR and the swinging golfer logo are registered trademarks.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
