ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 13, 1997 TAG: 9704140147
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: AUGUSTA, GA.
SOURCE: BOSTON GLOBE
From fans to tour veterans, everybody is watching and talking about Tiger Woods.
Some 45 golfers teed off Saturday in the Masters. And then The Master stepped up.
This time last year, Tiger Woods was a mere apprentice - albeit one with potential - but Saturday at Augusta National, Woods took a step into the record books. And, for sure, his footprints will be on virtually every page of golf's record books before he is done.
``Tiger Woods,'' Tom Watson said, ``may be one of those players who come along once in a millennium.''
Numbers do no justice to Tiger Woods, but for the record, he fired a 7-under-par 65 on Saturday, vaulting him to 15 under through three rounds and a nine-shot lead going into Sunday's coronation.
Never in 61 years of golf's most prestigious event has a player led by nine strokes through three rounds; Raymond Floyd led by eight in 1976.
``Tiger is nine shots clear,'' said playing partner Colin Montgomerie (74-213), ``and I'm sure he'll be higher.''
Should he capture the green jacket, the 21-year-old would be two years younger than the youngest previous Masters champion - Seve Ballesteros.
Woods, though, would not say this is the best he has played. ``I'll have to say this is as comfortable as I've ever felt,'' he said. ``I'm thinking well and I'm playing well.''
The best ever?
``No, definitely not.''
Since opening with a 40 on his opening nine Thursday, there are no words to describe Woods' play. In the 45 holes since (``It just clicked for me then''), Woods has been an astounding 19 under par. Other golfers, the best in the world, are at a loss for words.
``Tiger is doing some incredible stuff,'' said veteran Tom Kite, echoing the sentiments of his peers. ``He has an incredible golf swing that is incredibly fast.''
Said Ben Crenshaw: ``I've never seen such courage and such daring play that also is such smart play.''
Woods is so strong off the tee (averaging 337 yards) that bunkers and hazards so meticulously plotted ``to penalize the errant shot'' as Bobby Jones said, are of no consequence to him. His drives casually fly over them and, as often as not, he has a 9-iron in his hands to approach par-4s and wedges to aim at par-5s.
Yet, he is far from being a Tiger with one tooth. On the absolutely unfathomable Augusta greens, Woods strokes his first putt as if he has no concern about his return putt, should he be too bold. In between, his approach shots have been dead-on to the stick for the past 45 holes.
And of the intangible, the absolute sine qua non of a Masters champion - mental toughness - Montgomerie briskly took back the words he uttered Friday, that Woods might be too young and too inexperienced to win golf's most cherished prize.
Is he mentally ready to win? the Scot was asked.
``He is.'' The galleries were racing to see every stroke of Woods' magic wand. Usually, Augusta galleries are content to set up their green Masters chairs at one spot and never move.
Not now. They don't miss a shot. On the 11th, Woods left his drive far out to the right and into the gallery, grazing the head of fan.
Instead of being deep in the woods, Woods somehow was on the edge of the fairway. And, yes, he birdied the hole.
What size green sport coat does Woods wear?
``I don't know,'' he said.
That's about all that he doesn't know. For, after an evening of ``burgers and fries'' and ``a little pingpong with my Sony Play Station,'' Woods on Saturday thrilled golf as it hadn't been thrilled in years.
Of the 45 other golfers who teed it up Saturday, Italy's Costantino Rocca was best, finishing at 6 under par. That is nine strokes behind Tiger Woods, who will own a green sport coat - and a sport - come 7 p.m. today.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines KEYWORDS: GOLFby CNB