Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 5, 1995 TAG: 9504080017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: AUGUSTA, GA. LENGTH: Medium
\ Nick Faldo has seen the future and it makes him feel old.
``Tiger Woods is very talented,'' Faldo said. ``He hits the ball a helluva long way. He has some serious shoulder speed. He's a nice young kid and it makes you feel old to see him play.''
Woods, the 19-year-old U.S. Amateur champion and freshman from Stanford, played a practice round early this week with two-time Masters champion Faldo over tricky Augusta National Golf Club.
Faldo, 18 years senior to Woods, was impressed particularly on the 500-yard, par-5 No.15 hole. Woods hit a downwind drive 356-yards, knocked a 9-iron on the green, and made his putt for eagle.
``It would be very difficult for him to win his first time here but he has the gift of elasticity of youth,'' Faldo said Tuesday. ``We'll have to see what develops. He's fun to watch.''
Masters tradition will pair Woods with defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain on Thursday.
``Tiger kept asking me what irons to hit on certain holes and where to put the ball,'' Faldo said. ``He's trying to learn as much as he can.''
Olazabal said Woods has the disadvantage of no experience over the thinking man's golf course. No amateur has finished better than 15th since 1962.
``Experience is a great factor here,'' Olazabal said. ``He'll make a lot of mistakes because he doesn't know the course. I'm sure he'll get to play it a lot more times. He's going to be a very good player.''
Woods is the second youngest qualifier in Masters history. Only Tommy Jacobs, who was 17 when he played in 1952, surpasses Woods, who is the first black player at the Masters since Jim Thorpe in 1988.
Woods underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in December but has had no problems walking Augusta's hills. He practiced with Greg Norman and Fred Couples on Tuesday.
``I was impressed how long he hit the ball and with his golf smarts,'' Norman said. ``I also was impressed with his internal fire. He got mad at times out there and that's good to have a little bit of an attitude.''
Woods isn't looking at the Masters as a golfing lark.
``I plan to have that green coat put on me,'' Woods said. ``My main focus this week will be on my game not on the atmosphere. I'll have a lot of butterflies for sure. But I want to give it my best to win. This is another tournament, but it happens to be a major.''
Woods has been a gallery favorite in the practice rounds. But the adoration can get old.
He said ``I'll be glad when Thursday gets here. I can hear those cameras clicking on my backswing and downswing. They can't do that on Thursday. One thing is great. The crowds can stop your ball when you hit it over the green.''
Among those on hand to cheer for him was father Earl Woods, 62.
``I haven't seen him much,'' Earl Woods said. ``He's been playing 36 holes a day.''
Young Woods is staying in the ``crow's nest'' over the clubhouse by the putting green with Trip Kuehne, runner-up in the amateur.
``I was pumped up for the drive down Magnolia Lane but it was dark when we got here,'' Woods said. ``It was a thrill but now I have a lot of things to work on.''
Woods said his game was rusty because of almost 50 inches of rain in the San Francisco area this spring.
``I'm hitting the fairways but that's not that hard to do here,'' he said. ``I need to get more control on my irons. My putting is coming around.''
Woods got some advice from Norman and Couples on how to play certain holes. They gave him a big tip:
``They said the course gets twice as hard on Thursday as it was in the practice rounds,'' he said. ``I'll give it my best shot.''
Can he win? Let Norman answer:
``He's good enough!''
by CNB