Simon Lewis, Hazeltine
WITH a talent like his, Spain's Alvaro Quiros would probably have made a name for himself in American golfing circles sooner rather than later, but gatecrashing the Tiger-Paddy show at Hazeltine National on Thursday has made him an instant hit.
Ten years on from compatriot Sergio Garcia's gallop up the 16th at Medinah, Quiros announced his arrival at the 2009 PGA Championship by literally making his presence felt as Woods, Harrington and Rich Beem reached the 11th green.
The 6ft 3ins Spaniard has led the European Tour in driving distance for three years in a row and does so again with an average 316 yards off the tee.
While the marquee group was putting, Quiros took out his driver – yes, his driver - for his second shot at the same hole and crushed it off the fairway the 290 yards to the green.
Quiros, who shot a 69 to finish the first round two shots off Tiger's lead, said he thought Harrington and Co. were finishing and he couldn't even see them from his position but he heard the Irishman shout “Good shot”.
“I was trying to finish the ball on the fringe,” a sheepish Quiros added, “and sadly probably the ball bounced more than we were calculating and we finished on the green when Harrington and Rich Beem and Tiger were putting.
“But I apologized to them on the next tee.”
Practicing last week on the range for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Quiros was shown a 1954 persimmon driver by a local collector and promptly thumped a succession of balls with the vintage lump of wood 280 yards into a net at the far perimeter.
Back at Hazeltine and Woods was amazed by what he had just seen.
“I mean, that's just stupid long, isn't it?” Woods said. “To hit it that far into the wind is phenomenal. It's just absolutely phenomenal.”
As usual with the world number one, there was a sting in the tail, just to remind Quiros who the boss is.
“I used to be able to move the ball, not anymore,” he added. “I just plod my way around, shoot 67.”
