Teak-tough Tiger claws through the pain barrier

NOT everybody likes Tiger Woods. He can be sullen and uncommunicative, evasive and defensive, but nobody can question his commitment on the golf course.

Fri, 01 Oct, 2004 - 01:00

Charlie Mulqueen, Mount Juliet

Nobody grinds it out harder, whether he's battling a wayward game or a debilitating injury.

Even though he had to take all kinds of precautions to avoid further damaging his back, he somehow got around Mount Juliet yesterday with a four under par 68 to keep his hopes of a third successive American Express World Championship alive.

Even taking the ball out of the hole was something of a chore for Woods, who was clearly playing through the pain barrier - just as he had promised he would do.

He also maintained his good humour and when somebody pointed out to him that he had putted well, he quipped: "The fewer shots I hit the easier it becomes." Having come this far, it seems Tiger is determined to see this out, commenting: "Once I hit a driver on the range and could carry it over 180 yards, I figured I was alright. I could probably roll it down the fairway somehow. I figured if I could get the ball on the greens, I've been putting great. I was hoping I could get there in regulation and I did that most of the day and made a lot of putts."

Oddly enough, the shorter shots seemed to hurt more than the drives and long irons, although the various handicaps didn't prevent him from starting with a couple of birdies and closing off the outward nine with two more to reach the turn in 32.

He winced on impact time and again, but such a performance demonstrated the fighting spirit of the man. He went five under with a two at the 11th but quickly bogeyed the 12th and even though he made birdie at 17, a poor drive led to a second dropped shot at the last.

"The one that hurt the most was a bunker shot at 12," he reported. "I had a fried egg there. I just tried to get through the day and post a number. I really didn't know whether I was going to play or not, it was all up in the air. Now I'm going to have more treatment on the problem and hope it will be a little better tomorrow. It's just that I didn't loosen up at all. I was hoping the spasms might go away but that didn't happen either. I don't know how it looked on TV, whether or not my shoulder turn was halfway decent, but it sure didn't feel very good. I was trying to relieve the pain because any time the shoulder blade goes back and contracts, it's when I get this unbelievable shooting pain and that's usually at impact and just beyond it."

There has to be some doubt concerning Tiger's ability to see the 72 holes through but if anybody can do it, then he's the man.

He accepted that he didn't know how it was going to be today, whether yesterday's toil was going to make it feel worse, but he insisted that: "Hopefully, I will feel better for it, that each and every day I will feel better. No, there was never any question of me quitting. I guess I'm very stubborn. I've got a few painkillers on board right now, some anti-inflammatories, and hopefully a little traction will make it feel better as well. Steve (Williams, his caddy) rubbed Ben-Gay into my back five or six times. He was trying to keep it warm but he couldn't believe the knots. He said it's like you've got a sleeve of balls in there."

TEE-OFF times in the second round of the American Express World championship at Mount Juliet today:

(Gbr unless stated):

0840 S Katayama (Jpn), D Fichardt (Rsa)

0850 Z Lian-wei (Chi), Yeun Yang (S Kor)

0900 F Jacobson (Swe), D Love (USA)

0910 C Howell (USA), M Campbell (Nzl)

0920 F Couples (USA), S Ames (Tri)

0930 M Hensby (Aus), T Levet (Fra)

0940 G McDowell (Ire), T Herron (USA)

0950 S Leaney (Aus), A McLardy (Rsa)

1000 P Casey, J Haas (USA)

1010 J-F Remesy (Fra), R Green (Aus)