Thursday, November 19, 1998
Tiger Time
Woods takes the alternate route
By Bill Kwon
in the Grand Slam and
edges Singh for title
Star-BulletinPOIPU, Kauai -- It sure pays to be the alternate in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
To the tune of $400,000.
Tiger Woods became the second alternate to win the $1 million event with a 2-up victory over Vijay Singh under difficult conditions yesterday at the Poipu Bay Resort golf course.
Greg Norman, the only other player to qualify as an alternate in the tournament, which features the winners of golf's four major championships, won in 1994.
That year Norman thanked Nick Price for winning the British Open and the PGA Championship, which allowed Norman to compete in golf's Final Four.
Woods can thank Mark O'Meara, his golfing neighbor and good friend. O'Meara won the Masters and the British Open, allowing Woods to play in the tournament for the second consecutive year.
Woods made the most of the opportunity. He advanced to the final by defeating Lee Janzen in the first round, 3 and 2. Janzen, the U.S. Open champion, came back to defeat O'Meara, 1-up, yesterday for third place and $200,000.
Woods had it tougher against Singh in a well-played championship match -- despite the elements. The one constant was a 25-30 mph wind."The conditions were awfully hard, very demanding. You had to be patient," Woods said. "It was a matter of just hanging in there."
He did, shooting a 5-under 67.
The conditions made club selection difficult, added Singh, winner of the PGA Championship.
"You have 160-yard 3-irons, 180-yard pitching wedges. It doesn't make sense," Singh said. "One time you're into the wind. Suddenly you're downwind and you don't know what to do. It throws you off.
"I don't think we have winds like this except for the British Open. Thank God for that. If it's blowing like this in a major, everybody would be shooting 90."
Still, the gallery was treated to some great shot-making.
Woods had the shot of the tournament -- just as he did last year -- at the fourth hole when he holed a pitch from the fringe while standing in the bunker for a tying birdie.
If it doesn't drop, Woods would have been 2-down.
Singh led, 2-up, when Woods strayed all over the 12th fairway for a double-bogey 6. But Singh bogeyed 13 and 14 -- opposite-wind holes -- and the match was squared.
"That 3-putt at 13 gave it away," Singh said.
Woods took the lead for the first time with a 12-foot birdie putt at 15, but Singh birdied 16 to tie it again.
At the par-3 17th -- downhill and downwind -- both used 9-irons on the 199-yard hole. Woods got within 12 feet and made the putt for a 1-up lead.
Then came the 550-yard finishing hole -- a par-5 in name only, especially for Woods, who hit driver and pitching wedge from 170 yards out to 15 feet below the flagstick.
Singh was in the right rough with a flier lie, 220 yards away, looking at Woods sitting in the fairway.
"A birdie wouldn't have done me any good there," Singh said.
So maybe he tried a little too hard for eagle, turning an 8-iron over and skipping the ball into the lake guarding the left side of the green.
When he couldn't sink his next attempt, Singh conceded Woods' eagle putt.
Still, the second-place money of $250,000 wasn't too shabby.
O'Meara went 0-for-2 as the Grand Slam used a match-play format for the first time.
"It's been a nice two days in Hawaii," said O'Meara, who received $150,000 for fourth.
Janzen parred 17 to win. It was the only time he ever led during both days.
NOTES: The Grand Slam will return to the Poipu Bay Resort for the sixth consecutive year next November. After that, nobody knows or will say. With six years remaining after that on a contract between the PGA of America and Turner Sports, there is talk the event might move to the mainland beginning in 2000. Poipu Bay officials are trying to negotiate for another three years . . . A decision also will be announced early next year on whether the match-play format, which was popular with the players and the gallery, will continue to be used . . . The conceded eagle at No. 18 was the third for a Grand Slam winner at Poipu Bay. Norman eagled in 1994 and Ben Crenshaw's dramatic eagle won it for him the following year.
