Dean Juipe: Woods’ win makes for historic LVI

Monday, Oct. 7, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

LIVING UP to lofty expectations is tough enough. Exceeding them is absolutely amazing.

Two months into his professional golf career, Tiger Woods has far surpassed any realistic goals he or even others may have set for him when he first joined the brutally competitive PGA Tour. The initial objective -- win enough money to automatically gain his all-exempt tour card for 1997 -- seemed difficult enough, but in retrospect it was child's play as Woods has quickly vaulted to a position of superstardom.

His performance Sunday bordered on the unbelievable and actually qualified as chilling as he came from four shots behind to win the Las Vegas Invitational at the TPC at Summerlin.

Woods was in the hunt as he began his round, yet he wasn't expected to win. In fact, with Davis Love III collecting birdies on each of his first four holes, Woods and the rest of the field appeared to be headed for also-ran status.

But Love stagnated, at least temporarily, although he rallied to force a sudden-death playoff for the championship. Woods? He never faltered. He knocked shot after shot near stick after stick and made just enough putts to close the five-day tournament with a stunning 64.

That's 64 with pressure, fatigue and a pulled groin muscle that undoubtedly could use a couple of weeks' rest. That's 64 in spite of the distractions of a huge gallery, which, as well-meaning as it was, still could have left a lesser player feeling claustrophobic.

LVI fans and organizers will remember this one with exclamation points.

They were excited (!) to have Woods in the field, elated (!) when he moved into contention with a second-round 63 and ecstatic (!) when he came through that final-round maze to claim the $297,000 first prize.

As late as noon Sunday, no one could have realistically foreseen Woods winning. And even by mid-afternoon he was but one of a dozen players flirting with the lead, as no fewer than 12 guys were within three shots of first place when the final group -- Love and fourth-round leader Ronnie Black -- made the turn and headed toward the back nine.

You could say somehow Woods won, but there was no somehow to it. It wasn't by accident or because everyone else faltered, because those in contention weren't backing off. The title aspirants kept putting red numbers up on the scoreboard; Woods just did it a little more often.

His presence in the LVI attracted a great deal of attention and his play here forced even the cynical to acknowledge his potential greatness. Woods isn't the first player to come along and have an immediate impact on the tour, yet he stands alone when it comes to possessing such broad-based appeal.

Now he has his first tour victory. He's established. He fought through a veteran field and made off with a championship that had several worthy suitors.

A side benefit and one not to be overlooked or underestimated: The LVI has its first commitment for its 1997 event and it's this new hero, Tiger Woods.