Bunker mentality exists at Royal St. George’s

Clifton Brown

Wednesday, July 16, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.

SANDWICH, England -- Tiger Woods won the British Open in 2000 at St. Andrews, never once hitting into a bunker.

That was a masterly performance, but this week it will be difficult to repeat. For Woods, and for the rest of the field, the undulating fairways and quirky bounces at Royal St. George's will be a large part of the tournament's story. There will be tee shots that land in the fairway, only to ricochet off mounds and into bunkers, or into the rough.

By the weekend, some players will be reaching for aspirin, especially those who get more wicked bounces than others.

Woods got his first glimpse of the St. George's course Sunday. He quickly learned that no tee shot is safe until it comes to a stop. And with the course playing hard and fast because of unseasonably warm temperatures and little rain, keeping the ball in the fairway will be one of the top priorities for Woods, as he seeks to win his ninth major championship, and his second British Open.

"The fairways are very difficult to hit, especially with all the mounding in them," Woods said when asked about his early impressions of the course. "It comes down to getting the right bounce, and a guy getting a little bit of luck. I think everyone who has won here can attest to that. Not too often do you hit the ball down the middle, and you end up in the bunker or the rough because of the bounces."

Even if Woods cannot control the bounce of his ball this week, he hopes to control his game. He comes here from his best performance of the year, a five-stroke victory at the 100th Western Open in Lemont, Ill., on July 6.

That was Woods' fourth victory this year, but he enters this week having not won a major championship since last summer's U.S. Open at Bethpage Black on Long Island, a span of four major championships.

Woods plans his entire year around the four majors, so having gone a year without winning one has only intensified his determination. Instead of traveling to Ireland last week, as he usually does before the British Open, Woods remained at home in Windermere, Fla., to work on his game in solitude.

Woods concedes he has not played well in recent majors, and he has arrived in Europe to change that. In the year's first two majors, Woods did not finish in the top 10, tying for 15th at the Masters and tying for 20th at the U.S. Open last month at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois.

"I just would like to play more consistently," Woods said. "That's one of the things I haven't been able to do. The first two days at Augusta, I played well in spurts, and I hit a couple of stray shots here or there. It finally came together Saturday. That was frustrating.

"Olympia Fields, the same thing. I played well in spurts. It's starting to come together. Finally at the Western Open, it came together and I played well. I'd like to play consistently like that."

A year ago, Woods was at the pinnacle of his career, coming to the British Open in pursuit of a Grand Slam, after winning last year's Masters and U.S. Open. But during the third round of last year's British Open, Woods shot a shocking 81 after being caught in a freakish rain-and-sleet storm during the third round that blew away his hopes.

"I didn't hit the ball that well, and the weather just compounded the problem," said Woods, who tied for 28th after a final-round 65.

Although Woods hopes for a better ending this week, his peers are not eager to give him any motivation. Ask other contenders about Woods' game, and the praise begins to flow.

"He's still the guy to beat," said Jim Furyk, the winner of the U.S. Open. "He's in a so-called slump right now. He's won four times, and he's second on our money list. He's playing great. I think talk of a slump or anything like that is quite ridiculous. He's still the best player in the world. He's separated himself far and away from everyone else."

With the fairways so hard and fast, Woods may not hit many drivers this week, and players who do not hit the ball a long way should still be able to chase the ball down the fairways. Power will not matter as much as precision, and the last Open at St. George's, won by Greg Norman in 1993, also included such precision shorter hitters on the leader board as Nick Faldo and Corey Pavin.

If Woods wins this weekend, he will be halfway to Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 professional major championships. But after four majors without a victory, Woods was in no position to take anything for granted.

"Anyone who has qualified can win the tournament," said Woods, who will be paired in the first two rounds with Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald. "This golf course rewards quality shots. You can't go out here and play poorly and contend. You have to play solidly for 72 holes."

And you must also get some favorable bounces.