European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday september 1. 1994 sports the stars and stripes Page 31 dad envisioned Tiger. Commentary Earl has t heard from him since Buthe has t Given up Hope. It just might be that news of his son has t travelled far the father makes no Small plans. Earl Woods knew he had a golfer on his hands the Day he looked up from his own practising and sweat flowing freely found his 6-month-ow in staring Back. What struck him then what strikes him enough. Yet. Even now was that the boy s expression will he be one of the great ones never changed. Earl repeated the question. Let me say hour after hour swing after swing for this first. As Long As he is educated a As Long As he could Pound balls into a productive citizen and Happy that practice net in the garage his son could enough forme. Sit still in a Highchair hypnotized. By 10months, Little Tiger loved the routine so much he insisted on being fed in one year he waggled a sawed off club Over the Ball and began pounding them into the net himself. A few years after that he is beating his father atthe game. At age 5, he was featured on that s he already was just about then that Earl envisioned not just another got err not just the next first Black Sun a a ".�. �., per Star not even just the next Nicklaus players out there it could easily translate bit something else. Into fewer grander something on the order of a Folk hero something very much like the Boxer Joe Louis had. Been for him when hews growing up. A source of inspiration to his people to All people maybe. Awl wow Tiger Woods says age achievements and if he chooses Golf i believe have How should i say this comparable skills and ability to the great ones. Whether he will be As successful depends on the competitive nature of Thetga tour when he gets out there. Obviously the tour is sons stronger than it was during Nicklaus time the Nicklaus Era was Strong at the top but the depth of Quality out there now is higher. And since it Only takes one to beat you with Many More letting his silence on the phone carry a moment of embarrassment i Don t know about the first time Jim Litke the subject is broached is the first time in20 minutes of talking that Tiger sounds like what he is an 18-year-Ola kid trying to squeeze the last few Days of fun out of get the third into Gimme Range. A . Us. To nit was to or in but the same thing could have Bee said about any of the Fields Tiger played in and he torched them love of the game arid his Start came from his father. But the Brilliant shoemaking that unfolded the touch the nerve the imagination the cold blooded putting stroke the Way he draws Atten Tion to himself the unceasing desire to practice those were All Tiger s. For most of his Young life he was spot Ting his Competition As much As 10 years. Because he hit the Ball Long and wild then and now at 6-foot-2 and a 4-Iron-slim 162 pounds he hits longer and Wilder the wins weren t always pretty. But they were always wins. He would it the Ball into the Trees find it Cool As you please Knock it on the Green. If he hit two shots wildly like some precocious seve Ballesteros he found a Way to summer after which he for related column see Page 33 will leave Home for the first time to at tend Stanford University. All the usual birdied Tyr of me i goodbyes have to be crammed in Between clinched the a Par on celebrations of one More ground surprised said the s Tiger was 3-Down with three holes to play trying to three peat the . Junior Amateur last summer. He made three birdies and won the playoff with Apar. He was 6-Down Early in the . Amateur made Par twice from the Trees birdied two or the last holes and breaking Days earlier Tiger won the . Amateur the most prestigious Amateur tournament around in the most dramatic fashion imaginable and became the youngest Ever to do so. The scary part i that it was expected. All of it. And even so everybody wants a piece of him now family friends tournament officials the Golf team the Media and who knows who else. People Are waiting everywhere he turns but Tiger takes pains to give a thoughtful answer. He wants people who Only see him play Golf to know there is substance behind the sizzle. Through his play and the Doz ens of clinics he and Earl staged in the inner cities he is attracting kids to the game in a Way that cannot yet be measured. He already feels he owes them at least that much. I think being a role Model in some is is already a reality. And i know ways at Stanford and he seems solid in every a a Vaud Ivain. Part of the games he s got length he can some responsibility goes with it. Sure it � Utt and he a i a he can play at Les would be great if everything works out fan full Speed. That s a real sign of a but who knows u i can Only be myself Tiger said and see what happens.". One thing that has happened already when he was a kid Tiger made up a list of Jack Nicklaus accomplishments at various Ages and taped it to the Wall of his bedroom see graphic. / his Given name is Eldrick but ear Woods called his son Tiger almost from birth to Honor a Friend and fellow Soldier w 44vsuv/j cd we he got separated from late in his second tour of shared a foxhole with this South Wau us us to i Fri vietnamese colonel admired his Cour predicting greatness. The kid after All age and reckoned his Friend might try to Nas barely started shaving. Only time find him if he nut together the names we the associated press Here is a comparison of the Ages at which Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods achieved x broke 50 4x a broke 6018 holes broke 70 18 holes state Cham h a . Junior a Arr Pion . Amateur Champion first major win Tiger Nicklaus Woods Wood Sas surprised said the son. re not supposed to get rattled. The most surprising thing was that every time i had to play out of the Trees i had very Good lies. All i had to do then was execute the ?" the father said. No. I know How absolutely Beautiful an pure he can strike the Ball. He does t hit that Way All the time he s a kid. But it does t seem to bother him being in any Corner of the course. He has Earl Woods concluded the heart of an the great ones do. Nicklaus Ben Hogan Tom Watson compile a longer list and the thing they have in common i that All were great closers. On Early form Woods looks to be the Best closer of them All. I played with him a couple of said Watson who also played Golf Speed. By less than full Speed i mean we rearmost always Between clubs. It s easy to hit a shot As hard As you can with a club because you know the exact distance. But put a crowd around someone and throttle the swing Back to 90 percent or 80 per cent and now you re bringing in the added elements of touch imagination concentration. J j a Tiger can do that. And he added he seems pretty thoughtful for a kid his , however stopped Short often Mign 10 put Tiger arid Tiger Woods reacts after Birdie putt in his 1993 . Amateur debut. He won this a
