Tiger plays Oakmont for second time, holds clinic on how to prepare for U.S. Open
Pretty lucky day for the 82 AMEX cardholders who $900 to attend an event called "2007 U.S. Open Preview Day".
They thought they were just getting a chance to play the famous course. Instead they also got lunch with Tiger Woods, who put on a clinic on how to prepare for a major.
Quote:
Woods invited unlimited questions as he walked the fairways and greens, at one point asking the security detail to drop the hand-held ropes so the customers could get closer. He told them the yardages he had left to the green, and why the yardage to the front of the green was most important at a U.S. Open with its typically firm surfaces
Woods hit a stinger 3-iron on the 428-yard third hole with a slight breeze at his back, making sure he stayed out of the "Church Pew" bunkers that separate the third and fourth fairways, long strips of grass in the sand that look like benches.
"Can you hit one from the Church Pews?" someone said to him.
"No," Woods replied with a grin.
"Will you teach us how?" the man said.
"How to play out of it? You hit it right here," Woods said, pointing to the short grass in the fairway. "I go crazy when I watch guys in practice round play shots from a drop area. Why bring negativity into your thoughts? I only practice from where I expect to play."
Quote:
Oakmont will play as long as 7,257 yards as a par 70, but it has at least two par 4s in which some players will try to drive the green. One of them is the 341-yard second hole, although Woods didn't bother. He took 4-iron.
"Remember the 4-iron I snapped at the Masters? I had it fixed," he said.
Woods tried to punch out from behind a tree on the 11th hole Sunday at Augusta National, slamming the club into the trunk of the pine immediately after hitting the ball, the shaft breaking in half.
Why not go for the green?
"I could probably, maybe ... but what's the point?" he said. "You try to make birdie when you can at the U.S. Open. But the whole idea is to try to avoid making bogey."
He was asked later if any of the players at the U.S. Open might try to drive the green.
"I hope so," Woods said, showing a little more insight into how he plans to play the course.
Those two quotes posted by grapeape definitely give an interesting glimpse into Tigers mind set. It will be interesting to see if he goes for the green on that short par 4 during any rounds of the actual U.S. Open.
Yesterday, using a square-headed Nike driver for the first time and playing in gusty conditions, Woods hit driver on seven holes -- Nos. 1, 4, 7, 9, 12, 17 and 18. During the U.S. Open, Woods may not use his driver half that much, opting to use a 3- or 4-iron on many of the holes. When he played 36 holes on Sunday with his teacher, Hank Haney, Woods used a 5-wood to hit the "stinger" shot he has popularized the past three years.
"I don't know [how much I'll use it] because I hit driver quite a bit because the ball wasn't running," Woods said, sitting in Oakmont's indoor practice facility before his afternoon round in which he was followed by more than 100 people. "I hit driver, 3-iron, 9-iron on No. 12 [a 667-yard par 5], but I don't know if I will hit driver because there are two different tee locations and I haven't seen how the fairways are running."
Tiger hit Driver, 3I, 9I to the 667yd Par 5? Bah! Bubba Watson would get on in TWO! LOL
At 7,257 yards, Oakmont is about half a hole shorter than Augusta was (7450yd~) but if its playing to a Par 70, well what will the winning score be this time? Can't be any worse than Ogilvy's +5
I heard a first hand experience from someone who got to take part in it.
Basically, this opportunity was sent in one of those e-mail newsletters I figured everyone ignored. The offer was sent to American Express Platinum and Centurion card holders. Just the type of people who can afford to spend almost a grand and get away for a round at Oakmont on a weekday afternoon. The fee included breakfast, golf, lunch, lectures about Oakmont and the Open, dinner and awards afterwards.
Each player had their own caddy with the players names on the back.
As everyone was finishing lunch and getting ready to hear from the speakers, they introduced Tiger Woods. He invited everyone (about 75) people to join him on the course and watch him play 18. Spoke before each shot explaining his strategies and answered questions.
It seems American Express has these kinds of events (not specifically involving Tiger Woods but just special events) quite often.
April 23rd, 2007, 11:18 PM
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