USA: TIGER WOODS TALKS ABOUT WHETHER HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MAJOR GOLF WIN WOULD MEAN HE HAS COMPLETED AN AUTHENTIC GRAND SLAM
Record ID:
646918
USA: TIGER WOODS TALKS ABOUT WHETHER HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MAJOR GOLF WIN WOULD MEAN HE HAS COMPLETED AN AUTHENTIC GRAND SLAM
- Title: USA: TIGER WOODS TALKS ABOUT WHETHER HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MAJOR GOLF WIN WOULD MEAN HE HAS COMPLETED AN AUTHENTIC GRAND SLAM
- Date: 2nd April 2001
- Summary: AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, UUNITED STATES (APRIL 3, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SPECTATORS WALKING THE COURSE IN THE RAIN 2. THE MASTERS LEADERBOARD 3. A FAN TAKING PICTURES IN THE RAIN 4. AUSTRALIAN STEWART APPLEBY HITS FROM THE FAIRWAY ON THE 9TH HOLE 5. ERNIE ELS TEE SHOT ON THE 5TH HOLE 6. LOREN ROBERTS HITS OUT OF THE BUNKER ON THE 7TH HOLE 7. A WET BALL BEING HIT 8. SOUNDBITE (English) TIGER WOODS: "I'm not going to deny this, it is the harder way to accomplish the Grand Slam is in one year, there is no doubt about that. But I think if you can put all four trophies on your coffee table, I think you can make a pretty good case for that too." AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA (APRIL 2, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. SOUNDBITE (English) VIJAY SINGH: "Woods is going to try to get all four and it is tough task just to win one. Woods, is a phenomenon, you know, we are going to try to stop him from getting that 4 and I am going to be out there and try to defend it." AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA (APRIL 3, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 10. SOUNDBITE (English) PHIL MICKELSON: "I have not felt as though everybody is getting together to try and beat one guy, that is certainly not the case. I think that it is going to be very difficult to beat Tiger because he seems to be able to bring out his best game when he want to." AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA (APRIL 2, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11. TIGER WALKING TO THE TEE SHAKING HANDS WITH FANS AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA (APRIL 3, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. SOUNDBITE (English) MICKELSON: "It certainly will be challenging to beat him and there is not a feeling of all the guys try to gang up to beat him. I think that we have all benefited from what he has done. Even though we are not too thrilled with the fact that someone has won 4 out of 5 events, it's brought a lot of attention to the game and we have all benefited indirectly." 13. SOUNDBITE (English) DARREN CLARKE: "I think if he wins this week and holds all four he can decide whatever he wants to decide. If he wants to decide it is a grand slam he has every right to decide, so it's up to him." AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA (APRIL 2, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 14. TIGER WALKING TO THE GREEN AFTER A TEE SHOT AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA (APRIL 3, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 15. SOUNDBITE (English) TIGER WOODS: "Obviously, what Bobby Jones did in 1930 was just absolutely incredible and what Hogan did in 1953 was incredible. Whether I do it or not, just to be able to say or to have people start saying those kinds of things and compare it, that means I've done all right for myself." 16. THE LEADERBOARD AND SPECTATORS IN THE RAIN Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 17th April 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA9UVAFSHDM1YVPS8V0C6RV39M9
- Story Text: Tiger Woods of the United States opted to let
posterity judge whether victory in this week's US Masters and
a fourth consecutive major would represent an authentic grand
slam.
Deftly avoiding possible verbal traps, Woods told a news conference
that winning the four majors in the course of a calendar year was more
difficult than capturing four titles in a row.
"I'm not going to deny this, it is the harder
way to accomplish the Grand Slam is in one year, there is no
doubt about that," he said. "But I think if you can put all
four trophies on your coffee table, I think you can make a
pretty good case for that too."
Fijian Vijay Singh, the only player other than Woods to
win a Major this century, thinks winning one is hard enough.
"Woods is going to try to get all four and it is a tough
task just to win one," he said. "Woods, is a phenomenon, you
know, we are going to try to stop him from getting that 4 and
I am going to be out there and try to defend it."
Some even have questioned whether or not the other
golfers will team up to try to defeat Woods.
"I have not felt as though everybody is getting together
to try and beat one guy, that is certainly not the case," said
American Phil Mickelson. "I think that it is going to be very
difficult to beat Tiger because he seems to be able to bring
out his best game when he want to.
"It certainly will be challenging to beat him and there is
not a feeling of all the guys trying to gang up to beat him. I
think that we have all benefited from what he has done even
though we are not too thrilled with the fact that someone has
won 4 out of 5 events, it's brought a lot of attention to the
game and we have all benefited indirectly," he added.
Regardless of what others say, there is no denying that
Woods has dominated the field especially in the Major events,
placing him among the games greatest players of all time, and
if he wins this week he will hold the all four titles at the
same time. Thus leaving history and his critics plenty of
material to examine.
"I think if he wins this week and holds all four he can
decide whatever he wants to decide," said Irishman Darren
Clarke. "If he wants to decide it is a grand slam he has every
right to decide, so it's up to him."
Woods was asked if three great former champions Arnold
Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player had been wrong when they
said the quartet had to be claimed in a calendar year for it
to count as a genuine grand slam.
"I'm not saying they're wrong," Woods replied calmly.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion."
Invited to compare his feats with those of Bobby Jones and
Ben Hogan, Woods was equally sure-footed.
Jones, co-founder of the Masters, won the U.S. and British
Opens plus the U.S. and British Amateurs in 1930, the grand
slam of his day. Hogan won the Masters, U.S. Open and British
Open in 1953 but did not compete in the USPGA because the
dates overlapped with qualifying for the British Open at
Carnoustie.
"Obviously, what Bobby Jones did in 1930 was just
absolutely incredible and what Hogan did in 1953 was
incredible," Woods said. "Whether I do it or not, just to be
able to say or to have people start saying those kinds of
things and compare it, that means I've done all right for
myself."
Rain interrupted Tuesday's practice rounds for two hours
and lightning flashed across the sky during a brief morning
storm. The bad weather is expected to clear on Wednesday and
four fine days are forecast for the championship.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None