"I have a lot more experience in major championships than he (Woods) has," Montgomerie said, anticipating his Saturday pairing with Woods. "And hopefully, I can prove that."
With Faldo (75-81) and Norman (77-74) both missing the cut, the weekend began on a refreshing note. Gone were the two principals of last year's Masters. It was as if the stage had been cleared for a younger pair of superstars. Montgomerie, Europe's top player, had recently made clear his desire to face Woods in Ryder Cup competition--not necessarily at Augusta--needling Woods for PGA Tour victories on resort courses in Las Vegas and Orlando. It was the best Saturday matchup at a major championship since Faldo and Norman were paired together for the third round at the 1990 British Open at St. Andrews.
Unfortunately for Montgomerie, it turned out just as one-sided, and one wonders if the ensuing ambush will have a lasting effect on the Scot at Valderrama in September. Woods birdied four of the first eight eight holes en route to a 65, the best score posted by anybody all week. In match play, Monty would have lost, 4 and 3. Still reeling from Saturday's 74, he shot an embarrassing 81 in the final round to finish 24 strokes behind Woods.
Anybody else looking for a little Trauma in Valderrama?
"Why would I want to play him?" said Sweden's Jesper Parnevik. "I'd be five down before we started."
As unbeatable as Woods was, all this might never have occurred if his father hadn't decided to crash on the living-room sofa Thursday morning. Earl Woods was just minding his own business when Tiger, practicing on the carpet, asked him how he liked his putting stroke. Earl said he didn't. Tiger asked his dad what was wrong. Earl told Tiger his right hand was breaking down on the takeaway.
But let's not get carried away. Tiger could have putted with a Garden Weasel and still finished under par. He drove the ball like no man has ever driven it, John Daly included, taking Augusta's various land mines out of play. His longest club into a par 4 the entire week was a 7-iron. On tough, two-shot holes such as the 435-yard fifth and the 405-yard, all-uphill 18th, where a few feet in the wrong direction on the approach shot means an automatic 5, Woods could laugh his way around trouble with a routine sand wedge.
"Any course suits his game, but this course is made for him," said Corey Pavin. "He can certainly win at all the major venues (this year) but this is the most likely. I'm not sure where I'd go after that. I'd say the U.S. Open, then the PGA. The British Open is the least likely. It's tough tournament to play in."
There will come a day when Eldrick T. Woods has nothing left to prove, a day when his legacy will include major championships of various shapes and sizes. His rate of achievement suggests that day may not be too far off. Unless a golfer of comparable skill emerges as a worthy rival--a Nicklaus to his Palmer--Woods may have, as Nicklaus himself predicted last year, 10 green jackets before he's done.
"Winning this isn't going to change his life," Janzen said. "The only question is: Will he ever get tired of beating everybody?"
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