The Game Of Risk

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Woods shot a blistering 61 in the first round of the Nelson. Although he finished tied for seventh, he was thrilled because his swing felt so good. Now he could put his whole game back together: the full swing, the short chips and lobs, the putting. And the victories.

And the victories came. He won an extraordinary 10 of 14 events during the rest of 1999 and had eight PGA Tour victories in that year, the most since Johnny Miller in 1974. And Woods won six in a row in late '99 and early 2000. Nicklaus never won more than seven Tour events in one year and never more than three in a row. With his victory in the British Open last month, Woods completed the career grand slam of pro golf's four major tournaments, a feat accomplished by only four other men: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Nicklaus. And Woods did it at age 24--two years younger than Nicklaus, whose career accomplishments Tiger had kept taped to the headboard of his bed, and in the crosshair of his ambition, since he was 10.

This year Woods has simply owned golf. He's already won six tournaments and earned $6 million in prize money, making him the all-time career money winner, with more than $17 million. Many weeks it seems, as Ernie Els, who finished second in the first three majors this year--and second four times this year to Woods alone--says, "The rest of us are playing one tournament, and there's Tiger, playing a different one."

Woods has put many Tour players on a different training regimen, forcing them to head for the gym. He's added 20 lbs. of muscle to his 6-ft. 2-in. frame since joining the Tour. In response, David Duval has transformed himself by adapting a strict, demanding exercise and weight-training program. Even Jesper Parnevik, the rail-thin, chain-smoking Swede, has been driven to pump iron and Exercycles. Woods has also prompted competitors to go easy on the 19th hole. At a dinner in St. Andrews to honor former champions, Woods recalled, Sam Snead and other older players talked about the days when they would "party until late and then play hung over." Sober-faced, Woods observed, "That doesn't work anymore."

Anyone who would compete with Woods consistently will have to play most of the par-five holes, typically longer than 500 yds., by hitting the green in two long shots, setting up a putt for a 2-under-par eagle, and an almost certain birdie. One of Woods' most telling stats is his average score on par fives: 4.38, an advantage worth 10 shots in each four-day tournament on the typical course with four par-five holes. Tour veteran Mark O'Meara, 43, a close friend and neighbor of Woods', has beaten him in tournaments and still wins some of their practice rounds. But he concedes that over time, Woods' long, straight drives "just wear you out." Though O'Meara averages 265 yds. off the tee, Woods outdrives him by 30 yds. or more and is "hitting seven-iron into greens where I'm hitting four-iron. Now, who do you think is going to get closer to the pin, on average?" he asks. "And then who do you think is going to make more birdies?"

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